MORELIA, Mexico There’s nothing wrong with the beach resorts and
big cities of Mexico. But if you have clients who are tired of the
same old south of the border hot spots, and who enjoy exploring to
find their own gems, and who love colonial cities and magnificent
historic buildings, Michoacan may just be the ticket.
Add to these offerings trendy restaurants and villages where
handicraft traditions date back to the Conquest, and you will be
sending your clients to a place that has all the amenities of a
world-class resort, yet the culture and heritage of true
Mexico.
Morelia: World Heritage Site
The city of Morelia, the capital of the state of Michoacan, in
fact, has so many outstanding monuments dating from the 16th
century that UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Artistic Site.
Many of the buildings are being illuminated at night as part of a
multi-million-dollar refurbishing program to make the historic
downtown more appealing.
The city is easily covered on foot, a boon to those who love to
explore any new place from the ground up. Most tours begin at the
Plaza de Armas, where several heroes of the Mexican War of
Independence were executed in the 19th century.
Flanking the plaza is the cathedral, remarkable for its striking
pink quarry stone facade, huge Baroque tower and 4,600-pipe organ
manufactured in Germany. The cathedral is host for the annual
international pipe organ festival.
Farther on, the Conservatory of Music, a former cloister for
Dominican nuns named after St. Rose of Lima, is famous for its
Children’s Choir, which performs all over the world.
The Baroque-style Palacio Clavijero, or Clavijero Palace, built
in the 18th century used to be where priests with subversive ideas
were jailed. The Palacio de Gobierno, a former seminary and today
the governor’s office, is where a priest hero of the Independence,
Padre Jose Maria Morelos, was ordained.
Morelia was subsequently named after its famous native son.
But colonial buildings are only part of Morelia’s allure. Its
cuisine is rated among the best in Mexico. Unlike the fiery dishes
in other parts of the country, Michoacan’s offerings are mild and
mellow, and depend a lot on that pre-Hispanic staple corn. The
corundas, or cone-shaped, steamed tamales, Tarascan soup swimming
in tortilla strips and filete Tzitziqui, beef tenderloin served
with squash blossoms and fresh corn sauce, are well-known dishes
from this region.
Come morning, most visitors do as the natives do and head for
the Casa de los Portales for breakfast. Although it’s on the main
square, the food and view are not necessarily the only attractions.
Like a giant bazaar, everything in the place is for sale, including
your plates and dining table. Antiques, handicrafts and whimsical
collectibles are everywhere, and you can browse while you’re
waiting for your order.
Another unique place for dinner is San Miguelito, where you can
dine and petition St. Anthony for a spouse at the same time. A
self-styled shrine inside the restaurant has a statue of the saint
standing on its head, where the faithful come to pray a modern-day
matchmaking service with a saintly twist.
One of the most sought after places to see and be seen is the
trendy Los Mirasoles, a 17th-century residence-turned-restaurant
with original exposed stone walls. The menu boasts over four dozen
different martinis.
Morelia is also the candy capital of Mexico and has one entire
market devoted to sweets. And the Museo de Dulce, or Candy Museum,
offers tours and tastings of the famous ates, or fruit pastes.
Finally, Morelia is looking to become a golf capital. A $20
million golf course with 27 holes is under construction by Jack
Nicklaus and his company. It will be the largest golf resort in a
non-resort area of Mexico. Slated for inauguration in October of
this year, the project will also include hotels as well.
Within an Hour’s Drive
The state of Michoacan has many other towns worth visiting, and
Morelia is the perfect base from which to explore them because most
are within an hour’s drive.
Set near Lake Patzcuaro, the town of Patzcuaro is famous for its
Day of the Dead celebrations in November. The main plaza dates from
1541 when Bishop Vasco de Quiroga founded the town. It’s encircled
by two-story, whitewashed buildings with block-long porticos and
wrought-iron balconies, giving it a surreal look in early dawn when
it appears like a pale fortress from out of the past.
A series of shops and studios are located at the House of Eleven
Patios, a former nunnery and the best place in town to buy
handicrafts. The well-regarded Michoacan lacquer, which was used to
decorate adornments for the nobles and priests in pre-Hispanic
times, is still made here, as well as corn paste, which believe it
or not is fashioned into statues and altars.
The main church, the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Salud (the
Basilica of Our Lady of Health) gave life to the town in the times
of Vasco de Quiroga. His remains have been laid to rest inside and
his mausoleum is put on view once a year. Many of his devotees
claim to have been healed by him and hand-written letters of
gratitude are placed on a wall outside his chapel.
