Pátzcuaro

A colonial lakeside town in the highlands of Michoacán, Pátzcuaro sits on the shore of Lake Pátzcuaro and remains deeply associated with Purépecha indigenous culture. The town's architecture features white-walled buildings with dark wood portales surrounding the Plaza Vasco de Quiroga, named for the bishop who reorganized indigenous communities in the 16th century. The Día de Muertos celebration here, particularly on the lake island of Janitzio, is among the most documented and photographed indigenous observances in Mexico.