June 08, 2007, Morelia—An aristocratic city, By Judy Newell

Morelia, the “Aristocrat of Colonial Cities,” seemed at first just a larger version of San Miguel de Allende. Impressive, but almost too much to embrace.

It is a colonial jewel, this capital city of Michoacán. Officially founded in 1541, it was one of the first Spanish cities in Nueva España and it reflects Mexico’s rich heritage. It also reflects the passage of time and is today a city of over 600,000 people, traffic jams and urban bustle.

Called Guayangareo by the natives, the name was changed to Valladolid in 1787. As was the case with many towns across Mexico, it was re-named in 1828 after the War of Independence to honor native son and revolutionary leader, José María Morelos y Pavón. You’ll find two museums in the city honoring Morelos—one his birthplace and the other his residence.

Designated by UNESCO as a Patrimonio de la Humanidad or World Heritage Site, the historic center has over 200 registered buildings, with a cathedral or sanctuary on almost every corner.

Built mostly of a local pinkish stone many of these former convents and mansions have been converted into hotels, university buildings, libraries, museums and government offices. Los Portales (porticos) frame the city’s main square, which is known as both Plaza de los Mártires and Plaza de Armas. The arcades provide protected walking and excellent people watching from the many restaurants and bars.

The modern parts of the city are filled with shopping malls and residential developments. Taxis are ubiquitous and cost 30 pesos day or night, anywhere in the city.

Morelia is the educational, cultural and political center of Michoacán. It’s a university town and you will note the abundance of young people in the busy streets and cafés.

One marked contrast between Morelia and San Miguel is the absence of gringos on the streets. During my three day visit, I saw only a very few ensconced in my luxury hotel

Sights to see

The massive Cathedral, begun in 1669, is topped by twin 70-meter towers—the highest in Latin America. Its lovely interior features a magnificent 4,600-pipe organ, the centerpiece of the annual Organ Festival in May.

Away from the heart of town near the aqueduct is the stunning baroque Santuario de Guadalupe. This must-see small church rivals any I’ve seen in Europe. The aqueduct is a few kilometers east of town. Built in 1785, the elevated canal consists of 253 arches and is lit at night. Fine colonial mansions dot this area and the city’s largest park, the Bosque Cuauhtémoc, is nearby. Las Tarascans, a famous fountain with three bare-breasted Tarascan women supporting a tray of fruit, stands at one end of the aqueduct.

Most guidebooks recommend the Mercado de Dulces and the Casa de Artesianas. The first is a standard covered market filled with stalls, all selling the same sweets and souvenirs. Candies are a specialty of Morelia—especially ates (candied fruit), rompope (similar to eggnog), morelianas (rolled sweets made with fruits, nuts, milk and sugar) and obleas (thin wafers layered with cajeta or milk caramel

The Casa de Artesanías is located in the former Convento de San Francisco, which feels like a medieval fortress. It’s worth a visit just to see the heavily buttressed columns in the interior courtyard. The museum store downstairs has excellent and expensive handicrafts from all over Michoacán.

The Convento de Santa Rosa y Conservatorio (Las Rosas Church and the Conservatory of Music) trace their roots to the 16th and 18th century respectively. The Conservatory sponsors the annual Morelia International Music Festival in mid-November. The Café de Conservatorio next to the park is a relaxing outdoor café for light meals.

The Benito Juárez Zoo boasts the largest bird exhibit in Latin America and the Orquidario exhibits nearly 3000 species of wild and hybrid orchids. The best months for flowering are April, May and October.

There are also five archaeological ruins in Morelia’s surrounding areas:

Ihuatzio: Historically important in the Tarascan culture, it is located on Lake Pátzcuaro and features a grand rectangular platform supporting two pyramid structures.

Tzintzuntzan: The last capital of the Purépecha Empire with five pyramids perched atop enormous platforms facing Lake Pátzcuaro.