For folk art buffs, especially for masks, a visit to the village
of Tucuaro is not to be missed. The master mask makers are the Orta
family and their work is exhibited in museums all over the world.
Some of the masks are replicas of those used 150 years ago in
indigenous dances.
The market town of Tzintzuntzan displays thousands of
handicrafts made of straw, and at Santa Clara del Cobre, a center
for Mexican copper, you can watch coppersmiths deftly hammering
copper into pots and vases.
The Michoacan forests are the wintering grounds for tens of
millions of Monarch butterflies who journey from Canada to mate
here. El Rosario, the main sanctuary, is a couple hours from
Morelia and the farthest of the day trips. The mountain is steep in
places and the climb reaches a height of 10,000 feet. But it’s a
trip-of-a-lifetime to be in the middle of thousands of golden wings
fluttering through the pines.
Just another magical moment for clients in this
off-the-beaten-path region of Mexico.
Sidebar: The Mansion of Dreams
It took Priscilla Ann Madsen 34 years and many long commutes
from her native San Diego to open the Mansion de los Suenos. The
Mansion of Dreams as it’s called in English, is really the story of
her dream house and how she made it come true.
The dynamic redhead first journeyed to Patzcuaro in 1970,
describing her experience as “transcendental.” “I had such a surge
of energy and feeling of well being that I said I wanted to return
some day to run a hotel or restaurant,” she explained.
A business owner already, she went back to San Diego to her
chain of beauty salons and her “fast-track lifestyle,” as she
called it, but never forgot her promise. Six years ago, she
divested herself of the salons, found the perfect site for her
hotel and went to work on the renovations.
A 17th-century mansion located a half-block from the historic
main square, the hotel exudes the nostalgia of Mexico’s colonial
era, with its thick adobe walls, high beamed ceilings, exquisite
gold-leafed trim, period antiques and attractive hand-crafted
furniture. It’s listed on the government’s registry of national
monuments and is the only boutique hotel in Patzcuaro.
Eleven lavishly decorated suites have cozy fireplaces,
four-poster beds and ceilings that can reach 22 feet high all of
which blend in nicely with modern amenities such as cable TVs and
mini-bars.
No two rooms have the same decor one suite has tiny blue stars
on the ceiling beams, which were painted there by a mysterious
houseguest centuries ago, while a stylish black tile bathroom
defines the utterly romantic honeymoon suite. The rest of the hotel
has Madsen’s own special touches, like the colorful mural in the
dining patio painted with bucolic scenes from her private
collection of antique Coca Cola trays.
Although leisure guests are the majority of visitors here, the
hotel provides Internet access and a fax machine to make it easier
on business travelers.
“One guest did $60 million worth of business while he was here,”
Madsen said.
Suites run $150 to $340 for the master suite. The rate includes
free airport transfers from Morelia, a full breakfast and walking
tour of Patzcuaro. Agents get 15 to 20 percent commission.
The property is a member of the Petite Hotels of Mexico,
Boutique Hotels of Mexico and Tesoros de Michoacan.
52-434-5708
www.prism.com.mx
E-mail: [email protected]
Sidebar: MICHOACAN PROMOTION
The state of Michoacan recently launched its first-ever North
American promotion campaign, undersecretary of tourism for the
state, Ramon Serrano, announced.
Using the slogan, “Michoacan, the Soul of Mexico,” the
million-dollar program is aimed primarily at Mexican Americans “a
number close to 20 million,” Serrano said. “We will appeal to their
Mexican roots.”
Addressing this segment, key cities in Texas, California and
Illinois will be targeted.
Officials in Michoacan are also planning several fams for travel
agents.
Also on the agenda are city/beach combos, combining colonial
cities like Patzcuaro and Morelia with the tropical resort of
Ixtapa/ Zihuatanejo, 3½ hours away via a new highway. Travelers
will have the option of choosing packages for various lengths of
stays.
Solsierra Destinations of Bellvue, Wash., is already kicking off
seven-night combos.
“It’s two experiences in one,” said Patti Kilpatrick, owner and
president of the company. “The market for the colonial route has
always been for retired people who have the time to travel, but I
think this will change the demographics.”
Kilpatrick likened Morelia with its colonial plazas and ambience
to Seville, Spain. “Most Americans don’t realize that you don’t
have to go to Spain,” she said. “You can go to Morelia, which is
much closer.”
Mexicana flies nonstop to Morelia from hubs in Los Angeles and
San Francisco. Continental also has daily service from Houston.
Solsierra Destinations
800-400-4333
www.solsierra.com
Michoacan Tourism
800-929-4555
www.turismomichoacan.gob.mx
