Cuauhtémoc Forest

🌳 The Aristocratic Lung of Morelia 🐿️

After exploring the majesty of Aqueduct and after visiting the museums, it's time to slow down. Before you unfolds the Cuauhtémoc Forest, the largest and most beloved urban park in downtown Morelia.

But don't think it's just a bunch of trees. This place is an open history book where you'll see how an old indigenous neighborhood was transformed into the "Beverly Hills" of Morelia in the 19th century.

🛖 From Indigenous Neighborhood to “French Dream”

Originally, since the 16th century, this area was the San Pedro neighborhood, inhabited by indigenous people (many brought from the shores of Lake Pátzcuaro) who built the city. However, in the 19th century, fashion changed. Wealthy families from Morelia, influenced by European "hygienist" ideas (which held that living away from the city center and near trees prevented disease), decided to move here. They built beautiful country houses, villas, and mansions in the French style. If you look closely, you'll notice that the current museums (the Natural History Museum and the Alfredo Zalce Museum) are survivors of that golden age of "Porfirian dreams."

📅 The Name Change (1916)

For centuries it was known as the “Forest of Saint Peter”. It was until 1916, in the midst of the nationalist fervor of the Revolution, its official name was changed to Cuauhtémoc Forest, in honor of the last Aztec emperor. Today, it is protected as Natural Area Since 2005, it has been the locals' favorite refuge to escape the heat.

🌭 What to do in the Forest?

It is the perfect place for “dolce far niente” (the pleasure of doing nothing):

1. Culture: Here they are Alfredo Zalce Museum of Contemporary Art (MACAZ) and the Museum of Natural History (MUHNA) Manuel Martinez Solorzano. You have art and dinosaurs just 100 meters away!
2. Classic Fun: You'll find a beautiful central kiosk, wrought iron benches for reading, children's games, and a skating rink that has seen generations of Morelia children fall (and get up).
3. The Gazpacho Ritual: (NOTE: This is vital). You can't leave without trying a "Gazpacho Moreliano" at the stalls near the forest. It's not the Spanish soup; it's a glass of chopped fruit (Jicama, mango, pineapple) with orange juice, cotija cheese, onion, and chili. It sounds strange, but it's delicious!

📍 Why visit it from Pátzcuaro?

It's the ideal place to do a picnic Or rest your legs after walking all day in Morelia. If you're traveling with children or pets, it's a must-stop so they can run free before heading back to the tranquility of Pátzcuaro.