CULTURE OF MICHOACAN

This tour begins in the elegant Colonial city of Morelia where we will spend two nights in the Centro Historico. Morelia, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is often called “The Pink City” for the hue of the locally quarried stone used in its facades.

Our lovely hotel here is NaNaVida (it means "What a blessing!" in the Isthmus of Tehuanpertec, Oaxaca), a small boutique hotel just a block from the Plaza de Armas. The rooms are spacious, the ceilings high, and the lovely bilingual staff could not be more welcoming.

I've been staying there myself since they opened but this will be the first tour group to enjoy the charms of this sweet spot.

Our guided tour of this beautiful city will include visits to many of Morelia’s historically important sites where we will view art and architecture, folk and fine art, murals and museums.

One for sure stop in Morelia be at the state-run Casa de Artesanias, a museum (and tienda!) that provides a comprehensive visual overview of the arts and crafts produced in Michoacán we will be seeing throughout the tour.

From Morelia we’ll be off to the picturesque “magic town” of Pátzcuaro to experience the lake region’s rich altruistic and artistic heritage and learn about the thriving Purépecha culture there.

Some of Mexico's finest folk art is produced in the villages surrounding Lake Pátzcuaro—hand-forged copper in Santa Clara del Cobre, ceramics and natural fibers in Tzintzuntzan—and our days here will include visits to the homes and studios of the area’s most respected artisans.

Our lovely B&B in Pátzcuaro, the Mansion Iturbe, is located on the Plaza Grande—considered one of the most beautiful town squares in all of Mexico. Our time here will allow plenty of time to enjoy the town itself: strolling the plazas, shopping in the markets, enjoying a coffee at one of the many sidewalk cafés.

My chefly friends throughout Michoacán will prepare for us their versions of some of the region's most beloved dishes—Corundas and Huchepos, Sopa de Tarasca, Carnitas—heck, we can even try a multicolored gelatina con rompope on the Plaza Chica.

We will spend an afternoon in a private lancha on Lake Pátzcuaro, taking in the gorgeous landscapes surrounding us while sipping a mezcal and singing along to Caminos de Michoacán.

And... for those of you who can’t get enough of a good thing, I am offering 4-day extension for this trip. These extra days will give us time to visit the Meseta Purépecha, a very indigenous area of Michoacán where more extraordinary folk art is created and the old ways are still honored.

The extension will coincide with a pre-Muertos celebration in Patamban where they cover the streets with fresh flower carpets...and one last afternoon in Pátzcuaro for the big yearly Folk Art Fair.