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