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Not named after cats, but after the small long-whiskered nurse sharks that can be found off-shore here. This is the local beach for snorkelling. From our perch at our hotel high above the ocean, the water looked extremely turquoise and clear.
The beach is perfect for families with small children. The waves here are small, as there is a rocky breakwater that legend has it was made long ago by an ancient Tarascan king for his daughter, so she could swim safely. There are many beach restaurants where you can eat and lounge all day long, swimming and snorkelling. The palapa at the far right end in the picture belongs to a local character named Owen, who for many years worked with Jaques Cousteau. He runs a rustic hotel there, called Owen's Surf Club. Sort of a local legend, he has written a couple of books about life in the 60's in Zihuatanejo, but I do believe the first printing has sold out so far. Leave a Comment Address: Zihuatanejo, GuerreroDirections: You can reach Playa Las Gatas by taking a shuttle boat from the pier in Zihuatanejo.
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The Museo de Arte Popular has an extremely interesting display of regional arts and crafts, ranging from fabric, and pottery, to straw and wood.
This building was built in 1540, and was originally a college. They are very mindful of power and water use in Patzcuaro and an attendant literally followed us around, turning on the light in the room when we wanted to see something, then turning it off as we left.
Don't miss the room with a walkway that leads behind the building, showing the excavated foundations of the ancient Tarascan temple that the college was built on, plus the carefully-tended garden in the courtyard. You can take picutres using a video recorder or camera for an extra $30 pesos. Leave a Comment Address: Patzcuaro, MichoacanDirections: The corner of Lerin and Vasco De Quiroga
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We fell in love with this pretty little beach as soon as we arrived. It is very quiet here, with most people wanting to snorkel, swim or spend time with their families. The majority of people were locals.
The beach is made entirely of coral sand, plus time worn coral and shells which you think are rocks at first glance. You can hike a fair distance down the beach to more secluded areas and try to see some wildlife. We saw several lizards and a cute hermit crab, but nothing else. We saw several tidal pools we could explore, but could not due to poor planning and not bringing water shoes.
A couple of restaurants are located on the beach, serving seafood and cold drinks. We stuffed ourselves on a full grilled snapper meal; that and some cold non-alcoholic drinks and hanging out all day at our beachside table cost $40.00 US. Not too shabby for a full day's entertainment. Leave a Comment Address: Isla IxtapaDirections: When you get off the shuttle boat at the main beach, Playa Cuachalatate, walk straight ahead, going slightly left through a clearing. You will reach Playa Coral. Or just ask one of the restaurant staff on Playa Cuachalatate to show you the way.
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Once the Dominican Convent of Santa Catarina de Sena, the whole complex has been restored and is open to the public. Many artisans have set up shop in the rooms of the convent, selling very high-quality handmade crafts. The vendors are not usually up for bargaining.
Most impressive of the shops are the ones that sell local de laca, or lacquerware, decorated with rich, intricate designs. The pieces can be pricey, but remember they are hand-made and many hours of manpower go into one item.
If you're not into shopping, it is worthwhile to walk around and explore the labyrinth of hallways, rooms, and little courtyards; you feel as though time has turned back. Leave a Comment Address: Patzcuaro, MichoacanDirections: Bordered by Dr. Coss and Lerin; from the corner of Ponce de Leon and Dr. Coss, head down half a block to a cobbled walkway, then follow the signs.
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Skip over the local tourist or "Artisan Market"; this is where the real fun is. The dark, hot aisles here are lined with food stalls and stalls selling fresh meats, vegetables, and fruits. This is the way to get a glimpse of daily life of the locals.
We tried to buy some limes and saw a few different kinds of limes; ranging from the smooth skinned "supermarket" kind to big warty ones. We stopped at a stall of one friendly little lady. With miming and bad Spanish I tried to tell her I wanted to buy four limes, but she thought I meant four kilos. Finally, she understood what I meant and gave me most of my money back. She then bent over conspiratorially and started speaking to me in rapid Spanish. I think she was trying to tell me how to use them. Not understanding a word, I just smiled and nodded. Very useful when you don't understand people Leave a Comment Address: Zihuatanejo, GuerreroDirections: The corner of Benito Juarez and Gonzales
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The main social scene during the evening in Patzcuaro, this central plaza was named after a benevolent Bishop who greatly helped the fortune of the local people in the early 1500's.
