Among the plazas and palaces

The cathedral rises up in the middle of the main square in the heart of the city and all around the plaza, in the colonnaded arcades, you will find excellent coffee shops and bars open all hours of the day. This is the ideal place to enjoy breakfast or to have a drink or a soda, and is the perfect starting point for a peaceful walk around Morelia.

From the arcade, take Calle Madero to the right. On the next corner you will find the Colegio de San Nicolás, one of the centers for humanistic thought and the place of learning where some of the nation’s leading fathers studied. Opposite, crossing Nigromante Street, you will come across the magnificent Palacio Clavijero, one of the city’s most characteristic buildings that now houses a cultural center. Make sure you have a look at its fantastic bookshop. Behind that, in Gómez Farias Street, there is the Sweets and Handicrafts market where you can buy Michoacán specialties such as rompope eggnog, crystallized fruits and ate (fruit paste).

Continuing along Calle Nigromante, you will come to the peaceful Jardín de las Rosas, opposite the Conservatory of the same name. This used to be an old nuns’ convent, and it has a magnificent church alongside it. One of the terraces in the garden is the ideal spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The music that floats out of the Conservatory’s cloister creates a unique atmosphere. Make sure you check the concert dates.

Lovers of culture and history should visit the Museo del Estado on the other side of the plaza, and continuing along Calle Santiago Tapia you will get to the tiny Museo de Arte Colonial. Opposite this museum, you will see the imposing Convento del Carmen, a great architectural complex that is now the Casa de la Cultura, a must-see! Temporary exhibitions, contemporary art, a bookshop and a coffee shop where you can rest in a magical environment await you! You can get back to the main square from the Convento del Carmen taking Calle Morelos , or you can go along Calle Emiliano Zapata until you reach the Convento de San José one of the most outstanding and beloved convents in the city.

The first thing one associates with Morelia is its wonderful Baroque-style cathedral, with its two slim towers that dominate any view of the city. If you walk around it, you will find on the corner of Allende and Abasolo, the Museo Michoacano, located inside an old palace, where you can see a fine collection of pre-Hispanic and Colonial artifacts.

The arcades on this side of the plaza where there is a great deal of buying and selling going on are noisy and boisterous, typical of any sort of market. There are two historical sites nearby we strongly suggest you visit. Go one block along Calle Hidalgo until you get to the Casa Natal de Morelos, the location of a museum, and then continue until you get to the corner of Soto y Saldaña and Calle Morelos to see the house where Morelos was born. From here you can go back to the main square for a rest, a drink or a meal in one of the restaurants in the arcades, or, if you enjoy popular art, walk along Calle Valladolid to the Casa de las Artesanías, where you’ll be able to spend the afternoon shopping and then resting in its back patio with a refreshing drink.