Tour at a Glance

	TRAVELIAN JOURNEYS
	Limited to 10 guests                  4 Days / 3 Nights                Physical demand: Level 4
	TOUR DATES
	February 22 - 25, 2022
	TAILOR-MADE JOURNEYS
	Take full control your tour, and let us but do the hard work of researching and making special arrangements for you. Every one of our journeys can be suited to your preference and operated for you, your family, group of friends or institution. Please contact us with your request at: info@travelian.com.mx

Tour Details

If anyone gave a prize for long-distance migration, monarch butterflies would clearly win. Their yearly autumn trek is over 2,000 miles (3,220-km) -- pretty amazing considering that not a single individual in the immense swarm has ever flown the route before. And yet, without a GPS system, they head unerringly for the same nesting grounds high in the mountains of northeast Michoacán, Mexico, where their ancestors have overwintered since time immemorial.

The ancient prehispanic cultures of the region revered these poisonous butterflies, which they believed were the reborn spirits of fallen warriors, dressed in battle colors. (Note that the first butterflies tend to arrive on Nov 1, Día de Los Muertos -- the Day of the Dead.) Stepping into a grove of monarch-laden fir trees is like stepping into a kaleidoscope, with fragments of obsidian and gold flitting randomly around you. The branches on all sides actually sway under the weight of the butterflies, their gossamer wings whispering softly as the wind blows through the forest.

Dear friends, thank you for the opportunity to design this itinerary for you, we’ve put it together with the help of local experts, and our own experience of visiting the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuaries for more than a decade every year. This includes the highest quality accommodations available in the region, plus special insiders’ access to the Monarch Butterfly colonies, and overall a most authentic experience. Feel free to send your thoughts and questions, We’ll be happy to make the required adjustments.

ITINERARY - 4 DAYS

DAY 1 - Tuesday, Feb 22nD | TRAVEL DAY
9:00 am - Departure from SMA towards Zitacuaro.
12:00 pm - Stop on our way for light lunch near Atlacomulco.
1:30 pm - Leave the restaurant.
4:00 pm - Check into our hotel, get settled, and relax.
5:30 pm - Meet for a briefing of the tour and to watch a documentary about the Monarch Butterfly Migration.
7:00 pm - Dinner
Time on the road: 4.5 hrs. | Overnight: Rancho San Cayetano

DAY 2 - Wednesday, Feb 23rd | SIERRA CHINCUA
Have an early breakfast at our hotel.
Drive northeast towards the Monarch Butterfly sanctuary of Sierra Chincua. Being the northernmost of the reserves this is where the migrating Monarch Butterflies first arrive on their way to their wintering grounds. This site also boasts some of the most picturesque vistas of the surrounding valleys. Once at the site, have the option to hike or ride a horse towards the Monarchs’ colonies, then have plenty of time to enjoy the experience, have a picnic lunch (box lunches provided at our hotel), and then enjoy the hike or ride back. Once back at the entrance of the site, explore the crafts and food stands of the local communities before returning to our hotel.

Dinner at our hotel.
Time on the road: 3 hrs. | Overnight: Rancho San Cayetano

DAY 3 - Day three - Thursday, Feb 24th | EL ROSARIO
Enjoy breakfast at our hotel.
Drive north towards Ocampo and then east reaching El Rosario, the largest of the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuaries. This site receives on average 50% of the total population of migrating butterflies from the USA and Canada. This site has a different feel and layout than Sierra Chincua, abundant water springs throughout the reserve allow for a richer ecosystem, housing several endemic bird species such as the Red Warbler. Hike or ride towards the colonies, enjoy the butterflies, have a picnic at the site, hike down toward the parking lot, and board our van to return to our hotel. Dinner at our hotel.

Time on the road: 3 hrs. | Overnight: Rancho San Cayetano

DAY 4 - Friday, Feb 25th | CERRO PELÓN - TRAVEL DAY
Have an early breakfast at our hotel.
- Have the option to stay at the hotel while the rest of the group visits the Monarch Butterflies this morning. (Lunch at the hotel is not included in the tour’s fee.)
Drive east towards neighboring Estado de México to explore the Monarch Butterfly Reserve of Cerro Pelón. This is possibly the best-preserved of the sanctuaries - which means more rustic and tougher to hike. Is here where the migrating butterflies were first found by entomologist Dr. Fred Urquhart in 1976.
We’ll ride horses from the entrance of the preserve, have time to enjoy the Monarchs, and have a picnic lunch at the site, then we’ll return to our hotel, and check out before driving back to San Miguel de Allende. ETA: 8:00 pm.

Time on the road: 5.5 hrs. (4.5 hrs if you decide to stay at our hotel)
Overnight: San Miguel de Allende

WHAT TO TAKE           Official ID your current Passport, Mexican residency ID (copies are fine)   Original INAPAM ID (if you have one)   Cash in Pesos for snacks and drinks and for the mercado at Rosario (Cash machines may not be available)   Active Cell Phone with recharger   Bring sufficient funds for snacks and beverages not included in trip cost   Money Belt   Water Bottle   Binoculars   Camera, extra memory, extra batteries and/or charger   Travel Flashlight   Hat   Sunblock   Sunglasses   Insect Repellent   Day Pack   Swim Suit and Flip Flops for the pool   Light-weight Walking Shoes   Sturdy walking shoes or boots if walking up to or down from the Monarchs at Rosario   A fleece garment or light jacket can be useful in case of chilly mornings or evenings   Simple comfortable clothing for day and evening wear   Pack your binoculars, toiletries and travel documents in your day pack, a supply of Ziplock plastic storage bags can be handy for storing food items from the breakfast, to be used as mid-morning snacks   Be sure to bring your own Kleenex and small change for bathroom fees   Personal prescription drugs   First-aid kit (should contain lip salve, Aspirin, Band Aids, anti-histamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration powder, Dramamine or other motion-sickness med if susceptible)

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