Its colonial architecture has been well preserved with the large Plaza de Armas at its center. The Cathedral of Michoacan is the tallest building in Morelia, with construction beginning in 1577.
The aqueduct was built in 1785 and travels past the largest park in Morelia, Cuauhtemoc.
These butterflies travel from the eastern part of Canada to winter here from November to March. It takes 4 generations of butterflies to reach this destination. There are several colonies in Michoacan with estimates between 60 million and 1 billion butterflies. This is determined by climate factors on their migration.
This butterfly sanctuary is over 10,000 ft in elevation. If you had trouble with the altitude on the way up, you can easily rent a horse to take you up to the butterflies. A guide leads your horse so it's an option even for those who are inexperienced with horseback riding. If you would rather walk, it is only a 30 minute hike via stairs up to the sanctuary.
~Lori
Click on the pictures below for a larger image and captions.