Things to do

Worth your time, ranked

Plaza Vasco de Quiroga and Plaza Bocanegra

Start here. The grand plaza is one of the finest colonial squares in Mexico, ringed by ash trees, arcades and old mansions, with the working market plaza a block away. Sit, watch, and eat. This is the town at its best and it costs nothing.

The market and craft workshops

Michoacan is a craft powerhouse, and Patzcuaro is the hub. The Casa de los Once Patios, a former convent now full of artisan workshops, is a good place to watch copper, lacquerware, textiles and carving being made. The main market by Plaza Bocanegra is genuinely for locals, with produce, cheap food stalls and regional goods.

The old library and Basilica

The former Gertrudis Bocanegra library holds a large mural by Juan O’Gorman on the town’s Purepecha history, worth a quick stop. The Basilica de Nuestra Senora de la Salud a few blocks up is the town’s spiritual center and busy with pilgrims.

El Estribo lookout

A climb or short drive above town gives you the wide view over the lake. Best in clear morning light. Go with company rather than alone.

Overhyped, or handle with eyes open

• Janitzio island. The lake boat ride to the island is the signature outing, but the water is degraded, the island is steep and packed with souvenir stalls, and the “butterfly net” fishermen are now a paid photo act rather than real fishing. Interesting once for the culture and the view; do not expect the postcard.
• Day of the Dead itself. Deeply moving in the lake cemeteries, but November 1 and 2 draw a genuine crush of tour groups. Rewarding if you commit to the crowds and book far ahead; overwhelming if you wander in expecting quiet.