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  PATZCUARO Tourist Information

The state of Michoacan is a land of immense natural beauty. Michoacan's countryside is a vast expanse of rolling hills, deep lakes, winding rivers and green valleys. Much of the state is dominated by a volcanic mountain range, the Cordillera Neovolcanica. Volcanic activity and the state's latitude position helps create a setting not unlike Hawaii. Rich soil supports lush jungle-like vegetation, with spectacular mountain landscape, and velveteen pasturelands. The state has few large cities, but rather is a quilt of small villages and towns that have changed little since the early 1800's . Its pace is leisurely, its people friendly, and its Spanish colonial and indigenous heritage rich.

The State of Michoacan has a fascinating yet tragic past. The region has been inhabited for hundreds of years by the Purepecha Indians. The Purepecha developed the most advanced pre-Columbian society in western Mexico. They resisted Aztec domination for decades, only to be brutally defeated by the Spanish in the early 16th century. Fortunately, the early development of this area was guided by the gentle and kind stewardship of Vasco de Quiroga, a bishop who made great strides to restore the land and its people. Today Purepecha descendants number over 120,000.


Tile roofs of Patzcuaro

Patzcuaro rests 5 kms. south of the shore of tranquil Lake Patzcuaro. It is 58 kms. southwest of Morelia, and midpoint between Morelia and Uruapan. It is a beautiful town (population 45,000) with graceful colonial architecture, vibrant native markets, and a strong Indian village atmosphere.

Bishop Vasco de Quiroga did his most important work here and led a building boom in the 16th century that left several splendid colonial buildings. The city has two central plazas and several smaller squares. A jumbled series of narrow cobbled lanes wind past former colonial era mansions. Sightseeing includes the Museo Regional de Artes Populares, an excellent overview of Michoacan handicrafts housed in the site where Bishop Quiroga founded the first university on the American continent in 1540. The Plaza Principal is bordered by arched 17th century mansions overlooking a central fountain and statue of Quiroga.

The city's second main plaza, the Plaza Gertrudis Bocanegra is where the city's colorful Mercado de Artesanias is found along with the and the Teatro Emperador Caltzontzin. Other colonial gems include the Casa de los 11 Patios, Templo y Ex-convento Jesuita, and the lovely Basilica Virgen de la Salud.

You can take a short boat ride to the island of Janitzio, an interesting native crafts and fishing village. An enormous statue of revolutionary hero Jose Maria Morelos crowns the island. Fisherman with butterfly nets fish the lake's shallow waters.


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