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