Tzintzuntzán

Tzintzuntzán is a town of 3,500 people (2010) on Lake Patzcuaro in the state of Michoacan, but the town is of little touristic value. The real magnet for foreign travelers is the Tzintzuntzan Archaeological Zone, which are the ruins of the once powerful capital of the Purhepecha people. Tsintsuntzan means 'where the temple of the messenger hummingbird god is located'. Onomatopoeia anyone?

History
Historical capital of at least one of the Purehpichan kingdoms whose magnificent yácata pyramids have been recovered despite the destruction under the Spanish conquest. The Purhepecha were a thorn in the side of the Spanish conquistadors, but they were a serious threat to the Aztec Empire which was never able to conquer the Purhepecha. This made the Purhepecha lands a de facto buffer zone between the Aztec and other, less powerful civilizations to the north and west.

The Purepecha people are thought to have settled in the Lake Patzcuaro region sometime between 1000-1250 AD. The capital was established at Tzintzuntzán around 1450, making it a relatively young civilization. At the time of the Spanish conquest, the city had a population between 25,000 and 30,000 people. Their language is unrelated to those spoken by other people of the region.

Tzintzuntzán is a large archaeological site. The historic capital covered an area of roughly 1,500 hectares. The city was largely abandoned after the Spanish conquest and was ignored by the government until the 1930s, when the first significant archaeological exploration occurred. In addition to the five round yácata pyramids, the site has an impressive Grand Platform measuring 450x250 meters, which is built into a hillside, as well as a number of smaller structures that were thought to be houses for priests. About 60 burial sites have been uncovered, all containing rich treasures, indicating that they were the resting places of kings or important individuals.

A site museum contains exhibits explaining the layout and uses of the site as well as relics recovered by archaeological explorations, not just at Tzintzuntzan, but at other Purepecha sites in Michoacan.

Get in
Drive over or take a combi from Patzcuaro or Quiroga.

By car
From Patzcuaro, drive north on federal highway MEX 120 for 18 km. The highway passes through the town of Tzintzutzan. If you are specifically coming to visit the archaelogical site, watch for the signs as you enter town and take the right fork onto Av. Las Yacatas.

Get around
Walking works fine.

See
The Yacatas for a small charge. Visit the historic church and convent (though a home to monks) that is being restored for an even smaller charge. The markets are known for fascinating cement sculptures, Christmas decorations and reed woven goods.

Festivals
The Night of the Dead around November 2 is quite busy and the cemeteries (pantheons) are magnificently dressed up in marigolds and attended to by families.

The Festival of Señor del Rescate is another important festival, and is celebrated during Carnival, just before Ash Wednesday (late February to early March).

Buy
Lead-free white clay, high temperature pottery, embroidered textiles with pre-Hispanic motifs, works with vegetable fibers.

Eat
Fish churipo, grain atole and corn products.

Go next

 * Quiroga
 * Erongarícuaro
 * Lake Patzcuaro
 * Janitzio