Parque Metropolitano

The Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara is, perhaps surprisingly, in the neighboring Zapopan municipality. That's what makes it metropolitan. It's an important park in the greater Guadalajara area and pretty easily one of the biggest. 

The park dates from 1983 when Zapopan began converting the old communal land grant which had supported the community for generations. Ground broke in 1990, and the entire park was dedicated in 1997. Much of the area was used to meet the growing need for housing, but the new residential areas also needed a park, a big one. Today, the park is supported by a team of 58 people who keep the gardens green and the walkways clean. It's actually administered by the state of Jalisco rather than the municipality.

Today the park is home to a number of important sculptural works, as well as to ducks, fish in its lakes, and countless other creatures. People visit in their thousands and the playing fields and playgrounds are among the most used in the city. Major renovations took place in 2021, and more recent goals include converting the entire place into a sustainable urban park aimed at establishing national benchmarks for environmental conservation, the promotion of sports, and providing recreation.

But doubtless, the most famous resident of the park is a giant Ficus pertusa. The famous Sonoran Strangler Fig tree has grown practically horizontally since anyone can remember. Known simultaneously as the Árbol Caído (The Fallen Tree) and the Árbol que Caminó (The Tree That Walked), the old fig is as gnarly and twisted as any tree you've come across. It's a remarkable tribute to persistence, resistance, and just keeping on, and it's officially the symbol for the park, and perhaps, for the many people who call the park their own.  

Traveling from the very center of Guadalajara, the trip nearly directly west takes about one hour. From the Basilica of Zapopan, the trip can be even a bit longer, but plan your day well, and be sure to stop in the park. It's a wonderful place to find yourself.