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Though it has perked up in recent years, Guadalajara's nightlife is still less than hot. There are clubs springing up around the cathedral area, although most of the fashionable, younger-crowd places tend to be a long way out - the Plaza del Sol complex , for example, houses a couple of clubs, as do many of the big hotels out this way. Any of them will knock a severe hole in your wallet. There are more clubs where Avenida Juárez becomes Avenida Vallarta (most of which have a no jeans or sneakers policy). Avenida López Mateos has a number of trendy pubs with live music and a younger crowd - some have free bars on certain nights on the week - in exchange for a cover charge of around US$6 for men, US$2.50 for women.

You needn't spend anything at all in the Plaza de Mariachis , a little area hard by the Mercado Libertad and the church of San Juan de Dios, where mariachi bands stroll between bars, playing to anyone prepared to cough up for a song. If they play for you personally, you'll have to pay (check how much before they start), but there are usually several on the go nearby. You'll also find mariachi bands out in Tlaquepaque, and theatre and dance performances, including ballet folklorico , in town at the Teatro Degollado.

Some of the downtown bars are a tad sleazy, although more trendy and stylish ones continue to open up all the time. Those we've listed are worth a try.