By evening in Tepic, the zocalo fills with people taking a slow turn around the square, vendors set up their stalls, and the light drops behind the volcanoes on the edge of the city. Dinner comes late, and the choice for the rest of the night is between a drink with a view over the plaza and a taxi ride out to wherever the music is.
Tepic is not a city that stays up late in its center. The sources are blunt about it: there is not much nightlife, and most of the drinking establishments and discotheques sit well away from the downtown. This suits visitors who want a quiet drink and an early start more than those hunting for a long crawl between clubs.
Where to go out in Tepic
1. The zocalo and the city center
The center is where an evening begins rather than where it ends. You can take a drink with a view of the zocalo at Restaurante La Gloria Bar & Grill, which the sources name as a place for a simple beer or cocktail overlooking the square. Beyond that, the center is not where the city's bars and discotheques are found.
This suits a low-key start: a meal, a drink, a walk around the plaza, and an early night.
2. The outlying drinking and dancing districts
Most of Tepic's drinking establishments and discotheques are located well away from the city center, so a night of bar-hopping or dancing means taking a taxi out of the center rather than walking between places. The sources do not name specific streets or venues in these areas, so ask locally where to go on the night you are out.
This is the option for a late, music-led night rather than a quiet one.
3. Parks and viewpoints at dusk
Several of Tepic's parks make a good early-evening stop before or instead of a night out. Parque La Loma is the city's principal park, with vendor stalls and trees. Juan Escutia Park has a memorial to the "hero boy" Juan Escutia, and across Av Ignacio Allende is the Alameda de Tepic, which holds a small aviary.
If you want to combine the end of the day with a view, Cerro de la Cruz is a popular hiking trail with a paved, well-marked route to the top and a parking lot at the base; the hilltop gives wide views of the city and the nearby mountains, particularly at sunrise and sunset. A fit hiker can get up and back in about an hour, though most casual hikers take up to two.
4. Restaurants in the evening
Dinner is the reliable anchor of a night out here. The sources point to Restaurante La Gloria Bar & Grill for a drink with a view of the zocalo, and the Eat section of the same guide covers the city's restaurants more broadly. Plan your evening around a meal, then decide whether to stay in the center or head out.
This suits anyone who would rather eat well than stay out late.
How a night out unfolds
The sources do not give specific hours for eating, going out or closing time in Tepic. What they do make clear is the shape of the night: the center is quiet, the bars and discotheques are elsewhere, and a drink overlooking the zocalo is the simple option. Treat the evening as a meal followed by one destination rather than a route between many, and arrange transport to the outlying areas rather than expecting to find them on foot from the center.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Day of Race — October
- All Souls' Day — November
- Revolution Day Memorial — November
- Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe — December
- Christmas Day — December
- New Year's Eve — December
- New Year's Day — January
- Constitution Day — February
- Ash Wednesday — February
- Benito Juárez's Birthday Memorial — March
- Palm Sunday — March
Frequently asked questions
Is there much nightlife in central Tepic?
Not much. According to the sources, most of the city's drinking establishments and discotheques are located well away from the city center, so the center is better for a meal and a quiet drink than for a night of venues.
Where can I have a drink with a view of the zocalo?
Restaurante La Gloria Bar & Grill is named in the sources as a place for a simple beer or cocktail with a view of the zocalo.
Do I need a taxi to get to the bars and clubs?
The sources say the drinking establishments and discotheques are well away from the center, which means you should plan on transport rather than walking between them. They do not name specific streets or venues.
What can I do in the early evening before going out?
Parque La Loma, Juan Escutia Park and the adjoining Alameda de Tepic are easy stops in town. Cerro de la Cruz is a popular hike with views over the city and mountains, especially at sunset, and takes about an hour for a fit hiker and up to two for casual walkers.
Decide before you go whether your evening is a meal and a drink over the zocalo or a taxi ride out to the bars, and plan the rest of your night around that choice.