Walking around Tlaquepaque (pronounced Tla-Kay-Pa-Kee), you feel as though you have discovered a secluded place from another time. The name itself means 'best of everything', and the beautiful surroundings certainly live up to it. The splashing of fountains, the ivy covered balconies, the old columns, and mature trees casting dappled sunlight upon the cobblestones all create a world unto itself, right in the middle of Sedona.
The developer, Abe Miller, began work in the seventies and was inspired by the creative art scene of Mexico. The walkways lead you further on to discover another charming courtyard or trailing vines and a staircase with colorful tiles. There are restaurants, shops, and even Spanish guitar performed beneath the trees, accompanied by Flamenco dancing in the summer. Yet this is not a mere shopping center, instead they call it an arts and shopping village. Tlaquepaque was always meant to be anchored in art and artists. The space itself is a work of art.
The architecture is organic, defying symmetrical lines. Some pathways take you through a short tunnel, others lead to charming shop fronts, everywhere awash with colorful flowers and towering sycamore trees. In fact, the land used to be a sycamore grove. The developer promised the land owner to build around the trees that stand there still, providing shade and beauty.
A old world chapel there has hosted several weddings, but also serves as a place of reflection and repose. The liveliness of Tlaquepaque with its shops and music, also encourages visitors to sit and observe the nature and the Spanish Colonial architecture that surrounds them. Many of the iron works, lanterns, carvings and other touches were brought over from Mexico to provide an authentic feel. Tlaquepaque certainly has the ability to sweep you away to a Spanish dream, making it a destination in Arizona.
www.tlaq.com