Lake Patzcuaro

Lake Pátzcuaro lies in the volcanic highlands of Michoacán, surrounded by the towns of the Purépecha heartland. Islands including Janitzio rise from its waters, while wooded hills frame the shore. Pátzcuaro, Ihuatzio and Tzintzuntzan were important centres around the lake before the Spanish conquest. Their communities used the lake as a source of food and a route between settlements, and their history is closely tied to its shores.