Having spent a fair amount of time in Mexico City in one of the most popular hostels, I saw my fair share of backpackers come and go. As a seasoned backpacker well-versed in southern Mexico, I found myself giving a lot of advice, a lot of the same advice. It seemed that 95% of the backpackers I talked to were following the same route. They all wanted to know how to get from Mexico City to Oaxaca, then from Oaxaca to San Cristobal in Chiapas, on to Palenque and from there either to the Yucatàn or to Guatemala. Some of those headed south had come to D.F. from the north and had visited Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, etc., but most arrived in Mexico City and were immediately headed south.
It's not that I can blame them. Southern Mexico is spectacular. Oaxaca and San Cristobal de las Casas are two of my favorite places, but northern Mexico also has a lot to offer. Guanajuato, is one of the most breath-taking cities I have seen. It is also a young city, much like Oaxaca, and emits a certain electricity. Guadalajara is another northern city, as well as, Zacatecas that I have not visited myself, but have legendary reputations. Both those cities are high on my list of places to visit, however there was one city and state that I had been hearing so many good things about, they took priority. The state is said to be home of the most varied natural beauty in the whole country; untouched coast, mountains, lakes, forests, the migrating Monarch butterfly, and a charming capital that has been known to captivate.
Morelia is the capital of the infamous state of Michoacàn and it is where I have been exploring for the last week. This undiscovered gem of a city is definitely worth the visit, especially for those travelers who are seeking "real" Mexico, meaning some place off the tourist route. Morelia is definitely a middle class city, but the kind that will continue to be middle class whether or not you choose to visit it. Whereas it is evident in a city like Oaxaca how much its livelihood is dependent on tourism, Morelia goes on about its business. Walking down the streets here, no one cat-calls me, there are hardly any wandering vendors and only a few tourist-centered businesses. If you are seeking a truly Mexican urban experience that has not been diluted by tourism, Morelia is the place for you.
The city is centered, like most Mexican cities, around the Cathedral. The Morelian Cathedral, however, is a sight unto itself. The obsession the Spaniards had with building churches is unreal. Every Mexican city, town and village has at least one massive religious structure. The bigger the city is, the more churches it contains. The Cathedral in Morelia, for example, took over 150 years to build. It seems, though, that for fear of not having any place to worship during that century and a half, the Spaniards took it upon themselves to build a church on every block. This fascination with creating an endless array of sacred edifices is almost pagan in its zeal and is not unique to Morelia. It is no wonder that Mexican Catholicism and faith has a life and character all its own.
This particular Cathedral, however, is made of pink sandstone, sports 2 bell towers, a dome and an intricately decorated exterior that will keep you staring for hours on end. Every night at about 8:30pm, the building is illuminated and every Saturday the illumination is accompanied by fireworks. The Cathedral is not the only impressive architectural piece. Around every corner there is another relic, another artistic reminder of colonialism. It is absolutely amazing what the Spanish accomplished and built (on the backs of slaves) without steel, glass and technology.
I digress and apologize. It's just that Morelia has charmed me visually and has made me think about the history in this place. This walkable city is its own history lesson. There are also guided walking tours and trolley tours available at the Zocalo. A must do is a walk down to the Aquaducto at the end of Av. Madero. This is abeautiful part of the city with fountains, trees and a pedestrian walkway. Apart from the historical center, this would be another place to look for real estate.
Besides architecture, Morelia has a lot to offer. Centrally located, Morelia is 4 hours from the beach resort towns of Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo and the undiscovered Michoacano coast. It is also only 4 hours from Mexico City, 3 hours from Guadalajara and an hour or two from quaint little towns. Morelia also boasts an airport that receives direct flights from Houston, TX, via Continental Airlines.
