Mexico Guide
Northern Jalisco and Michoacán
Tinganio
The small but pretty and well-restored pre-Hispanic ruin of TINGANIO (daily 9am–5pm; M$30) is roughly halfway between Uruapan and Pátzcuaro in a town that is now called Tingambato. The site was first inhabited around 450–600 AD and greatly expanded between 650 and 900 AD. Though the structures draw on several architectural styles, that of Teotihuacán is particularly evident, especially in the pyramid that dominates the religious area, overlooking a plaza with a cruciform altar. The adjacent ball-court shows Toltec design influence. Beyond the ball-court, an unexcavated pyramid lies under a grove of avocado trees. In the residential area just to the north, a sunken plaza with two altars and five stairways, each to a separate residence, is very much in the style of Teotihuacán, but the tomb under the largest residence (which the caretaker will open on request) has a false dome suggestive of Maya influence. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, the site is best appreciated from atop the pyramid. Except on Sundays, you are not likely to see many foreigners here. If you're going by car, take the cuota highway from Uruapan towards Pátzcuaro and take the Zirahuén exit and follow the libre road past Ajuno to Tingambato. It lies approximately 30km west of Pátzcuaro: buses between Uruapan and Pátzcuaro pass right by.