Guadalupe, AZ

Hotels/Motels

Location / Description
Guadalupe (Gua-da-loo-pay) is a buried treasure amidst the bustling and ever-growing metropolitan Phoenix area. Unlike its surrounding cities and towns, entering Guadalupe is like stepping into Mexico without ever leaving the United States. It is a town with a cultural richness that hasn't been spoiled despite the high tech changes going on around it. It is a Yaqui Native American and Mexican community with a very strong cultural and ethnic identity. It is named for the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. In Guadalupe, even the streets retain their Mexican names as in the main street: Avenida Del Yaqui. It is primarily a residential area with retail and service businesses. Most of these businesses have managed to keep their ethnic color and look different than traditional store fronts with Mexican artifacts hanging from the storefronts. Guadalupe is often referred to as the "Little Mexico" of Arizona.

Guadalupe is situated between Phoenix and Tempe, at the base of South Mountain. It is approximately 7 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

Population / Elevation

Population: 5258
Elevation: 1248

Area: 1 square mile. Guadalupe is destined to remain this size since it is surrounded by manmade boundaries: Interstate 10 and the city of Phoenix on the west, Baseline Road and the city of Tempe on the North, the city of Tempe on the South, and the Salt River Project's Highline Canal on the East.

• Water sports
• Yaqui and Mexican festivals
• Boating and fishing
• Hiking, golf, and horseback riding
• Picnicking

Events

• Yaqui Lent and Easter Ceremonies - ceremonial rites in the plaza with 300-year-old religious rites of the participants. (There are local fines for photographing, recording, or drawing the activities.) (March/April)
• Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. (December 12)
• Christmas Celebrations

Guadalupe Chamber of Commerce
c/o Town of Guadalupe
9050 S. Avenida del Yaqui
Guadalupe, AZ 85283
602-730-3080 Fax 602-730-3096

Resources

• City Web Site - http://www.guadalupeaz.org/
• Related Books & Gifts - Trading Post
• PRICKLY PEAR PRODUCTS:
  Healthful and tasty product from the prickly pear cactus

Nearby Attractions

• Arizona Mills Shopping Center
• Papago Park - Home to Desert Botanical Gardens (http://www.dbg.org) This is a living museum featuring 50,000 desert plants from around the world. Enjoy tours, concerts, seasonal exhibits, special events and family activities. It is also the site of the Phoenix Zoo. (http://www.phoenixzoo.org)
• Downtown Phoenix - Home of the Phoenix Suns and the Arizona Diamondbacks
• Old Scottsdale - Experience the Old West.
• Arizona State University (Main Campus) - (http://www.asu.edu) - ASU has grown into the largest university in the nation, with several campuses spread throughout the metropolitan area. The largest of these campuses is the Tempe ASU Campus, a square-mile center of knowledge and cultural experience. It is one of the top research universities in the US. ASU's Sun Devils can be seen playing football at Sun Devil Stadium - marked by the giant 'A' on the adjacent mountain. "ASU has a vision to be a New American University, promoting excellence in its research and among its students and faculty, increasing access to its educational resources and working with communities to positively impact social and economic development." Arizona State University's main campus is in Tempe

Cities & Towns

Parks & Monuments

• South Mountain Park - hiking, camping, biking.
• McDowell Mountain Regional Park - camping, hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails on preserved lands. Sprawling trails for all ability levels.
• Camelback Mountain - hiking trails
  
• Piesta Peak - hiking trails. Piesta Peak was at one time referred to as Squaw Peak but recently renamed as a tribute to a Native American soldier (a woman) killed in Iraq.