Parque Mirador Independencia Amphitheater (Independence Lookout Park)

Carved by the Río Grande de Santiago, the Oblatos-Huentitán Canyon has an average depth of approximately 1,968 feet (600 meters), and some estimates put its total volume as being slightly smaller than that of the Grand Canyon in the United States. You can get one of the best views of the canyon from the Parque Mirador Independencia Amphitheater.

Metro Guadalajara has quite a few lookout points along the canyon, but the Independencia amphitheater, and the park as a whole, is unique due to its location in Huentitán. The hyphenated name of the canyon comes from the former towns of Oblatos and Huentitán, both of which have been completely absorbed by Guadalajara’s urban sprawl and are now two of its colonias (neighborhoods).

There is something of a friendly rivalry between both when it comes to the canyon. Oblatos gets first billing in its most-popular name, owing to it being closer to central Guadalajara. But Huentitán gets the last laugh in naming rights as the canyon is located in a national park, officially named Parque Nacional Barranca de Huentitán.

This rivalry extends to Huentitán being considered the better lookout due to its altitude, while Oblatos’s closeness to the bottom of the canyon makes it more popular as an entry point for hikers of the canyon. The Mirador Independencia amphitheater also hosts concerts, dance recitals, and movie showings.