4 days of lakes, pink stone and monarch butterflies in Michoacán

Morelia's old centre, on foot. A pink stone cathedral, the old seminary with its courtyard murals, a small garden beside a music school and a line of stone arches at the end of the day. Everything is a gentle walk or a short ride.

1. Breakfast

   Sweet bread and coffee

   A warm roll or sweet bread with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, in a cafe near the cathedral square.

   Local tip Ask for what the baker made that morning.
2. 1
   MorningIndoor

   Morelia Cathedral

   The cathedral of Morelia, built in pink stone over the 17th and 18th centuries. Its tall towers and a front decorated with pilasters, not columns, give it a look found nowhere else among colonial churches. It is a working church, so stay quiet during services.

   Go when Morning, when the stone is pink in the low light.

   Local tip It is a working church, so cover your shoulders and stay quiet during services. Look up at the towers from the square before you go in.

   

   About 2 min walk0.1 km
3. 2
   MiddayIndoor

   Government Palace

   The old seminary across from the cathedral, now the seat of the state government, where the hero José María Morelos studied. The walls of its first courtyard are covered in murals by the painter Alfredo Zalce. Check ahead on when the courtyard is open.

   Go when Midday, while the courtyard is open.

   Local tip Walk into the first courtyard and look at the murals. Check ahead on the opening, since it is a working government building.

4. Lunch

   Corundas and a bowl of beans

   Corundas are triangular tamales wrapped in a corn leaf, a dish of the Purépecha people, served with a sauce and a side of beans.

   Local tip Unwrap the leaf and eat only the soft dough inside.

   About 4 min walk0.3 km
5. 3
   Afternoon

   Garden of the Roses

   A small, leafy plaza beside the Conservatory of the Roses, a long-established music school. Sit on a bench in the shade and take a rest between the museums and the walk to the aqueduct.

   Go when Afternoon, in the shade.

   Local tip A good bench stop. If you hear students practising in the school next door, stay a while.

   About 24 min walk1.9 km
6. 4
   Evening

   Aqueduct of Morelia

   A long line of stone arches, first documented in 1549, that carried water to the old city, rebuilt in the 1780s under a friar, Antonio de San Miguel. Walk along the avenue beside it and see the Tarascas fountain in front of it.

   Go when Late afternoon into evening (about 6:26 PM).

   Local tip Walk the avenue beside the arches rather than just photographing them. Keep your valuables out of sight and leave before it is very late.

   

7. Dinner

   Pork carnitas and tortillas

   Slow cooked pork, a dish of Michoacán, served in tortillas with onion, coriander and a sharp sauce.

   Local tip Order by the quarter kilo and share, and add a little sauce at a time.

A long day trip east into the mountains, with a long drive each way. Walk uphill with a local guide to a monarch butterfly sanctuary, open only in the cold season, then see the old mining town below. Start early and carry layers.

1. Drive from Aqueduct of MoreliaAbout 1 h 31 min by car96.1 km

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. Breakfast

   A big breakfast before the road

   Eggs, beans and tortillas with strong coffee, to fuel the climb.

   Local tip Carry a snack and water for the sanctuary, since the stalls are few.
3. 1
   Morning

   Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve

   A protected pine and fir forest in the mountains that holds most of the places where the eastern monarch butterflies spend the winter. Two sanctuaries in Michoacán, El Rosario and Sierra Chincua, take visitors from November to March, with guides from the local communities. The walk climbs steps and paths at altitude. Where the butterflies gather changes each year, so ask the sanctuary how the season is going.

   Go when Morning, as early as you can, and only from November to March.

   Local tip Wear shoes with grip and layers, drink water, and go slowly uphill, since it is high. Book through the sanctuary and walk with a local guide. The butterflies cannot be promised, so ask how the season is going.

   

4. Lunch

   A simple meal at the foot of the hill

   Quesadillas, soup or trout from the stalls near the sanctuary, eaten in the cool air.

   Local tip Eat after the walk, not before, and keep a layer on while you sit.

   About 16 min by car or transit5.6 km
5. 2
   Afternoon

   Angangueo

   A former mining town in a forested valley, with two churches on its main plaza, one built in pink stone in a Gothic style like a small cathedral. A lookout above the town has a monument to the miners. A quiet place to rest before the long drive back.

   Go when Afternoon, after the sanctuary.

   Local tip Walk up to the lookout over the town and see the miners' monument. Eat early, since the long road back is better driven in daylight.

   

6. Dinner

   Soup and tortillas back in Morelia

   A warm soup, tortillas and a hot drink, a plain supper after the long day on the road.

   Local tip Order something light and go to bed early.

A move west to the lake country, about an hour by road. A sweets market on the way out of Morelia, then Pátzcuaro: its wide main plaza, a house of craft courtyards and the basilica that was once the cathedral of Michoacán.