I am actually surprised that Morelia has NOT been discovered in the same way that San Miguel de Allende or Lake Chapala has been discovered by retiring Gringos. Honestly, Morelia would be the absolute perfect place to retire. The weather is warm, but not too hot, and dry, but not a desert. The city accounts with all of the services a Gringo would want: good restaurants, Wal-Mart, affordable real-estate, movie theaters, coffee shops, and shopping.
There is no lack of things to do. Besides week-ends at the coast or in Guadalajara, from November to March, the Monarch butterfly reserve is open and hosts millions of butterflies. The cute, quiet lake town of Patzcuaro is always inviting and the lake itself is home to communities that are the true cradle of Day of the Dead celebrations. People actually come from far and wide on November 2nd just to see the cemeteries around the lake in all their splendor. Uruapan is another town that is less than 2 hours away that has a gorgeous national park and ancient ruins. Morelia is also hosting an LPGA championship this weekend, so there must be a golf course nearby. They have a professional soccer team as well.
I actually do not understand why anyone would retire to a place like San Miguel de Allende and not here. I met a Gringo and his son who recently bought a house here in the city. It is a 4 bedroom house located 5 blocks from the Cathedral with a front office space that is already being rented for $250 usd/month. We are talking prime, down-town real estate that needs a little work with a price tag of only $120,000 usd. It is truly a steal.
All that being said, I must say I am a little bored. Morelia's energy is a little more low-key than I would like. Places like Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Xalapa and San Cristobal attract a younger, hipper, more electric crowd. It's hard to explain, but the over-all ambiance of Morelia seems perfect for people of a certain age who want to be entertained, but in a relaxing way. There are definitely places to go out in Morelia and its peaceful vibe might have more to do with the lack of tourism than anything else, but it just does not have that "happening" feel. I do like Morelia though and feel it is only a matter of time before the snowbirds start taking notice.
All in all, if you are planning to explore northern Mexico, Morelia, Michoacàn, should definitely be on the itinerary no matter your age. This is the place for you if you are looking for something off the tourist path and if you want to experience that elusive "real" Mexico.
For the backpackers: I stayed at the lovely Hostel Morelia (Mariano Elizaga #57, www.hostelmorelia.com) It is only 8 months old and has not made its appearance in the Lonely Planet. It is part of Hostelling International and is very nice. The couple who runs the hostel is young, from Morelia and happy to give out any needed information.
It's not that I can blame them. Southern Mexico is spectacular. Oaxaca and San Cristobal de las Casas are two of my favorite places, but northern Mexico also has a lot to offer. Guanajuato, is one of the most breath-taking cities I have seen. It is also a young city, much like Oaxaca, and emits a certain electricity. Guadalajara is another northern city, as well as, Zacatecas that I have not visited myself, but have legendary reputations. Both those cities are high on my list of places to visit, however there was one city and state that I had been hearing so many good things about, they took priority. The state is said to be home of the most varied natural beauty in the whole country; untouched coast, mountains, lakes, forests, the migrating Monarch butterfly, and a charming capital that has been known to captivate.
Morelia is the capital of the infamous state of Michoacàn and it is where I have been exploring for the last week. This undiscovered gem of a city is definitely worth the visit, especially for those travelers who are seeking "real" Mexico, meaning some place off the tourist route. Morelia is definitely a middle class city, but the kind that will continue to be middle class whether or not you choose to visit it. Whereas it is evident in a city like Oaxaca how much its livelihood is dependent on tourism, Morelia goes on about its business. Walking down the streets here, no one cat-calls me, there are hardly any wandering vendors and only a few tourist-centered businesses. If you are seeking a truly Mexican urban experience that has not been diluted by tourism, Morelia is the place for you.
The city is centered, like most Mexican cities, around the Cathedral. The Morelian Cathedral, however, is a sight unto itself. The obsession the Spaniards had with building churches is unreal. Every Mexican city, town and village has at least one massive religious structure. The bigger the city is, the more churches it contains. The Cathedral in Morelia, for example, took over 150 years to build. It seems, though, that for fear of not having any place to worship during that century and a half, the Spaniards took it upon themselves to build a church on every block. This fascination with creating an endless array of sacred edifices is almost pagan in its zeal and is not unique to Morelia. It is no wonder that Mexican Catholicism and faith has a life and character all its own.
