Uruapan (officially Uruapan del Progreso) is a city of 357,000 people (2020) in Michoacan. It is the center of Mexico's avocado growing region, with most of the crop distributed from here nationally and internationally.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Founded in 1533 by Fray Juan de San Migue, Uruapan is the second largest city in the state of Michoacan. The city's center has colonial architecture which contain Plateresque and Moorish elements. There are six historic neighborhoods of the city: San Miguel, San Pedro, San Francisco, Santa Maria Magdalena, San Juan Bautista and Santo Santiago, all of which have colonial-era chapels in their centers.
Taxis are plentiful in Uruapan and there are several sitios where they can be found waiting for passengers. Locals usually call for a taxi to come pick them up, so ask your hotel reception or concierge if they have a recommended taxi service and they will call one for you. Uber also works well in Uruapan and rates are generally cheaper than a taxi. There are also combis that will take you to nearby villages including Tingambato and Puruaran.
Plaza de Martires de Uruapan. Facing this plaza are two commercial portals as well as some of the city's most important landmarks. On the north side, there is the La Huatápera Museum. The Plaza has a chapel called Santo Entierro, with fine stonework in cantera in plateresque style. The interior is restored and contains images of angels playing musical instruments and important people from the history of the Catholic church. The rest of the complex shows Moorish influence and houses a collection of handcrafts from the various indigenous communities of the state. La Huatápera Museum (also known as Museo de los Cuatro Pueblos Indios).
1 Parque Nacional Barranca de Cupatitzio (Cupatitzio Canyon National Park, Parque Eduardo Ruiz, Uruapan National Park), Calle Culver City. A 452-hectare urban national park with a stream going down the middle of the park with various style fountains and natural waterfalls. The river is fed by several springs and is very clear. The most interesting spring is called "Devils Knee", in the northern section of the park. Legend has it that a priest named Juan de San Miguel exorcised the devil during the 16th century, and that as the devil ran, he tripped and hit his knee on the ground, splitting open the canyon with water gushing from the spot.
The city's cuisine is influenced not only by the various ethnic groups in the area but also migration from other parts of Michoacan. Typical dishes include corundas, churipo (a beef and vegetable stew), mutton barbacoa, carnitas, quesadillas with squash flowers, flour tamales, various flavors of sweet and spicy atole, hot chocolate, uchepos, sweet potatoes and plantains cooked in various ways and more. Behind the Huatápera there is a traditional food market which is open from the morning to late at night. There are others economical options on the adjacent street. 1 La Mansión del Cupatitzio, Calz. de la rodilla del diablo 20, Colonia, ☏ +52 452 523 2100. Daily 07:00 - 23:00.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, Uruapan typically sees ~24°C daytime highs and 24 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-07-25. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy