CULTURE OF MICHOACAN

The 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.

A 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 stop will be at the state-run Casa de Artesanias, a museum (and tienda!) that provides a wonderful overview of the arts and crafts produced in Michoacán that we will be seeing during this 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 in Tzintzuntzan—and our days here will include visits to the homes and studios of the area’s most respected artisans.

Our B&B in Pátzcuaro is located on the Plaza Grande—considered one of the most beautiful town squares in all of Mexico. Our stay here will allow plenty of time to enjoy the town of Pátzcuaro itself: strolling the plazas, shopping in the markets, spending time on the lake.

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.

Our visit coincides 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.