Approaching the tiny island of Janitzio by boat, there is no way to miss the towering Statue of José Maria Morelos. Standing 130-feet high over Lake Patzcuaro, the spiraling stairway that leads to the top of the statue tells the hero’s story through sweeping murals the entire way up to the top.

José Maria Morelos was a revolutionary leader during Mexico’s quest for independence and was executed by the Spanish government. Embraced across the country, this statue was erected in 1933 to honor his memory. Standing with one proud fist in the air, the statue is set on the hill in the center of the island, making it the most prominent part of the central-Mexican landscape.

Almost resembling the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio, the Statue of José Maria Morelos takes heroic imagery one step further by doling out a history lesson on the way to the spectacular views at the top.