Latin America guide
 

welcome to our latin America Archive. Have fun browsing!

 

Article #217: Monarch Butterflies Head South for the Winter

(Browse for more articles)

 
Each year, some 250 million monarch Campanario. Sierra Chincua is about a
butterflies arrive to the luscious 30-minute drive north of Angangueo, once
volcanic highlands of central Mexico. an important mining town. El Campanario,
Guided to the area by an inexplicable also known as El Rosario sanctuary is
internal clock known scientifically as much more frequently visited. It lies
circadian, the monarch butterflies travel above the small village of El Rosario,
up to 3,000 miles to the state of almost an hour's drive up some rough
Michoacan, which becomes the butterflies' terrain from the village of Ocampo.
winter getaway. Nature-goers can visit Common departure points to the
the butterflies anytime between November sanctuaries are Ocampo, Zitacuaro and
and March, although the best time to see Morelia. Spending a night in Angangueo is
them is in February and early March, ideal because from there visitors can
right before they head north again. secure transport to the reserve early in
Originally from southern Canada and the the morning, when the butterflies are
northern United States, the orange and still in the trees. A comfortable hotel
black monarchs hibernate during winter is the Albergue Don Bruno (tel.
and mate in spring before returning back 011-52-715-156-0026). Maruata (tel.
north. Each year from late October to 011-52-443-324-2120) runs 10-hour tours
early November, the delicate creatures to the sanctuary including
flee the north's freezing temperatures transportation, food and bilingual guide
and embark on a month-long trip south, for US$60. For those spending the
flying some 70 miles per day to reach the weekend, the 62-room Villa Monarca Inn
Oyamel mountaintop fir forests of the (tel. 011-52-715-153-5362), located in
Mexican state of Michoacan. Those the outskirts of Zitacuaro, is an ideal
fortunate enough to live along the place to go. Angangueo, Zitacuaro and
monarchs' route south are frequently the nearby towns of Maravatio and Ocampo
exposed to the site of large groups of hold a monarch Butterfly Festival each
butterflies flying overhead on route to February, featuring traditional dance,
their winter sanctuary. Once reaching music and craft markets, in celebration
the Oyamel forests, the monarchs cluster of their annual winter visitors. Local
together by the thousands in pine trees, tourist areas include the beautiful
weighing down branches with their sheer colonial town of Morelia, Michoacan's
mass and making the forests glow the like capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
the bright orange of their wings. These giving travelers yet another reason to
butterflies spend the entire winter in visit. Other popular tourist stops,
Michoacan, finally mating in the spring including Lake Patzcuaro, the quaint town
and then returning north, laying eggs of Patzcuaro, Janitzio Island and the
along the way. The beautiful butterflies Tarascan Indian ruins of Tzintzuntzan,
leave Mexico in late February and early are also nearby. The beautiful
March in a mass migration and the butterflies leave Mexico in late February
monarchs should reach the central United and early March in a mass migration and
States by mid-April. By that time, the the monarchs should reach the central
females will have laid their eggs for United States by mid-April. By that
1,000 miles as they make their one-time time, the females will have laid their
trip. They return home exhausted and eggs for 1,000 miles as they make their
with tattered wings after the 3,000 mile one-time trip. They return home
trip. A typical butterfly will make just exhausted and with tattered wings after
one round trip during its lifetime. the 3,000 mile trip. A typical butterfly
Witnessing this incredible migration is will make just one round trip during its
reason enough to follow the Monarchs down lifetime. About the Mexico Tourism Board
to Mexico. In the easternmost part of The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) brings
Michoacan is an immense monarch butterfly together the resources of federal and
reserve spanning nearly 100 square-miles. state governments, municipalities and
In 1986, the Mexican government declared private companies to promote Mexico's
the region a special biosphere reserve tourism attractions and destinations
where thousands of butterflies cluster internationally. Created in 1999, the MTB
together in the early morning and nights, is Mexico's tourism promotion agency, and
covering whole trees and branches. its participants include members of both
Several of the monarch butterfly the private and public sectors. The MTB
sanctuaries are open to the public, has offices throughout North America,
including Sierra Chincua and El Europe, Japan and Latin America.






1- A- B- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9- 10- 11- 12- 13- 14- 15- 16- 17- 18- 19- 20- 21- 22- 23- 24- 25- 26- 27- 28- 29- 30- 31- 32- 33- 34- 35- 36- 37- 38- 39- 40- 41- 42- 43- 44- 45- 46- 47- 48- 49- 50- 51- 52- 53- 54- 55- 56- 57-