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