Isla Janitzio
Isla Janitzio
3.5
About
This tiny island is inhabited solely by indigenous people, but is popular among tourists hoping for a glimpse of native culture.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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3.5
680 reviews
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Alfredo Tour Guide
Morelia, Mexico362 contributions
Nov 2021
Every year, more and more travelers express their experience (good or bad) about going to Janitzio island to do both the boat ride and the climb to the statue on top.
For the last 2 years in a row, still under the Covid-19 pandemic, I know that the access to Janitzio island has been closed, with no boat rides to the island to November the 1st and the 2nd, which has been great!!!
Thanks to this last, people have been looking for other choices to go see what is the #DayoftheDead celebration, finding out that other indigenous communities by the lakeshores do the same, and guess what; away from the crowds!
Timing is important next time you find yourself in the Patzcuaro area for the "Day of the Dead" days. Organize your time to go out and explore cemeteries at:
Tzintzuntzan: A cemetery that literally "goes back to life" with great family meetings, pets, live music, and thousands of candles. This place has a vivid festival of life!
Cucuchucho: This is a poor indigenous community where local families keep celebrating the ritual to remember the dead souls with pre-Columbian roots.
Ihuatzio: Mostly for the local families, this cemetery is by the roadside and looks easy to walk through it on Nov-2.
Tzurumutaro: This one is plenty of candles and flowers to welcome the dead souls, with colorful decorations on the graveyards from local families waiting for their relatives to come back home and join the celebration.
Santa Fe: Found to the Northside of the lake, this is a small farming town where local families set up altars at home, to welcome the souls and share the night dining with chocolate, bread, pozole, and tamales.
Arocutin: This little village looks so great from the belltower of the church after midnight. Most of the local families will stay overnight there, in the cemetery that is still surrounded by stone walls from centuries ago.
Cuanajo: The famous "Caballito" (little horse) is a huge altar at the main square, that looks like a giant horse loaded with all items to decorate the altar and remember the dead souls of the entire community. Smaller "caballitos" can be seen on the graveyards at the local cemetery too.
Huiramba: Located by the roadside driving to Patzcuaro from Morelia, this is a cemetery where the locals really do not expect tourists.
Capula: A must in your trip is the stop in this craftsmen town where the famous "Catrinas" are made of clay and decorated by hand. Some of the best are the "Fridas"; skeleton figures that represent famous Frida Kahlo artist herself and her paintings as well. Don´t miss the Catrina festival that normally starts the weekend before the celebration takes place ending November the 2nd.
I have been there, in many of these places, many times and have had a fantastic experience to witness the celebration, away from the stress that represents waiting 2 hours in the line of people trying to get a ticket to Janitzio. Will not do it again!
For the last 2 years in a row, still under the Covid-19 pandemic, I know that the access to Janitzio island has been closed, with no boat rides to the island to November the 1st and the 2nd, which has been great!!!
Thanks to this last, people have been looking for other choices to go see what is the #DayoftheDead celebration, finding out that other indigenous communities by the lakeshores do the same, and guess what; away from the crowds!
Timing is important next time you find yourself in the Patzcuaro area for the "Day of the Dead" days. Organize your time to go out and explore cemeteries at:
Tzintzuntzan: A cemetery that literally "goes back to life" with great family meetings, pets, live music, and thousands of candles. This place has a vivid festival of life!
Cucuchucho: This is a poor indigenous community where local families keep celebrating the ritual to remember the dead souls with pre-Columbian roots.
Ihuatzio: Mostly for the local families, this cemetery is by the roadside and looks easy to walk through it on Nov-2.
Tzurumutaro: This one is plenty of candles and flowers to welcome the dead souls, with colorful decorations on the graveyards from local families waiting for their relatives to come back home and join the celebration.
Santa Fe: Found to the Northside of the lake, this is a small farming town where local families set up altars at home, to welcome the souls and share the night dining with chocolate, bread, pozole, and tamales.
Arocutin: This little village looks so great from the belltower of the church after midnight. Most of the local families will stay overnight there, in the cemetery that is still surrounded by stone walls from centuries ago.
Cuanajo: The famous "Caballito" (little horse) is a huge altar at the main square, that looks like a giant horse loaded with all items to decorate the altar and remember the dead souls of the entire community. Smaller "caballitos" can be seen on the graveyards at the local cemetery too.
