A Colonial Beauty

The interior Mexican city of Morelia clearly demonstrates the long-lasting influences the Spanish had on Mexico, says a tour guide based in that city.

Deborah Lopez Garcia told a Toronto gathering Friday that Morelia is “one of the most beautiful colonial cities in Mexico, designed like a very Spanish city.”

Chilean poet laureate Pablo Neruda called Morelia the “Pink Stone City” because stone used in many of its centuries-old structures has a pinkish hue, she continued.

The city is home to what Lopez Garcia labelled “beautiful religious buildings” and has a “very deep history.”

Lopez Garcia also said that the surrounding state of Michoacan has very strong Indian influences, citing the likes of the Night of the Dead, held Nov. 1 and which has people pay tribute to deceased ancestors. Cemeteries are lit up by “thousands and thousands” of candles as locals remember departed family members, she reported.

Michoacan also has numerous pre-Hispanic archeological sites tourists can vist and the state is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, she continued.

Lopez Garcia also reported that Michoacan is the wintering home of monarch butterflies and has created sanctuaries for them. Some sanctuaries can be visited by the public when the butterflies are present from late November into March. Monarch butterflies have seen their numbers fall recently but Lopez Garcia said Michoacan still hosts large numbers of them.

Lopez Garcia also praised Morelia as a great city for those wanting to study Spanish.

Those wanting to relax after exploring Michoacan can head to the Pacific coast resort of Ixtapa, she suggested.

Seen here are Susana Moreno of the Mexico Tourism Board; Ethel Hansen Davey of Uniglobe; Lopez Garcia; and Gabriela Enriquez of Exotic Destinations.