1. Drive from AngangueoAbout 1 h 30 min by car94.1 km

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Fresh fruit and coffee

   A plate of fruit, a roll and a cup of coffee before the sweets market.

   Local tip Save room for the market.

   
3. 1
   Morning

   Candy Market

   A market of sweets in the old centre of Morelia, a city known for its sweets, sold in stalls under one roof. Taste a small piece, buy a few to carry, and set off for Pátzcuaro with something sweet in the bag.

   Go when Morning, before you leave for the lake.

   Local tip Buy a mixed bag and ask to taste first. Wrap what you carry well, since sweets soften in the warm car.

   About 55 min by car48.2 km
4. 2
   Midday

   Plaza Vasco de Quiroga

   The large main square of Pátzcuaro, shaded by tall trees and ringed by arcades of old adobe houses with tile roofs, with a fountain and a bronze statue of the first bishop at its centre. Sit under the arcades and watch the town.

   Go when Midday, under the arcades.

   Local tip Sit with a hot drink and watch the town go by. The pace here is slow, which is the point.

5. Lunch

   Uchepos and atole

   Uchepos are soft fresh corn tamales, eaten with cream and a warm, thick corn drink called atole.

   Local tip Uchepos are made from fresh corn, so ask what is in season.

   About 3 min walk0.2 km
6. 3
   Afternoon

   Casa de los Once Patios

   A convent built in 1742 for Dominican nuns, whose courtyards once numbered eleven and are now five. Today it holds craft workshops and shops. Look at the work of the makers, and buy straight from them.

   Go when Afternoon, as the workshops are open.

   Local tip Walk through all five courtyards and talk to the makers. Ask before photographing anyone at work.

   About 5 min walk0.4 km
7. 4
   Evening

   Basilica of Our Lady of Health

   The basilica that Bishop Vasco de Quiroga built over a pre-Hispanic ceremonial site to serve as the cathedral of Michoacán, until that role passed to Morelia in 1580. It is a working church, so stay quiet during services.

   Go when Late afternoon, outside the hours of services.

   Local tip It is a working church, so stay quiet and cover your shoulders. The building was meant to be a far larger cathedral, and you can sense that inside.

   

8. Dinner

   Lake fish

   White fish from the lake, a regional fish of Lake Pátzcuaro, grilled or in a stew, with rice and tortillas.

   Local tip Ask whether the fish came from the lake today.

A day around Lake Pátzcuaro. A boat to the island of Janitzio, the round pyramids at Tzintzuntzan and the copper town of Santa Clara del Cobre, then the road back to Morelia for your flight. Start early and book the ride out the day before.

1. Travel from Basilica of Our Lady of HealthAbout 20 min by car or transit8.1 km

   Where Day 3 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Coffee and a roll before the boat

   A quick breakfast near the pier, so you reach the boats early.

   Local tip Take water and a layer.
3. 1
   MorningBook aheadBest early

   Janitzio

   An island town on a hill in Lake Pátzcuaro, reached by a boat ride from the pier in the town. At the top stands a tall statue of José María Morelos, with murals inside along a spiral stair. Look for the butterfly shaped nets of the fishermen, and take a layer, since the lake breeze is cool.

   Go when Morning, before the boats fill.

   Local tip Take the boat early, climb the steps slowly and look out over the lake from the statue. It is very busy around Day of the Dead, so book ahead then.

   

   About 23 min by car or transit9.9 km
4. 2
   Midday

   Tzintzuntzan Yácatas

   The ceremonial centre of the old Purépecha kingdom, on the northeast shore of the lake: five round pyramids, called yácatas, lined up on a great platform above the water. Unlike Aztec or Maya pyramids, these are rounded. A small site museum shows what was found here. Check ahead on the opening.

   Go when Midday, with a hat and water.

   Local tip Stand on the platform and look back over the lake to see why the site was chosen. Check ahead on the opening.

   

5. Lunch

   A fish lunch by the lake

   Fried or grilled lake fish with tortillas, beans and a salad, at a table within sight of the water.

   Local tip Eat on the shore side if you can, and be patient, since it is cooked fresh.

   About 38 min by car25.2 km
6. 3
   Afternoon

   Santa Clara del Cobre

   A white town with red tile roofs where most people work in copper. Hammered pots and bowls are made in the workshops and sold around the plaza with its copper roofed kiosk, and a small museum shows the craft. Buy from the makers if you can.

   Go when Afternoon, for the workshops.

   Local tip Watch a piece being hammered if a workshop is open, and look at the museum. Carry cash in small notes, since not every maker takes cards.

   

7. Treat

   Sweet bread for the road

   A bag of sweet bread or a roll of fruit paste from a bakery, to eat on the drive back to Morelia.

   Local tip Buy something light that will not crumble in your bag.