Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Lake Zirahuén is a small, deep mountain lake in the highlands of Michoacán, a quiet corner of the Purépecha heartland that many visitors skip on their way between Morelia and Uruapan.
This guide covers the lake itself and the best places to visit around it, from the copper workshops of Santa Clara del Cobre to the plazas of Pátzcuaro and the island of Janitzio.
Zirahuén is a small endorheic lake covering roughly 970 hectares, with a sandy bottom partly covered in mud. It is home to a fish found nowhere else, the Zirahuén allotoca.
The area also sits close to some of Michoacán's best-known sights, so you can pair a peaceful lake day with a visit to Pátzcuaro, Tzintzuntzan or Uruapan.
Plan to slow down. Mornings are best for walking the shore while the air is cool and the water is still, and afternoons suit a long meal or a drive to a nearby town.
The lake is the reason to come, and it rewards an unhurried visit. Walk the shoreline, watch the light change over the hills and ask at the shore about boat or kayak outings, which operators usually arrange on the spot.
The village on the lake is small and easy to explore on foot. You will find simple restaurants, craft stalls and a relaxed pace of life.
The village of Zirahuén lies on the shore of the lake that shares its name. Photo: Kevin Chaires, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Santa Clara del Cobre, about eighteen kilometres from Pátzcuaro, is a Pueblo Mágico where Purépecha artisans have worked copper since pre-Hispanic times. Workshops hammer pots, bowls and jugs by hand, and the town holds an annual copper festival.
Purépecha artisans have worked copper in Santa Clara del Cobre since before the Spanish arrived. Photo: Fernando Hernández Ramírez, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Life in Pátzcuaro revolves around its two central plazas, Plaza Vasco de Quiroga and the smaller Plaza San Francisco. Both are lined with arcades, cafés and shops.
Plaza Vasco de Quiroga is the larger of the two main plazas in Pátzcuaro. Photo: Isaacvp, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The basilica is Pátzcuaro's most important church and the resting place of Bishop Vasco de Quiroga, a figure still loved by the Purépecha.
The basilica holds the remains of Bishop Vasco de Quiroga. Photo: Isaacvp, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
This former convent is now a collection of craft shops, many selling work from the Lake Pátzcuaro region. Wander through the courtyards and compare pieces before you buy.
The Casa de los Once Patios occupies a former convent and now holds craft shops. Photo: LBM1948, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The public library houses a well-known mural by Juan O'Gorman, commissioned by President Lázaro Cárdenas. It is easy to see in a short stop between plazas, so give it twenty minutes.
Janitzio is an island in Lake Pátzcuaro reached by boat from the main dock.
Janitzio is the best known island in Lake Pátzcuaro and a centre for Day of the Dead. Photo: Sunfishtommy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Tzintzuntzan was once the capital of the Tarascan state, and its stone yácatas can still be visited. It is a calmer alternative to Janitzio during Day of the Dead.
Tzintzuntzan was the capital of the Tarascan state before the Spanish conquest. Photo: Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
If you want to escape the crowds of Pátzcuaro, head about seventeen kilometres around the lake to Erongarícuaro, a lively and pleasant town.
Uruapan is a lively city with the Plaza de Mártires and the Huatápera Museum, built over a pre-Hispanic platform. The museum shows work by Purépecha, Nahua and Otomí peoples.
The Huatápera museum in Uruapan was built over a pre-Hispanic platform. Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Purépecha cooking is built on corn, beans and lake fish. Corundas are a type of tamale wrapped in a long green leaf and folded into a triangle, usually served with cream and red salsa.
Sopa tarasca is a bean and tortilla soup spiced with chile and topped with crema, and it is a must in Pátzcuaro.
For a market meal, try the Mercado de Antojitos near Plaza Chica in Pátzcuaro, where stalls sell tamales and other snacks. Pescado blanco, a white fish from Lake Pátzcuaro, is another local specialty.
Popular dishes to try in Zirahuén
The best base depends on how much you want to move.
Zirahuén is ideal for travellers who want the lake at their doorstep.
Pátzcuaro is the best base for first-time visitors. It has the widest range of lodging and restaurants, and you can reach Janitzio, Tzintzuntzan and Santa Clara del Cobre easily.
Santa Clara del Cobre suits craft lovers and anyone who wants a quieter alternative to Pátzcuaro.
Where to stay in Zirahuén
Michoacán's lake country sits at high altitude, so days are mild and nights are cool at any time of year. The drier months from late autumn to spring are the most comfortable for walking by the lake, though evenings can feel cold.
The busiest period is Day of the Dead in early November, when Janitzio and Pátzcuaro fill with visitors. Book rooms weeks ahead.
The usual gateways are Morelia and Uruapan. From Morelia, first-class buses run to Pátzcuaro about every half hour, and Uruapan has frequent buses too.
Santa Clara del Cobre is about eighteen kilometres from Pátzcuaro and roughly seventy-nine kilometres from Morelia.
A car gives the most freedom for the lake, Tzintzuntzan and Uruapan. Highways around Pátzcuaro get crowded during Day of the Dead, so arrive early in the day and park well before the festival crowds appear.
Arrive in Pátzcuaro, walk the two plazas, visit the basilica and the Casa de los Once Patios, and eat sopa tarasca for dinner.
Take a boat to Janitzio in the morning, then spend the afternoon at Tzintzuntzan.
Visit the copper workshops in Santa Clara del Cobre, then continue to Lake Zirahuén for a walk and lunch.
Spend a slow morning by the lake, then add Uruapan or Morelia on your way out.
WISERMAP PLACEZirahuén: photos, reviews & things to doSee traveler photos and reviews, or share your own →
Angangueo, Michoacán
Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacán
Paricutín, Michoacán
Pátzcuaro, Michoacán
Santa María del Tule, Oaxaca
Uxmal, Yucatán