Uruapan's two unmissable attractions sit at opposite ends of the nature-adventure spectrum. The Parque Nacional Barranca del Cupatitzio, right at the edge of town, is one of the finest urban parks in Mexico — a spring-fed river gushing through mossy tropical forest. The journey to Paricutín, the volcano that erupted in a cornfield in 1943 and buried the village of San Juan Parangaricutiro, is one of the genuinely unforgettable experiences in all of Mexico.
In town, the Mercado de Antojitos on the main plaza is the best place to sample Michoacán food, and the city's lacquerware crafts — sold throughout the market area — have been made here for centuries. The Casa de la Cultura hosts exhibits on the region's Purépecha heritage.