Magical Towns of Michoacán

Michoacán has 10 Magical Towns: Angangueo, Cotija de la Paz, Cuitzeo, Jiquilpan de Juárez, Paracho, Pátzcuaro, Santa Clara del Cobre, Tacámbaro, Tlalpujahua and Tzintzuntzan. The first to receive the designation was Pátzcuaro (2002) and the most recent, Cotija de la Paz (2023). Discover their history, traditions and what to see in each one.

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  Magical Town since 2012

  Angangueo

  A mountain mining town and the best base for the El Rosario and Sierra Chincua monarch butterfly sanctuaries in Michoacán.

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  Magical Town since 2023

  Cotija de la Paz

  Home of Cotija cheese: stone architecture, colonial roots, cattle ranches and the traditional cooking of western Michoacán.

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  Magical Town since 2006

  Cuitzeo

  On the shores of Lake Cuitzeo: the Augustinian convent of Santa María Magdalena, the Tres Cerritos archaeological site and nearby hot springs.

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  Magical Town since 2012

  Jiquilpan de Juárez

  The city of jacarandas and birthplace of President Lázaro Cárdenas: plazas, churches, gardens, a Cárdenas museum, a mural-filled library and rebozos.

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  Magical Town since 2020

  Paracho

  The guitar capital of the world: luthier workshops, handmade string instruments, music and Purépecha tradition in Michoacán.

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  Magical Town since 2002

  Pátzcuaro

  The Purépecha heartland on Lake Pátzcuaro: Vasco de Quiroga's plazas, churches, crafts, red-tile roofs and Mexico's most famous Night of the Dead.

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  Magical Town since 2010

  Santa Clara del Cobre

  The town of hand-hammered copper: artisan workshops, the National Copper Museum, historic churches and the National Copper Fair every August.

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  Magical Town since 2012

  Tacámbaro

  The “balcony of Tierra Caliente”: volcanic craters, lakes, the Alberca del Rey Tacamba crater lake, avocado orchards and viewpoints.

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  Magical Town since 2005

  Tlalpujahua

  The town of eternal Christmas: over 300 workshops of hand-blown glass ornaments, the Dos Estrellas mine, sanctuaries and Michoacán forests.

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  Magical Town since 2012

  Tzintzuntzan

  The ancient Purépecha capital on Lake Pátzcuaro: the yácata pyramids, a Franciscan complex with centuries-old olive trees, crafts and Night of the Dead.