Magic Towns of Michoacan

Our trip to see the Monarch butterflies was done through a tour. Our 3 hour trip gettin there took us through the magic town of Angangueo which lies just before the butterfly sanctuary. Angangueo is located in the high rugged forested mountains with the town in a small canyon lying at an elevation of 8,400 feet. It was a small mining town in the late 18 century which gave out in the 20th century, but with promotion of two butterfly sanctuaries a breath of life has been breathed into the town.

During this small town's mining hayday of gold, silver, copper, many people moved here and built large homes. I'm not too sure who built this castle, but it's a monster of huge proportions which now lies deserted in this Magic Town.

The state of Michoacan has eight Magic Towns, and Angangueo is one of them. It is an initiative by the Mexican tourism to promote a series of the best towns around the country. Towns are carefully selected, based on the criteria of natural beauty, cultural richness, historical relevance, and great hospitality.The towns in Michoacan that made the list are: Angangueo, Patzcuaro, Tzintzuntzan, Cuitzeo, Santa Clara del Cobre, Tlalpujahua, Tacambaro, and Jiquilpan.