PATZCUARO
MAGIC VAN VIEWS
There are 121 Magical Towns in Mexico! The criteria for a Magical Town is that they all have at least 5,000 residents and something of significance that is either cultural, historical, beautiful or legendary.
I created a route that took me through 11 of them covering 4 states: Guanajuato, Michoacan, Queretaro and San Luis Potosi. Most of the Magical Towns were within the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Time to go wandering!
PATZCUARO
I loved this place so much, I ended up staying 5 nights! The campground: Villa Patzcuaro Garden Hotel and RV Park has such a relaxing vibe, it reminds me of Paradise Farms. The walk to town is lined with trees and at the central plaza there is the best market with an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables! There is also a great hike in the hills above the city.
There are no billboards or ad space allowed in town and interestingly, all the shops are required to use the same font style and color for their signage. The streets aren’t cluttered, they’re clean. It appeals to my German sense of order. There are also the coolest hand made holiday decorations in one of the plazas. All the elements of a good life - food, art and hiking!
AROUND TOWN
The vibe is more understated with muted murals and door-to-door sales via pack horse.
A GREEN CHRISTMAS
Huge holiday decorations in the downtown main square. I don’t know the story behind this huge display but was glad it was still there in mid-January!
BALMY WINTER HIKING
Hikes overlooking town and lake. These hikes remind me why I’m here: the warm weather and the scenery is a bonus!
LAKE PATZCUARO
A drive around Lake Patzcuaro through small villages. Each of these towns specialize in a craft such as pottery, weaving or masks. Patzcuaro is a hub where handicrafts are sold at the main market and also distributed to other parts of Mexico. This is also an agricultural area with many greenhouses. Even though it was a Sunday, there were trucks full with farm workers going from field to field. Animals are also used in transport.
More magic ahead…