↑ ↓ to move ↵ to open esc to close
    Church tower of San Juan Parangaricutiro rising from the lava field, Michoacán

    Photo by LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Ruined church of San Juan Parangaricutiro half-buried in lava, Michoacán

    Photo by LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Bell tower of the buried church of San Juan Parangaricutiro under clouds, Michoacán

    Photo by LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Altar with offerings inside the lava-covered church of San Juan Parangaricutiro, Michoacán

    Photo by LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Ruined church wall with the Paricutín volcano behind, Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro, Michoacán

    Photo by AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    Landmark Michoacán Municipality of Uruapan Meseta Purépecha

    A church tower and altar rising from a sea of black lava, all that is left of a town buried by Paricutín in 1944.

    From Uruapan: 1 h by car (50 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    Where to stay near Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    Paracho, 24 km away, is the closest town with places to stay.

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro.

    Hotels in Paracho Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    Look for tours of the area around Paracho that stop at Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro.

    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide Tours from Paracho

    How to get to Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    • From Uruapan: about 1 h by road (~50 km)
    • 24 km southwest of Paracho
    • Nearest airport: Uruapan (UPN), 42 min by car to Paracho
    Rent a car at UPN Flights to UPN

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    About Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    When Paricutín began erupting in 1943, San Juan Parangaricutiro was the main town of the area, with close to 1,900 people. For more than a year its residents watched the lava creep closer. In May 1944 they left, walking for days with their revered image of the Señor de los Milagros to an old hacienda near Uruapan, where they founded Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro. A few weeks later, in June 1944, the lava reached the town and buried it.

    Only the church held out. Today its stone facade and one complete bell tower rise out of a jagged field of black rock, along with part of a second tower that was still under construction when the volcano was born and was never finished. Behind it, the apse and the area around the altar also survive, half swallowed by rock.

    It is one of the most striking sights in Mexico, and much easier to reach than the volcano itself: a walk or horse ride of about an hour from Angahuan, with a clear view of the Paricutín cone in the distance.

    How to get to Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    Drive from Uruapan: 1 h, 50 km

    From Paracho, drive about 45 minutes to Angahuan (south on Highway 37, then west just past Capácuaro). From Angahuan it is roughly an hour on foot or on horseback to the ruins; local guides offer the trip, and the lava is rough, so wear sturdy shoes.

    24 km southwest of Paracho

    Directions from Paracho on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro: hours, prices and tips

    Time needed
    About 30 minutes' walk downhill from the Angahuan tourist centre (uphill on the way back), plus an hour or two at the ruins. Away Go We · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    The lava field has no shade and gets very hot in spring and early summer, before the rains. Away Go We · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    You can walk there alone on a clear horse trail; local guides and horses are offered in Angahuan and at the stalls by the ruins. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Away Go We · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Sun protection and plenty of water; the site sits at about 2,300 m, so take it slowly. Away Go We · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro: what to see and do

    Scramble over the lava to the bell tower and the facade.
    Find the surviving altar area at the back of the church.
    Take in the view of the Paricutín cone across the lava field.
    Visit Angahuan's own colonial church of Santiago Apóstol before or after.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Look for tours of the area around Paracho that stop at Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at UPN (Uruapan): about 42 min by road to Paracho, then 24 km more to Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Uruapan (UPN), about 42 min by road from Paracho, the base for Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Paracho: download a map of the way to Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Photos

    + Add a photo Been here? Share yours

    Add photos of Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    Add details (optional)
    Shown under your photos as “Photo by …”, linked to your Instagram or site. Leave both blank to stay anonymous.
    Optional. Only so we can reply; never shown or shared.

    By sending, you confirm you took these photos and Puebloteca may show them on the Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro page.

    When to go to Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro cool

    Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro shares the climate of Paracho, 24 km away. The best months to visit are January, March, April, and November.

    See the month-by-month climate of Paracho

    Make Paracho your base

    Crowd of guitarists gathered for a record attempt below a mountain, Paracho, Michoacán cool
    Michoacán Paracho

    Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro is an easy trip from Paracho, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    All 12 towns and sights around Paracho →

    Near Templo de San Juan Parangaricutiro

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Something wrong or missing on this page? Suggest a fix or addition

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.