outdoors

Tequila Volcano

Full disclosure: there is no bottle of tequila at Volcan de Tequila's summit. However, it does overlook fields of agave and every single tequila distillery on the planet. The volcano itself starts with a drive up a 15-km cobblestone road, which winds its way through temperate forests up the slopes of the giant shield volcano. Once you reach a gate, drive through it. Before the second gate, park and look for a trail up a slope to a crater rim. Follow this trail for less than a mile towards the Tetilla, the old volcanic plug that now serves as the true summit. From here, ropes or a guide are recommended as exposed Class 4 and 5 climbing await. True story: a boulder knocked me off a ledge here and down a 70-foot cliff. I ended up in a Guadalajara hospital for 12 days with a collapsed lung, 4 broken ribs, a chest tube, and 30 stitches in my head. In other words, climb to the true summit at your own risk. Not looking for an extended hospital stay? The hike to the base of the summit is gorgeous in its own right.