The square is quite pretty with trees and grass, plus a central fountain. Many shops and hotels line the area, and as well, snack vendors set up business at night, selling ice cream, tacos or sweets. There are several cafes where you can just relax and people watch, if you just want to sit back and take it all in. Leave a Comment Address: Patzcuaro, MichoacanDirections: Bordered by Ponce de Leon, Ahumada, and Quiroga
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Playa La Ropa is the main beach in the town of Zihuatanejo, and there is a wide variety of accommodation located along it, ranging from small bed and breakfasts to the tony La Casa Que Canta, voted #1 hotel in Mexico by Travel and Leisure magazine. Families gather here, both Mexican and non-Mexican to enjoy the water plus the usual activities of parasailing and banana boat rides.
The water here is not clear enough for snorkelling, but is very clean for swimming. Leave a Comment Address: Zihautanejo, Guerrero
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Santa Clara del Cobre, pop 5000, is located on a hillside about 1/2 an hour from Patzcuaro.
This town is entirely devoted to the making, sale and display of copperware. This tradition goes back to ancient times, when the native Purepecha (poo-RAY-pay-cha ) closely guarded this secret from the Incas.
Driving through the narrow streets, accompanied by the sounds of hammering metal, we came across the town square. It literally glittered in the sun as there were many copper vendors, plus even the street lamps were made of copper. The sight of the town square is worth the trip alone.
The streets are lined with shops selling any type of copper item you could imagine, from little tourist trinkets to household items and sculptures. They even have touts who see you on the street and try to convince you to come to THEIR shop. Many of the shops discourage any type of photos. The most striking items to look for are the large vases with curved, segmented bases like squash, plus mirrors with beautiful copper frames. A good-sized mirror, big enough to go over your fireplace mantle, will set you back about $100 US. Unfortunately, we had done too much shopping already to fit a quality item in our luggage.
If you are looking for copper items, it is a worthwhile trip to come out to shop, as many of the same articles I saw in Patzcuaro were double in price. There are colectivos (small buses) that go there from Patzcuaro, but do yourself a favor and hire a taxi to transport and wait for you, especially if you plan to do a fair amount of shopping. Leave a Comment Directions: 20 km south of Patzcuaro
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This was one of the highlights of our trip. Isla Ixtapa is a beautiful nature reserve, just past Ixtapa, and has several intimate little beaches on it. The atmosphere is quiet and family-orientated, perfect for relaxtion and just staring out on the beach and the pretty surroundings. Accessible beaches are: Playa Cuachalatate (koo-ah-chah-lah-TAH-tay), Playa Veradero and Playa Coral.
Access is from the boat pier at Playa Linda, costing 35 pesos per person, for a return trip. Before you get to the pier, make sure to plan a short stop at the Playa Linda parking lot, where you can look at the Crocodile Reserve. Leave a Comment Directions: About a 10 minute boat ride from the Playa Linda Pier, just north of Ixtapa
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The Tinganio Archeological Zone is more commonly called Tingambato, as it is located just outside that town. Archeologists have determined that there were two building phases with Teotihuacán and Toltec influences : One around 450 AD, and one 600-900 AD.
Much of the site had been looted before the arrival of the Spanish, but some artifacts and skeletons have been found, though not displayed at the site. The most dramatic features of the site are the still climbable pyramid, and the ball court where they played to win -- or else it was the chopping block.
Ancient avocado trees covered with lichen and moss surround the site and we found many of them hosts to vines of wild tomatoes. Plan for about 1/2 an hour to wander around; there are information plaques dotted along the site, and are in Spanish and English.
Entry fee is $30 pesos, and I do believe the site is open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Bathrooms are fairly clean if you need a banos stop. Leave a Comment Directions: 37 km west of Patzcuaro
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on January 4, 2007