Huiramba: Located by the roadside driving to Patzcuaro from Morelia, this is a cemetery where the locals really do not expect tourists.
Capula: A must in your trip is the stop in this craftsmen town where the famous "Catrinas" are made of clay and decorated by hand. Some of the best are the "Fridas"; skeleton figures that represent famous Frida Kahlo artist herself and her paintings as well. Don´t miss the Catrina festival that normally starts the weekend before the celebration takes place ending November the 2nd.
I have been there, in many of these places, many times and have had a fantastic experience to witness the celebration, away from the stress that represents waiting 2 hours in the line of people trying to get a ticket to Janitzio. Will not do it again!
Written November 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Surreytraveller59
Surrey, Canada50 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
We parked our car at Muelle 1 and the attendant pointed us to the booth where we could purchase tickets for the boat. The parking was included in the fee and the boat was leaving shortly. It was mid morning (10am) before the big crowds so we were the only ones on the boat. It was pleasant ride across to the island ( the sun was out and the waters were calm) We decided on a pick up time (2 hrs) and started our ascent. The steep stairways pass through countless food stalls and storefronts. Remember to wear proper FOOTWEAR and bring WATER…you’ll need them. We rested briefly at the top before climbing the spiral staircase inside the huge statue of Jose Maria Morelos, a legendary leader of Mexican Independence. Beautiful murals line the walls of the staircase telling the story of Indepenance. The last part of the ascent ( inside the raised arm) is very tight and steep. You might have to wait your turn for a chance to peek out the window at the “wrist”. The view is quite amazing! I’m glad we had an early start as the crowds/ tours were arriving as we were leaving. It was definitely an worthwhile experience to travel to the island and climb the statue! It had been on my bucket list since 1979 when I first saw it.
Written January 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul & Carol
Boulder, CO22 contributions
Apr 2022
Skip this island, it is a tourist trap.
It is billed as an island populated only by indigenous people selling their artisanal crafts. Perhaps in in the past it was. Now it is an island full of your typical Mexican tourist items than can be bought anywhere and are most likely made in China, t-shirts, mugs, shot glasses, caps, etc.
First you take a ferry that costs 100p per person. As you approach the island, there is a group of fisherman pretending to fish to put on a show for you. After they wave their nets around for a few seconds, a pair of "tradition" canoe looking boats, made out of fiberglass, breaks off and proceeds down either side collecting tips. The fisherman have learned that they can make more money posing for pictures than fishing.
After docking you start walking up the different steep alleys, lined side to side, top to bottom with your typical tourist paraphernalia with a continual chorus of barkers trying to lure you into their shop or restaurants. At the top, for another small fee, you can pass through the gates to take in the view of the statue of Morelos.
The island is just an outdoor market with nothing redeeming or authentic about it.
It is billed as an island populated only by indigenous people selling their artisanal crafts. Perhaps in in the past it was. Now it is an island full of your typical Mexican tourist items than can be bought anywhere and are most likely made in China, t-shirts, mugs, shot glasses, caps, etc.
First you take a ferry that costs 100p per person. As you approach the island, there is a group of fisherman pretending to fish to put on a show for you. After they wave their nets around for a few seconds, a pair of "tradition" canoe looking boats, made out of fiberglass, breaks off and proceeds down either side collecting tips. The fisherman have learned that they can make more money posing for pictures than fishing.
After docking you start walking up the different steep alleys, lined side to side, top to bottom with your typical tourist paraphernalia with a continual chorus of barkers trying to lure you into their shop or restaurants. At the top, for another small fee, you can pass through the gates to take in the view of the statue of Morelos.
The island is just an outdoor market with nothing redeeming or authentic about it.
Written April 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GatashMA
Boston, MA113 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
If you are looking for a place with nothing but restaurants, shops selling mass produced souvenirs, and peddlers pestering you to buy their wares every 5 steps then this is the place for you. It is not a scenic island. There is little cultural experience except for the panteón. Even the fisherman using butterfly nets seem to be for show rather than fishing because they ask for tips. EVERYONE seems tips. The walk to the island's peak with the statue is quite steep and not handicapped accessible. You may want to consider spending more time in the villages around Lake Patzcuaro selling handicrafts.
Written November 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen
3 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
I arrived at 10 am on a Monday in mid-Feb. There were no other tourists, and few shops were open yet. It felt magical to climb up the stairs to the top. Beautiful views. I loved seeing the fishing net demonstration as you approach the island, and was happy to tip them a few pesos. Musicians on the way back also wanted a tip.
