Patzcuaro is a high altitude colonial city located on a Lake by the same name in Michoacan, Mexico. It is located midway between Guadalajara and Mexico City. The city’s history goes back to 1324 when it was the capital of the Purepecha community. The Purepecha were the only ethnic group in central Mexico that never fell under Aztec control.

After the Spanish, a priest, Vasco de Quiroga, worked to make it the capital of New Spain Province of Michoacan. However after his death, the capital was moved to Morelia. The area boasts of some of the best preserved colonial architecture in all of Mexico as well as numerous pyramids around Lake Patzcuaro. The city has retained both its colonial and indigenous character and therefore has been named one of the one hundred Historic World Treasures by the United Nations and a Pueblo Magico by the Mexican Secretariat of Tourism. It has garnered these honors due to its natural beauty, cultural riches and historical relevance.

Today Patzcuaro is a city with a population of about 40,000. There are two plazas lined with shops and sidewalk cafes. There are a variety of day trips tourists can take to archeological and craft producing locations.

Patzcuaro is best known for its Day of the Dead celebrations in October which are beautiful and inspiring. It is a lovely city to visit as the weather is warm most of the year. It drops to 60 F during the nights of its brief winter and 70 F during the summer. It is 7200 feet so it is cool even when walking in the sun.

The Sonoma-Patzcuaro Sister City Committee operates under the auspices of the Sonoma Sister Cities Association (SSCA), a registered nonprofit organization (SSCA federal tax identification #68-0108056).