Morelia

No reviews yetCity Michoacán, Mexico

The cathedral towers reach about 67 metres and are visible across the valley, Morelia, Michoacán

The Palacio de Gobierno was built in the eighteenth century and holds murals about Mexican independence, Morelia, Michoacán

The Palacio Clavijero is a colonial palace with galleries around a central courtyard, Morelia, Michoacán

The Casa Natal de Morelos is a museum about the independence hero José María Morelos, Morelia, Michoacán

About Morelia

Morelia, the capital of Michoacán, is one of Mexico's most handsome colonial cities. Founded in the sixteenth century as Valladolid and later renamed in honor of the independence leader José María Morelos, it is built almost entirely of rose-tinted stone. Its historic center, with hundreds of preserved buildings, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The towering Morelia Cathedral anchors the center, facing the Plaza de Armas and the Palacio de Gobierno, whose stairwells hold large murals on Mexican history. Nearby, the Palacio Clavijero, a former Jesuit college, hosts exhibitions in its arcaded courtyard, and Casa Natal de Morelos marks the hero's birthplace. The Museo del Dulce showcases the city's long tradition of sweets, and the Conservatorio de las Rosas continues as a music school. A long colonial aqueduct leads toward the Fuente de las Tarascas and the shady Bosque Cuauhtémoc, while the Santuario de Guadalupe surprises with a richly decorated interior.

Morelia rewards walkers who enjoy architecture, museums and evening strolls through lit plazas. It has a lively student population and good regional food. Pátzcuaro and the lake towns are an easy trip. The dry months are the most comfortable, though the city is pleasant much of the year.

Best seasonOctober through May is dry and mild; summer afternoons often bring rain showers.

Ideal stayTwo to three days for the city, plus a day trip to Pátzcuaro.

ArrivingTravelers fly into Morelia's international airport or arrive by highway bus from Mexico City or Guadalajara.

WiserMap travel guideMorelia Mexico Pink Stone Cathedral and Colonial AqueductPlan a trip to Morelia Mexico with its pink stone cathedral, aqueduct, colonial palaces and Michoacán cooking, plus stays, festivals and a three day plan.Read the guide

12 Unforgettable Things to Do in Morelia

Landmarks 4

Morelia Cathedral

Built over nearly a century from 1660 and carved from the city's signature pink cantera stone, Morelia's cathedral dominates the h...

Plaza de Armas Morelia

Also known as the Plaza de los Mártires, in memory of independence insurgents executed here, the main square spreads out beside th...

Palacio de Gobierno de Michoacán

Facing the cathedral across Avenida Madero, the seat of the state government occupies an elegant eighteenth-century building that...

Acueducto de Morelia

The city's aqueduct, completed in the late 1780s, marches across the eastern side of town on more than 250 stone arches. It was bu...

Streets and Squares 1

Calzada Fray Antonio de San Miguel

This cobbled pedestrian promenade, laid out in the eighteenth century, runs from the area of the aqueduct and the Fuente de las Ta...

Arts 2

Palacio Clavijero

Once a Jesuit college, this vast eighteenth-century building takes its name from Francisco Javier Clavijero, the Jesuit scholar wh...

Conservatorio de las Rosas

Founded in 1743 as a college for girls, the Conservatorio de las Rosas is often described as the oldest music school in the Americ...

Museums 3

Casa Natal de Morelos

José María Morelos, priest and leader of Mexico's independence movement, was born in this house in 1765, and the city of Valladoli...

Museo Regional Michoacano

Founded in 1886, this is one of the oldest museums in Mexico, housed in an eighteenth-century baroque mansion a block from the mai...

Museo del Dulce

Morelia has a long tradition of handmade sweets, and this small museum and shop on Avenida Madero recreates an old-fashioned candy...

Temples and Shrines 1

Santuario de Guadalupe Morelia

From the outside this eighteenth-century church at the end of the Calzada looks fairly plain, but stepping inside is a surprise: i...

Parks 1

Bosque Cuauhtémoc

Morelia's main city park lies just beside the aqueduct, a shady expanse of old trees, paths and fountains where families walk, chi...

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