Written February 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
riskyone
Austin, TX421 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
I went here as part of a 3 day bus tour. We spent about 3 hours there and that was enough for me. I found it to be a tourist trap with little authenticity. Souvenirs were massed produced and vendors are very pushy. It seemed a little dingy and dirty. It was a place I’m glad I went to but I wouldn’t go back. Do try the little fried fish.
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alma Viajera
Guadalajara, Mexico10,920 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
GENERAL pier 2 which is only 7 minutes from the hotel, we arrived at the parking lot that charges $50 pesos for the whole day and we bought two tickets for $100 each, at 11:29am we were already on the boat that left for the Island of Janitzio, at 12:10am we arrived at the Island, it took us approximately 40 minutes to get there, the boat goes between 8 and 10 km per hour.
MORELOS During the journey we found some birds, a spectacle of fishermen who showed us with their butterfly nets how they fish for charales, an unmissable spectacle, we were also able to see in an imposing way the Monument promoted by Lázaro Cárdenas since 1931, dedicated to José María Morelos with a height of 47.75 meters high from its base, which would serve as a museum, viewpoint and monument, with this height it surpasses Christ the Redeemer of Janeiro in Corcovado Brazil with 30 meters and the Statue of Liberty in the United States with 46 m high .
Construction by the sculptor Guillermo Ruíz, Juan Cruz and Juan Tirado Valle, they used reinforced concrete and pink quarry cladding on the outside, you can see an innumerable number of pieces and from the viewpoint, they look like tiles up close due to the way they are made. that shine, the interior is hollow and as you climb the 140 stairs inside you find 56 panels with scenes from the life of Morelos and episodes from the Independence of Mexico, painted by Ramón Alva de la Canal in 1934.
When you get off the boat you will find two paths, the short path and the long path, we did not see the short one hehehe and we went up the stairs, which served to count them, while we climbed the 278 stairs to the flat base of the Island where we found the monument in the center of the square, we found countless stalls of all kinds, a little boy who danced the dance of the old men for us, we reached the entrance of the square and bought another pair of tickets for $10 pesos each, we entered and headed another 25 stairs that would give us access to the interior of this museum.
We entered the museum at 12:24pm and at 12:48pm we were already at the viewpoint that is above the fist of this enormous sculpture and from where you can see Lake Pátzcuaro in all its splendor, I really enjoyed this beautiful adventure, since After so many stairs I could only let the wind caress my face through the small viewpoint that has its windows open and that allows you to look out and observe this beautiful landscape. We started going down at 12:55 pm and at 1:02 pm we were already We were once again on the esplanade, an express adventure in which the feeling is that we had spent much more time on the entire route, so we had enough time, we walked through the square and returned to the pier to begin our return.
We got back on the boat at 1:40pm, some musicians entertained our return and we arrived at the dock again at 2:11pm, we walked to the parking lot and left at 2:28 in the afternoon to go back to Morelia, from this point To the Hotel de la Soledad, Google Maps shows us 55 minutes (45 km).
MORELOS During the journey we found some birds, a spectacle of fishermen who showed us with their butterfly nets how they fish for charales, an unmissable spectacle, we were also able to see in an imposing way the Monument promoted by Lázaro Cárdenas since 1931, dedicated to José María Morelos with a height of 47.75 meters high from its base, which would serve as a museum, viewpoint and monument, with this height it surpasses Christ the Redeemer of Janeiro in Corcovado Brazil with 30 meters and the Statue of Liberty in the United States with 46 m high .
Construction by the sculptor Guillermo Ruíz, Juan Cruz and Juan Tirado Valle, they used reinforced concrete and pink quarry cladding on the outside, you can see an innumerable number of pieces and from the viewpoint, they look like tiles up close due to the way they are made. that shine, the interior is hollow and as you climb the 140 stairs inside you find 56 panels with scenes from the life of Morelos and episodes from the Independence of Mexico, painted by Ramón Alva de la Canal in 1934.
When you get off the boat you will find two paths, the short path and the long path, we did not see the short one hehehe and we went up the stairs, which served to count them, while we climbed the 278 stairs to the flat base of the Island where we found the monument in the center of the square, we found countless stalls of all kinds, a little boy who danced the dance of the old men for us, we reached the entrance of the square and bought another pair of tickets for $10 pesos each, we entered and headed another 25 stairs that would give us access to the interior of this museum.
