🌿 Where Time Stands Still and Legends Dwell 🎻

If Yunuén is the crescent moon of the lake, Pacanda is her serene heart.

Its Purépecha name holds a secret of movement: it means “To push something into the water”. This name is no coincidence; it refers to the amphibious life of its inhabitants, who are always pushing their canoes from the shore into the vastness of the lake. Unlike the vertical islands, La Pacanda is flat and gentle, inviting you to walk across it effortlessly.

The moment you set foot on its dock, you feel something different. Being fertile and flat land, it's perfect for exploring at a leisurely pace on foot or by bicycle 🚲 amidst fields and flowers, breathing in a rural peace that is increasingly difficult to find in the modern world.

Here's why this island is Lake Pátzcuaro's best-kept secret (and why you'll want to stay). 👇

🎼 An Island with Its Own Soundtrack

This land is not only seen, it's heard! La Pacanda is home to the famous Orquesta Pacanda, true ambassadors of Purépecha music. Here they are pirekuas are not a show put on for tourists; they are the sound of everyday life, the music with which one grows up, celebrates, and bids farewell to those who leave.

🦆 The Mystery of the Inner Lagoon (The “Little Lagoon”)

Pacanda holds an incredible geographical rarity: a lagoon within the island. This body of water, home to ducks, herons, and carp, is the mystical center of the place. While geologists say it could be the crater of an ancient submerged volcano, The legend tells us another fascinating story:

• 💎 The Treasure of the Kings: It is said that upon the arrival of the Spanish, the rulers of Tzintzuntzan threw their treasures and precious stones into this lagoon. The elders recount that the lagoon has a "false bottom" that connects to the larger lake, forever protecting the wealth of the ancients Irechas.

• 👑 Royal Baths: In the past, these tranquil waters were the sacred spa of the Purépecha royalty, a place of retreat far from curious eyes.

🦎 Mystic Guardians and Tradition

Caminar por La Pacanda es toparse con historias en cada esquina:

• The Achoque: The story goes that this miraculous amphibian was originally a woman who, because of her laziness and reluctance to work, was punished by the gods to live forever in the water. Beware! It is a figure of respect and is used in traditional medicine.

• The Princess and the Outfit: It is said that the princess Mintzita took refuge here. To win back Huitziméngari's love, he asked the elements to enhance his beauty, giving rise to the spectacular regional costume of the Purépecha woman whom we admire with pride today.

• The Miringua: And be careful if you walk alone near the reeds at dusk… they say that Miringua, the spirit of the lake, watches over those who don't respect the water or are out partying. 😉

🛏️ Sleep on the Island? Yes, in an Old Barracks!

Let's break the myth that there's activity only in Yunuén or Janitzio. La Pacanda offers a unique lodging experience: the Former Military Barracks. Don't expect a chain hotel; this is much more authentic. It's a historic building restored by the community, spacious, with traditional architecture, and super clean.

• The Experience: It's like sleeping inside a story, run directly by the island's families. The peaceful atmosphere at night here is something you won't find on the mainland.

🕯️ A Sacred Bond

If you come during the season of Night of the Dead, you'll notice something special: in its cemetery there are no ostentatious cement headstones. Here, tradition remains pure; they are mounds of earth and flowers, where life and death coexist in harmony just steps from the church.

📍 How to get there? The crossing is the perfect prelude to disconnecting. Take a boat from the dock at San Pedrito (approx. 45 min) or from Ucazanástacua (only 15 min).

Dare to cross the lake and discover La Pacanda, that place where magic is not a story, it is everyday life.