Founded in 1553 by Fray Juan de San Miguel, Uruapan today is a tranquil city of about 250,000 inhabitants. Located some 120 kilometers from Michoacan‘s capital, Morelia, Uruapan is accessible from that city via a new highway that passes through Patzcuaro in the nearby mountains.
The region is well known for its agriculture – particularly the production of the finest avocados in the country. There are also extensive orchards of oranges and grapefruit in the Nueva Italia area to the south along Highway 37, and travelers on that route can often come across citrus stands on the side of the highway where sackfuls of these fruits can be purchased at very reasonable cost.
Though generally hot during the day much of the year, Uruapan’s temperature can drop into a chill in the evenings and early mornings during the winter months. Prepare yourself with sweaters, jackets, socks and closed shoes for your stay in the area.
Uruapan Easter crafts fair
Every year Uruapan hosts an important two-week-long Easter Tianguis or crafts fair and competition to which artisans and craftspeople from all parts of Michoacan bring their wares. The main plaza and other areas of town are converted into a bustling, open-air bazaar with masses of goods on display: distinctively fire-blackened storage urns from Cocucho and intricate pineapple pottery from San Jose de Gracia; hand-worked copper from San Clara del Cobre; colorful textiles from a number of different Michoacan localities; guitars from Paracho, woven crafts from the lakeside communities and carved wood crafts of every size and configuration. It is said that yearly more than 100,000 craftspeople and artisans from more than 200 Michoacan communities participate in this rich cultural and commercial exchange.
Sightseeing In Uruapan
Uruapan national park
Eduardo Ruiz National Park (Rio Cupatitzio) – A park of splendid natural beauty, the Eduardo Ruiz National Park is named for a historian who wrote loving legends about the area.
The park follows the course of the Cupatitzio River which springs from the earth at the Rodilla del Diablo (Devil’s Knee) at its north end, at the level of the Hotel Mansion del Cupatitzio. Paths wind through cool, dense vegetation, past falls, over wooden bridges and around many fountains. The park also holds a trout tank and environmental education camp.
La Huatapera - This structure, typical of colonial architecture of the area and situated on the square on the corner of Vasco de Quiroga street, next to the Ex-Convent of San Francisco, was founded by Fray Juan de San Miguel as a hospital in the year 1533. Today it houses the Museum of Popular Art, known in Spanish as el Museo de los Cuatro Pueblos Indios “La Huatapera”. The four indigenous cultures of Michoacan that are represented by the exhibits in the museum are the Mazahua, the Otomí, the Nahua and the Purhépecha.
La Capilla de la Magdalena (Chapel of the Magdalene) – Built in the latter third of the 16th Century, in this Chapel are displayed a large 18th Century painting illustrating scenes from purgatory and the image of Saint Nicholas. On June 22nd the community celebrates the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene.
Side Trips from Uruapan
La Tzararacua – Located 10 kilometers to the south of town on the road to Apatzingan is La Tzararacua waterfall. Surrounded by lush vegetation, this refreshing site is accessible by horseback or walking path.
Paracho – Famed for the excellent guitars that are produced here, Paracho is a 38 kilometer drive north from Uruapan along highway 37. Located in a rich farming and wood-working region, the smaller nearby towns of Aranza, Cheran, Ahuiran, Charapan and Capacuaro offer a variety of crafts in wood as well as stone, embroidered good and other textiles.
Paracutín volcano, Angahuan and San Juan Parangaricutiro – Paracutín erupted in 1943 and over the following nine years doused the surrounding 40 sq. kilometers with molten lava. Located in this area was the village of San Juan Parangaricutiro. Visitors can tour the area on foot or horseback and view the amazing sight of the town’s church spire and walls emerging from the sea of hardened lava.
San Juan Nuevo Paragaricutiro – The Church in New San Juan Parangaricutiro is now home to the local saint, el Señor de los Milagros (Father of Miracles). Local tradition has it that if one’s prayers are answered, thanks must be given to the saint by dancing into the Church taking three steps forward, one back.
Tingambato – On the old road to Patzcuaro, some 20 minutes from Uruapan, is the Tingambato archaeological zone – a collection of Purepecha ruins.
Lago Zirahuen – In the pine-covered hills between Uruapan and Patzcuaro is Lago Zirahuen, a cold water lake rich in trout and whitefish. The houses of the village of Zirahuen are largely of wooden construction — an unusual sight in Mexico.
The word Uruapan comes from the Purépecha word ulhupani, meaning “place of eternal formation and fertility of flower buds.” Uruapan, “place where the god-prince of flowers is revered, was established before the arrival of the Spaniards and was an exuberant paradise and a peaceful chiefdom corresponding to the Purépecha King.” Reséndiz 1991 said there are various interpretations of the meaning of Uruapan, for some meaning “water jug,” for others it means “where the trees always give fruit.” Others have determined it comes from the word urhuapani, meaning “blooming” or “sprouting.” The place where everything flowers also translates to “where the hearts of plants bloom like the flowers and enjoy a perpetual spring.
Wikipedia contributors, “Uruapan,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Uruapan&oldid=315652977 (accessed October 7, 2009).
Uruapan Hotels
Hotel Mansion del Cupatitzio – Calz. Fray Juan de San Miguel (Parque Eduardo Ruiz) – (452) 523-2100 and 523-2022. National toll free: 01 800 504-8793. With direct access to the spectacular Eduardo Ruiz park, this colonial-style hotel is encompassed in flower-filled gardens and tranquility.
Hotel Mi Solar Bed and Breakfast – Juan Delgado 10, Centro, Uruapan, Tel: (452) 524-0912; National toll free: 01 800 830-2542. Housed in a heritage building very convenient to the plaza and center of town, this quaint hotel was Uruapan’s first.
Holiday Inn Uruapan – Blvd. Industrial 1705, Uruapan, Mexico. Near Wal-Mart and Sam’s coming into town from the Morelia-Lazaro Cardenas toll highway access.
Hotel Real de Uruapan – Nicolás Bravo 110, Colonia Centro, Uruapan. Tel. (452) 527-5900, Fax (452) 523-4500; National toll free: 01 800 000-7325. Only two short blocks from Uruapan’s plaza, this hotel offers full services and competitive rates.
Hotel Plaza Uruapan – Ocampo 64, Centro – Tel (452) 523-3599, Fax 523-3980. National toll free: 01 800 420-0200. Located right on Uruapan’s main plaza, the Hotel Plaza is an excellent business-class hotel with 122 rooms, parking, free wireless internet and many other amenities.
Los Cedros Motel – a family-run, low-profile hotel on the banks of the Cupatitzio River at Libertad No. 117, Col. Centro. Tels. (452) 523-1751, 524-7601, 524-7602. Parking, pool, wireless internet.
