Lugares para visitar en Pátzcuaro y sus alrededores

The work of Don Vasco de Quiroga five centuries ago still amazes visitors to Pátzcuaro .  He was the great benefactor of the Purépecha indigenous people. A renaissance man with innovative ideas, he delivered justice to indigenous peoples who had suffered abysmal abuses and humiliations.  He implemented a community development program, leaving a great cultural legacy, which can be traced by following “The Route of Don Vasco.” Don Vasco de Quiroga Square in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán Pátzcuaro is one of the primary stops on Don Vasco's Route . The main square that bears his name is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Latin America; at the center of the square you will find a statue in his honor, which is located opposite our Hotel Mansion Iturbe. You can use Pátzcuaro as the point of departure along the route, along which you can learn about the great work undertaken by this great humanist. You will be surprised by the different cultural manifest...

The founding of Patzcuaro is always of interest to our guests at Hotel Mansion Iturbe .   Patzcuaro is a mere 20 years away from celebrating its 500th anniversary as a City of Michoacan.  480 Anniversary of the founding of Patzcuaro The exact date of the birth of Patzcuaro is not known, but the year is generally accepted as being 1324.   The original settlers were the Chichimecas. At that time, our humble Patzcuaro was Purépecha’s “Door of Heaven,” where the gods ascended to and descended from their Paradise. At that time, Lake Pátzcuaro and the surrounding areas were inhabited by three indigenous groups – Isleños, Coringuaro, and Chichimecas – who were constantly at odds with each other. But they shared one chiefton, Iré-Ticáteme, and they also shared the main god Curicaveri and goddess Cuerápparri. The Purépecha Empire began in Patzcuaro with Tariácuri, the first chiefton to whom they gave the title Calzontzín – a monarch – and Patzcuaro became the fir...

The Archaeological Zone of Tzintzuntzan (another magical town of Mexico), more commonly known as the Yácatas , is one of the top destinations we recommend to our guests at Hotel Mansion Iturbe.    Tzintzuntzan Pyramids Tzintzuntzan is a scant 18 kilometers (12 miles) from Patzcuaro .   It’s an easy but scenic drive on Highway 120, with Lake Patzcuaro appearing intermittently to the west during the ride.  View of Tzintzuntzan from las Yacatas pyramids You can’t miss the Yacatas to the east (to your right, driving from Patzcuaro ) as you approach Tzintzuntzan .   Once at the site, you have a gorgeous panorama of Lake Patzcuaro and of the town of Tzintzuntzan .  Lake Pátzcuaro panorama from las Yacatas in Tzintzuntzan The Yacatas were constructed on the hill Yahuarato for a good reason:   High above the Lake, it gave the ancient townspeople an excellent vantage point, and made surprise attacks by enemies virtually impossible.  View f...

Many of our guests at Hotel Mansión Iturbe ask us, “What’s beyond what we see in Pátzuaro?  What is the history of the Purépechas (indigenous)?  How did they live?  What were their customs?”  “[f. 39v]  Montezuma sent ten ambassadors from Mexico to meet the supreme governor Zuangua [in Ihuatzio or Tzintzuntzan].   But the ambassadors were detained on the way [by an official] at Taximaroa [at the border between what is now the State of Mexico and the State of Michoacán].  The official in Taximaroa asked the ambassadors what they wanted.  They said they wished to meet with Zuangua.  The official at Taximaroa sent a representative to the supreme governor Zuangua, who sent the ambassador back to Taximaroa with instructions to treat the ambassadors well, and allow them to proceed safely.”  (Excerpt from La Relación de Michoacán) La Relación de Michoacán is a critical part of the history of the pre-colombian latinoamericans. Alt...

At the most recent International Tourism Fair in  Madrid (FITUR 2011) , the “Route of Don Vasco” was hailed as “the best cultural tourism product.” We invite you to explore that very Route of Don Vasco, beginning in Pátzcuaro – the heart of the Route.   Stay at Hotel Mansión Iturbe, located on the plaza that bears Don Vasco’s name – one of the most illustrious in all of México.             Following the Route will be a unique experience for you: you will walk in the same steps that Don Vasco de Quiroga took, and you will sense the presence of a great visionary, leader, and humanitarian – a great man who began his work almost 500 years ago, and the fruits of whose labor live on and on.             Don Vasco de Quiroga is one of the most beloved personages in all of Michoacán.   He was a great benefactor of the indigenous (Purépecha) and is still...