This particular Cathedral, however, is made of pink sandstone, sports 2 bell towers, a dome and an intricately decorated exterior that will keep you staring for hours on end. Every night at about 8:30pm, the building is illuminated and every Saturday the illumination is accompanied by fireworks. The Cathedral is not the only impressive architectural piece. Around every corner there is another relic, another artistic reminder of colonialism. It is absolutely amazing what the Spanish accomplished and built (on the backs of slaves) without steel, glass and technology.
I digress and apologize. It's just that Morelia has charmed me visually and has made me think about the history in this place. This walkable city is its own history lesson. There are also guided walking tours and trolley tours available at the Zocalo. A must do is a walk down to the Aquaducto at the end of Av. Madero. This is abeautiful part of the city with fountains, trees and a pedestrian walkway. Apart from the historical center, this would be another place to look for real estate.
Besides architecture, Morelia has a lot to offer. Centrally located, Morelia is 4 hours from the beach resort towns of Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo and the undiscovered Michoacano coast. It is also only 4 hours from Mexico City, 3 hours from Guadalajara and an hour or two from quaint little towns. Morelia also boasts an airport that receives direct flights from Houston, TX, via Continental Airlines.
I am actually surprised that Morelia has NOT been discovered in the same way that San Miguel de Allende or Lake Chapala has been discovered by retiring Gringos. Honestly, Morelia would be the absolute perfect place to retire. The weather is warm, but not too hot, and dry, but not a desert. The city accounts with all of the services a Gringo would want: good restaurants, Wal-Mart, affordable real-estate, movie theaters, coffee shops, and shopping.
There is no lack of things to do. Besides week-ends at the coast or in Guadalajara, from November to March, the Monarch butterfly reserve is open and hosts millions of butterflies. The cute, quiet lake town of Patzcuaro is always inviting and the lake itself is home to communities that are the true cradle of Day of the Dead celebrations. People actually come from far and wide on November 2nd just to see the cemeteries around the lake in all their splendor. Uruapan is another town that is less than 2 hours away that has a gorgeous national park and ancient ruins. Morelia is also hosting an LPGA championship this weekend, so there must be a golf course nearby. They have a professional soccer team as well.
I actually do not understand why anyone would retire to a place like San Miguel de Allende and not here. I met a Gringo and his son who recently bought a house here in the city. It is a 4 bedroom house located 5 blocks from the Cathedral with a front office space that is already being rented for $250 usd/month. We are talking prime, down-town real estate that needs a little work with a price tag of only $120,000 usd. It is truly a steal.
All that being said, I must say I am a little bored. Morelia's energy is a little more low-key than I would like. Places like Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Xalapa and San Cristobal attract a younger, hipper, more electric crowd. It's hard to explain, but the over-all ambiance of Morelia seems perfect for people of a certain age who want to be entertained, but in a relaxing way. There are definitely places to go out in Morelia and its peaceful vibe might have more to do with the lack of tourism than anything else, but it just does not have that "happening" feel. I do like Morelia though and feel it is only a matter of time before the snowbirds start taking notice.
All in all, if you are planning to explore northern Mexico, Morelia, Michoacàn, should definitely be on the itinerary no matter your age. This is the place for you if you are looking for something off the tourist path and if you want to experience that elusive "real" Mexico.
For the backpackers: I stayed at the lovely Hostel Morelia (Mariano Elizaga #57, www.hostelmorelia.com) It is only 8 months old and has not made its appearance in the Lonely Planet. It is part of Hostelling International and is very nice. The couple who runs the hostel is young, from Morelia and happy to give out any needed information.
1 comment:
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