Town 25 km northwest of Paracho
The village of clay devils: Purépecha women shape wild, colorful diablitos and scenes by hand, no two alike.
San Pedro Ocumicho is a Purépecha village of about four thousand people in the municipality of Charapan, above 2,000 meters in the Sierra Purépecha, and it is famous for one of Mexico's most original crafts: its clay devils. The figures, painted in bright colors, show devils riding motorcycles, playing music, dancing with people, tangled up with animals or taking part in biblical scenes, often with a sharp sense of humor.
The tradition is usually traced to the potter Marcelino Vicente, and local stories tell of a strange visitor, with one chicken leg and one calf leg, who asked him to make the figures. The devils became popular across Mexico in the 1970s and drew attention abroad, and today the craft is almost entirely in the hands of women, who learn it as girls and shape each piece by hand without molds. Mermaids, nativity scenes, whistles and toys have joined the repertoire.
Visiting means walking the village and asking at the homes where potters work and sell. It is a quiet, very traditional community, so a respectful visit and buying directly from the makers are the best way to enjoy it.
What to see and do
Visit potters' homes and watch devils being modeled and painted by hand.
Buy a piece directly from its maker; every figure is unique.
Look for the newer themes, such as mermaids and nativity scenes.
Combine it with Cocucho's giant clay jars in the same municipality.
Getting there
Ocumicho is roughly 45 minutes to an hour from Paracho by car, through Charapan and north on the mountain roads; another approach is from Tangancícuaro to the north. Roads are narrow and winding, so travel in daylight.
25 km northwest of Paracho
Directions from Paracho on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Places to stay in Ocumicho
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Weather cool
Ocumicho shares the climate of Paracho, 25 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Mar, Apr, Nov.
Make Paracho your base
Ocumicho is an easy trip from Paracho, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Paracho
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Nurío
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Purépecha village whose painted 17th-century church, the "Purépecha Sistine Chapel," burned in 2021 and has been rebuilt by local carpenters. -
Capácuaro
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A Purépecha woodworking town on the Paracho–Uruapan highway, lined with furniture workshops and roadside showrooms. -
Cherán
· Town · 11 km away
A Purépecha town that rose up against illegal loggers in 2011 and now governs itself through a community council. -
Cocucho
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A highland village known for its huge clay jars, shaped by hand and fired in open bonfires by local women. -
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· Landmark · 24 km away
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Zona Arqueológica de Tingambato
· Archaeological site · 26 km away
An older, Teotihuacan-influenced ceremonial center with a ball court and a rich tomb, east of Paracho on the road to Pátzcuaro. -
Volcán Paricutín
· Mountain · 27 km away
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Zacán
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A Purépecha village on Paricutín's slopes that hosts the great Purépecha artistic contest of music and dance every October. -
La Tzaráracua
· Waterfall · 33 km away
Michoacán's best-known waterfall, where the Cupatitzio River drops some 40–60 meters into a canyon south of Uruapan. -
Lago de Camécuaro
· Lake · 33 km away
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Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.