Monday, Feb 17

Atemajac de Brizuela, Jalisco, MX

It is a large and wide field, far from the light pollution of the capital city of Guadalajara. It is possible to camp here and has ample space for parking vehicles. Thanks to all this, the field has become a classic place for many astronomers and astrophotographers; in fact, it is the official site of the annual Noche de las Estrellas (Night of the Stars) event.

The horizon in this place is excellent. As for the darkness and light pollution we have the lights of Atemajac de Brizuela and in the distance to the north the glow of Guadalajara. It is not a perfect sky but it is ideal for observations.

How to get there
From Guadalajara, take López Mateos Avenue, on the federal highway to Colima. At km 40 take the free highway to Ciudad Guzmán. At km 45 take the detour to Atemajac de Brizuelas.


The difficult part comes right away: finding the property. Going towards Atemajac de Brizuela, the observation point is about 4 km before the village on the right side. As a reference point on the left side is located a shooting range, the Atemaxac Country Club a few meters in front of the site (if you see it means that you have already passed the entrance). The course has become so popular that it has even been registered on Google Maps. In the following images you can find a picture of the entrance so you can guide yourself better.

Accommodations options
There are several options: camping in the same place, staying in a few cabins nearby or staying in the town of Atemajac de Brizuelas. Camping is a good experience, but if you choose to make your life less complicated, the León cabins are the option. In fact, it is possible to make observations and take astrophotography in the area of the cabins and you have the advantage of having all the comforts.

Out of the astronomical
This is a very pleasant area to relax on a weekend. It's near the magical town of Tapalpa. There are several country restaurants and delicious homemade food. My favorite is and remains the restaurant La Mezcalera which serves rabbit, lamb, grilled chicken, with its good portion of beans and sauces. Since it is close to the countryside there are several places to rent cabins and have a good time with family and friends. In those days before I immigrated to Canada, my favorite routine was to go for observation with members and friends of the Guadalajara Astronomical Society, eat stews with the doñas on the run, camp out and eat at the Mezcalera the next day.

 

References
Tapalpa, Jalisco
Cabañas León
Restaurante la Mezcalera
Noche de las Estrellas

Image

n o m a d i c - a s t r o p h o g r a p h y