Hang from a Cliff in Atécuaro

Rappelling in Atecuaro

Michoacan, the soul of Mexico. Diverse, beautiful, breathtaking. This central Mexican state is full of hidden gems.  One such place is Atécuaro, Michoacan.  About thirty minutes outside of the colonial capital, Morelia, a visit to Atécuaro is a great day trip.  You’ll find a small town that holds a large festival at the beginning of August for its patron saint The Divine Savior, as well La Peña de Atécuaro, a cliff that overlooks the town and the valley. To get to La Peña, you must climb and hike up a steep path through an old growth forest for about an hour.  Anchors in the cliff face are used for rappelling by eco-tourism groups and aficionados.

Atecuaro's countryside

Trout farm in Atecuaro

Atécuaro is also peppered with small, artisanal mezcal factories, frog and trout farms.  Visitors can sip on local batches of the agave beverage while frog legs or trout is prepared fresh. La Casa de La Trucha is one of the local trout farms with an on-site restaurant.  Owner and operator, Felipe Arreola explains to the sound of flowing, gurgling water “our trout comes from another farm in Villa Madero. We raise it here in natural ponds, where we sell it once they are about six months old. The secret to healthy trout is that there is clean, flowing water.”  With all the water, greenery and peacefulness, it is virtually impossible not to feel relaxed at La Casa de la Trucha (consuming mezcal will of course also help).

Religious procession in Atecuaro

To visit Atécuaro, you can drive, take a bus, taxi or hire an eco-tourist guide.  For more information on visiting Atécuaro, visit Morelia’s municipal tourism website at http://venamorelia.com.mx/atecuaro/

Tata Mezcalería

After attending Morelia's Miguel Bernal Jimenez Music Festival and Contenedor de Arte's second annual exhibition entitled Transcripciones Musicalograficas, at Palacio Clavijero, the public and many of the artists converged on Tata Mezcaleria.  Reminiscinet of Prohibition Era speakeasies, patrons ring a doorbell on the limestone door and are ushered in by smiling faces.

A welcoming atmosphere is created through a fun mixture of Mexican modern crafts and art; handmade, miniature toy furniture line a section of a shelf behind the bar and the agave-inspired painting by Rodrigo Treviño hangs in the entryway, as if to say "bienvendo, try some mezcal and here's to your health ". The shelves of the bar are lined with gleaming, crystal clear mezcal bottles, some with monochromatic labels, while others catch the eye and make you want to take a closer look. Mezcal isn't the only thing on the menu; sopes, enchiladas, taquitos, mole, local meats like rabbit and lamb, as well as salmon and chicken are incorporated into Tata Mezcaleria's take on Mexican nouvelle cuisine, or should I say, la nueva cocina mexicana.  Locally brewed La Bru and Mytika beers also are on the menu.

Located on Bartolome de las Casas number 511, several blocks from El Barrio de los Negros, Tata Mezcaleria is definitely worth checking out for anyone interested in artisanal foods, drinks, and a relaxed, colorful setting.

For more information, visit www.tatamezcaleria.com.mx