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Municipality in Michoacán, Mexico
Photo: Cotipaz, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Cotija (officially, but never actually called Cotija de la Paz) is a small town of about 14,000 inhabitants (2022) in the state of Michoacan. Famous among foodies for the semi-hard to hard cotija cheese, which is often compared to feta when served young, or parmesan when grated as a hard cheese. Cotija has a romantic colonial downtown area that is a favorite weekend getaway for couples from Guadalajara. It is one of Mexico's designated Pueblos Mágicos.
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Traditional Mexican restaurant serving regional cuisine. The birria is a winner. Billiards, air hockey and other games.
Casual, family friendly place serving tacos, quesadillas, etc. Good place for cheap eats.
Cozy traditional restaurant serving crepes, light food, and mezcalitas.
Casual, bright, cheery restaurant for breakfast or lunch. Cafe de Olla with waffles is a good start for breakfast. Try the various stews (guisadas) for lunch.
Budget hotel with barebones rooms that need a serious makeover because. No air conditioning. Weak WiFi.
Mediocre budget hotel with minimal furnishings.
The town's traditional marketplace is where you'll get the freshest produce in town, not to mention a variety of cheeses from the local dairy farms. A number of vendors sell prepared regional dishes.
Variety of locally made cheeses as well as chocolates and other products. Shipping available throughout Mexico.
Locally made artesanal cheeses. Stop in and see round wheels of cheese on aging racks. Ships throughout Mexico and U.S.
By bus
From Guadalajara, go to the Nuevo Central de Camiones and find the ticket counter for Sur Jalisco.
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Uruapan · Regional · UPN
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