Tres Cerritos: Part of a group of pre-Columbian sites on Cuitzeo Lagoon dating back to 900.

Los Alzati: Superficial explorations indicate the site was occupied between 1200 and 1500; it is located in the town of Zitácuaro.

Tingambato: An important site between 450 and 650, abandoned for unknown reasons.

Recreational activities

Golf is big in Morelia. There are two courses, Club de Golf Campestre Morelia (9 holes) and Tres Marías Residential Golf Club (27-hole course designed by Jack Nicklaus).Tres Marías is probably the most spectacular country club that I’ve visited. The 5,000-acre property is located amid deep valleys and steep mountains, giving the name “extreme golf” to its three courses. The Spa Tres Marías is a world-class facility which offers every treatment imaginable.

Other outdoor activities in and around Morelia include whitewater rafting between June and August, horseback riding in the 10,680 acre Parque Nacional José María Morelos, cave diving at Cerro Hueco and Gruta de la Esperanza, and rock climbing and rappelling at Peña Blanca.

There is trout fishing in the Presa de Umecuaro and fishing for bass and carp in the Parque Nacional Bosencheve. Mountain biking is great on the steep paths of Jesus del Monte or the rugged terrain of Mil Cumbres. Hang gliding and paragliding are favorite activities at Pico de Quinceo and La Escalera. The beautiful natural scenery around Morelia is perfect for hiking and trekking, bird watching and studying plant and animal life on ecotourism outings.

Places to stay

We stayed in the Villa Montaña Hotel & Spa about 10 minutes from the downtown historic center. Spread over four secluded acres, it has a spectacular view of Morelia and its impressive cathedral below. There are 36 villa-style private casitas, each individually decorated with colonial antiques and having at least one fireplace.

The restaurant is superb (the best duck breast that I’ve eaten anywhere) and there is a small heated pool, a clay tennis court, gift shop and gym. The spa offers innovative massages and facials with unique therapies such as a chocolate body treatment or a session in the Flotarium.

I inspected the Hotel Virrey de Mendoza facing the main plaza, which dates from the mid-1500s. It was a private home until 1938 when it was converted into a hotel with 55 rooms and suites, restaurant and elegant lobby. Standard rooms are from 1900 pesos and include a continental breakfast.

I also visited Hotel de la Soledad, a well-located colonial hotel with a beautiful courtyard just a block from the Cathedral. It has a collection of valuable 17th, 18th and 19th century carriages displayed throughout the corridors of the hotel, reminders of when the building was a carriage house. It has operated as a hotel since 1752. Rates for the unique rooms of different sizes are from 1000 pesos and include breakfast.

Restaurants

Our favorite dining spots on this trip included the Villa Montaña Restaurant; Mirasoles, a beautiful restaurant and wine bar located in an historic building that that features Michoacán cooking and fine service; and the tapas wine bar Madrid. If you’re feeling adventurous, try a skorppio at the trendy Onix bar across from the main plaza. The potent drink is made from tequila highlighted with a drowned scorpion.

We enjoyed sopa tarasca, a creamy bean soup that is a local specialty made with spices, cheese, chili peppers, cream and fried tortilla strips. Many regional dishes feature cheese as one of the main ingredients, particularly cotija, a local farmer’s cheese.

Getting to Morelia

From the Pípila glorietta the drive was 137 miles and took exactly three hours. The roads varied from four-lane highways to slow stretches through small towns. Slow trucks and fast buses punctuated the journey. Just before Morelia you’ll drive through a gorgeous marshland dotted with grassy hummocks and herons, then cross a long bridge over Lago de Cuitzeo.

Before the city you will pass the turnoff for the Morelia International Airport (MLM). It’s a half-hour drive from the city center. There are direct flights to many destinations including San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles and connections to the rest of the world through Mexico City. We took a family member there to catch a plane, but it’s a lot quicker to drive to León or Querétaro or take a bus to Mexico City.