I was fortunate to spend two nights in Patzcuaro in early April before Semana Santa.  This historic, colonial  city on the shores of Lake Patzcuaro was once an important religious and political center.  It is known for it’s Day of the Dead celebrations on November 1st of each year.  Here Mexicans from all over the country gather on the island of Janitzio and in the villages around the lake. This trip I visited the villages of Tzintzuntzan, Tocuaro known for its award winning wooden masks, Erongaricuaro and Quiroga.  Patzcuaro has lovely squares,  old churches, great restaurants and many shops offering the best of local crafts.  Do not miss Zocalo which is owned by good friends.  I stayed at La Siranda, an amazing boutique hotel right off the Plaza Grande.

La Siranda, a classic residence in the heart of Patzcuaro, which has been transformed into a cozy, special class casa-hotel with 5 suites and picturesque grounds. It combines tradition, refinement and serenity, with the element of exclusivity and therefore has no name on its facade.

With origins in the eighteenth century, the grounds were once the orchards of the Santa Caterina de Siena convent. The property retains spaciousness and breadth prevalent in the houses of that era, and has been furnished with modern and sophisticated decor that blends tastefully with Mexican furniture and objets d´art from around the world.

The spacious suites are crowned with impressive five meter ceilings and wooden beams, and also feature adobe walls, fireplaces, modern bathrooms, king size beds, heating for winter, and fine folk art from Michoacan.  I ate two meals on the terrace.  The food was the best I had in town!

Located adjacent to Plaza Grande, known for it´s exceptional size and elegance, La Siranda is a neighbor of the Casa de los Once Patios, the Santa Caterina de Siena convent, which was constructed in the 18th century, but today is home to many artisans who reflect the richness of Michoacán culture in their work. It is within walking distance from the former Jesuit College, the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Salud, and other magnificent buildings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when Pátzcuaro was the political and religious center of the current state of Michoacan.

Patzcuaro is easily reachable from Morelia.  The new cuota from the north is now open so it cut off an hour from the drive from San Miguel de Allende!

This entry was posted on Monday, May 18th, 2009 at 8:41 am and is filed under Travel Experiences, Travel Pointers, Weybridge Collection. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.