Amatitán is a small agave town west of Guadalajara that sits in the middle of the blue fields you came for. The landscape around it, rows of grey-blue agave plants like spiked rosettes on red volcanic soil, with the cone of Tequila volcano rising behind, is the central picture of the Ruta del Tequila. The plants take six to eight years to ripen before they are cut, so each field is a calendar of the owner's patience. In 2006 UNESCO recognised the agave landscape and the old distilleries and haciendas of the area as a World Heritage Site, and Amatitán is one of the places where you can feel why.
The riding is gentle and varied. The road between here and the town of Tequila runs through the fields, with long, easy curves, farm tracks leading off on either side, and the smell of baked agave on the wind when a distillery is working. Traffic is mixed, with trucks hauling agave hearts, pickups, and the odd tour van. The surface is generally good but can be rough at the edges, and topes, the speed bumps Mexicans love, appear at every village with little warning. Look out for them, and for painted warnings that are faded to nothing.
Amatitán is also home to some famous names in tequila, and the old Herradura hacienda, which lets visitors in for tours, is nearby. If you want to taste, do it after the riding. Tequila here is made with blue Weber agave, the hearts of which are baked in ovens, crushed, and fermented and distilled. The white or blanco is clear and sharp, the reposado has rested in oak, and it is good manners to sip rather than shoot.
The town has about eleven thousand inhabitants, so you will find fuel, a bank machine and a couple of simple places to eat, such as taquerias and torta stands. The market is the place for fresh fruit and agua fresca. Day temperatures in the dry season can reach thirty degrees or more, so bring water and leave early. The wet months from June to September bring afternoon storms that make the red dirt slick, and cooler air that is welcome.