Tlaquepaque – The Creative Art and Soul of Sedona

TlaquepaqueTlaquepaque (pronounced Tla-keh-pah-keh) is a beautiful arts & crafts village right outside of Sedona.  My niece and ITlaquepaque stopped in for an afternoon of browsing the quaint little shops.  This place is modeled after a traditional Mexican village and has been a part of the Sedona landscape along Oak Creek since the 70’s. The village is filled with graceful arches, dancing fountains, huge sycamore trees, tranquil plazas, vine-covered stucco walls, cobble-stoned walkways and shady verandas that give relief from Arizona’s bright, sunny, and hot days.

There are four different courtyards to explore and more than 40 shops to browse through. Each one has its own charm and character with plenty of opportunities to take some amazing photos.  It felt like stepping into the past, so peaceful and picturesque.

The neat aspect of this village is that it is not laid out like other shopping areas.  It has shops located all throughout, down paths, hallways, and even on the second floors of some of the buildings.  The shops are more on the high-end but, it is exciting to walk around and find something unexpected and the art/crafts are beautiful and you can meet and talk with the artisans.

Kayla had lots of fun interacting and posing with the statues.

Kayla had lots of fun interacting and posing with the statues.

TlaquepaqueOur choices for restaurants when we got hungry from all of our exploring where among authentic Mexican cuisine, French-influenced food, gourmet sandwiches & salads, and American grill cuisine.  We opted to eat at Oak Creek Brewery and Grill.  The food was amazing!

Walking around Tlaquepaque you definitely get the sense of stepping into the past of a true Mexican village.  It reminds me of a quote from Pablo Picasso, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”  This is truly an unbelievable experience that every visitor to the Sedona area should experience!

Have you found an unexpected place to visit lately?  I would love to hear all about!

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