Things To Do in Patzcuaro

Special Events

The island of Janitzio has achieved international celebrity for the candlelight vigil that local residents hold at the cemetery during the nights of November 1 and 2, the Day of the Dead. Tzintzuntzan, a village about 15km (9 1/4 miles) away, also hosts popular festivities, including folkloric dances in the main plaza and in the nearby yácatas (pre-Hispanic ruins), concerts in the church, and decorations in the cemetery. If you want to avoid the crowds, skip Janitzio and Tzintzuntzan and go to one of the smaller lakeside villages or other islands on the lake that also have extraordinary rituals. The tourism office has a schedule of events for the entire area and publishes an explanatory booklet, Días de los Muertos.

During the week surrounding Day of the Dead, artisans and vendors from all over Michoacán fill the Plaza Grande in Pátzcuaro with regional crafts. Easter week, beginning the Friday before Palm Sunday, is special, too. Most activity centers on the basilica. There are processions involving the surrounding villages almost nightly, and in Tzintzuntzan, there's a reenactment of the betrayal of Christ and a ceremonial washing of the feet.

Festival Hotel Crunch -- Make hotel reservations months in advance for Holy Week or Day of the Dead. Most hotels require a 3-night minimum stay during these events. There are some other less popular festivals in Pátzcuaro and surrounding towns; check with the tourist office to find out if any will occur during your visit.

Pátzcuaro is one of Mexico's best shopping towns: It has terrific textiles, copper, woodcarvings, lacquerwork, and straw weavings made in the region. Most shops are on the Plaza Grande and the streets leading from it to the Plaza Chica, the place of choice for copper vendors. There are also a couple of shops on the street facing the basilica. If you're interested in investigating a particular craft, you can find out which village or villages specialize in it, and whether the villages have shops or a market. Tzintzuntzan, Ihuatzio, Cuanajo, Tupátaro, and Santa Clara del Cobre all have shops.

Pátzcuaro generally closes down before 10pm, so bring a good book or plan to rest up. Late-night-music lovers can go to Viejo Gaucho to hear Latin American folk music. The small restaurant serves salads and hamburgers. It's in the Hotel Mansión Iturbe (tel. 434/342-3627); enter from Calle Iturbe. It's open Wednesday through Saturday from 6pm to midnight. Music starts between 8:30 and 9pm.