Morelia

Morelia was laid out in the sixteenth century on a grid, and because the local stone is a pink volcanic cantera, more than two hundred listed buildings across the centre share one colour, which gives the place a coherence few colonial cities manage. The cathedral took a century to finish and its two towers, over sixty metres, were among the tallest in the Americas when built. An aqueduct of 253 arches runs into the city along a broad avenue and is lit at night. The old Jesuit and Augustinian colleges are still in use, one of them as a public library in a former church. The city is also the gateway to the monarch butterfly reserves in the mountains to the east.

What you actually see

• The cathedral - pink cantera and two sixty-metre towers on the main square.
• The aqueduct - 253 arches along the avenue, floodlit after dark.
• The old colleges - Jesuit and Augustinian buildings still in daily use.
• Michoacán craft - the state's copper, lacquer and pottery in the city markets.

When to go

October to May is dry and mild; the city sits at nearly two thousand metres so evenings are cool year-round. The monarch butterfly season nearby runs November to March. The international film and music festivals in October and November fill hotels.

Honest expectations

Michoacán as a state carries a reputation that makes some travellers hesitant, though Morelia itself is a busy university city where ordinary caution is enough; take current local advice for rural drives. Traffic and parking in the historic centre are difficult. Many visitors treat it only as a stopover to the butterflies, which sells it short.

Nearby

Pátzcuaro is an hour west; the monarch reserves are two to three hours east.