We entered the museum at 12:24pm and at 12:48pm we were already at the viewpoint that is above the fist of this enormous sculpture and from where you can see Lake Pátzcuaro in all its splendor, I really enjoyed this beautiful adventure, since After so many stairs I could only let the wind caress my face through the small viewpoint that has its windows open and that allows you to look out and observe this beautiful landscape. We started going down at 12:55 pm and at 1:02 pm we were already We were once again on the esplanade, an express adventure in which the feeling is that we had spent much more time on the entire route, so we had enough time, we walked through the square and returned to the pier to begin our return.
We got back on the boat at 1:40pm, some musicians entertained our return and we arrived at the dock again at 2:11pm, we walked to the parking lot and left at 2:28 in the afternoon to go back to Morelia, from this point To the Hotel de la Soledad, Google Maps shows us 55 minutes (45 km).
Written February 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jota2015Ce
Madrid, Spain9,725 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Popular island, colonized by tourism, with many souvenir stalls, restaurants... There are no cars and the entire island is full of stepped streets that end at the top, where there is a 40-meter-high statue of José María Morelos . The pantheon is not to be missed, especially during the Day of the Dead celebrations.
Written November 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mónica R
2 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
A shame. Don't come.
The worst experience.
November 1, we arrived at the pier at 8:00 pm. First they wanted to see our faces to sell us boat tickets. We queued for more than an hour to get on. The trip to the island is 40 to 45 minutes.
The island of Janitzio completely dirty with a lot of garbage. It smells bad and very ugly. Full of fried food and food stalls. We went up to the pantheon and after waiting more than 1 hour to enter, we found out that it was closed only to local people. There is no information about anything. It's not organized at all. We decided to return without seeing anything and completely disappointed.
We stood in line again to get on the boats, but this time for more than an hour
There are no taxis at the exit, we took a minibus that took us to the center and walked to the hotel. We arrived at 2:30 am
It's a joke, what a shame with the foreigners who come to live the experience. I wish I had gone to trip advisor to see the comments to definitely save myself the trip.
The worst experience.
November 1, we arrived at the pier at 8:00 pm. First they wanted to see our faces to sell us boat tickets. We queued for more than an hour to get on. The trip to the island is 40 to 45 minutes.
The island of Janitzio completely dirty with a lot of garbage. It smells bad and very ugly. Full of fried food and food stalls. We went up to the pantheon and after waiting more than 1 hour to enter, we found out that it was closed only to local people. There is no information about anything. It's not organized at all. We decided to return without seeing anything and completely disappointed.
We stood in line again to get on the boats, but this time for more than an hour
There are no taxis at the exit, we took a minibus that took us to the center and walked to the hotel. We arrived at 2:30 am
It's a joke, what a shame with the foreigners who come to live the experience. I wish I had gone to trip advisor to see the comments to definitely save myself the trip.
Written November 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mmoly
Monterey, CA310 contributions
Jan 2020
Little to do when you arrive. Found a place to the left of the dock to sit and have a drink. Some of the worst food ever at one of the main restaurants directly up from the dock. We love Mexican food, drink, and people but this was the worst ever.
Written April 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Se permiten mascotas en las lanchas del traslado a la isla ?
Written December 21, 2020
Si, pero recuerde que lleve cubrebocas...
Written January 5, 2021
Hola buenas noches, me podrías ayudar cual es el costo de las lanchas de pátzcuaro a janitzio
Written September 7, 2020
Leslie S
Morelia, Mexico
¿Están en función las lanchas a la Isla, a pesar de la contingencia?
Written August 2, 2020
Hola. Disculpame por no contestar más rapido. Casi no vengo nunca aquí a Trip Advisor. Sí, las lanchas estan funcionanado.
Saludos.
Written October 9, 2020
puedes irte caminando o tomar un taxi al embarcadero
Written January 30, 2020
I bought little ceramic jars full of something from a little girl in Janitzio, but I did not understand what she said was in the jar. Has anyone else bought these or know what they are?
Written November 14, 2019
Without further information, it could be anything so take care! The things most usually sold in small jars are cajeta (toffee) and tamarindo (a sweet and sour fruity paste). But unless you are sure, perhaps best to use as an ornament.
Written November 14, 2019
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