In one of the planet’s most extraordinary natural spectacles, millions of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) gather every winter amid the fir forests of Central Mexico. They carpet the trees and paint the sky black and orange. In Mesoamerican culture, they personify the souls of departed loved ones.
After undertaking an epic journey of up to 2,800 miles from Canada and the United States, they’ve come to Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve to rest and reproduce—and prepare for the arduous journey back north in the spring. It’s an eight-month migration traversing the continent and back, during which five consecutive generations are born and die.
The 138,000-acre monarch reserve spans Michoacán and the State of Mexico and is a World Heritage site, one of the country’s four natural assets inscribed on the list. Throughout the season (October to March), only three sanctuaries in Michoacán and three in the State of Mexico open to visitors to immerse themselves in the world of monarchs, learn about the delicate creatures’ mass migration, and support efforts to protect them.
What to know about visiting the monarchs
Monarch butterfly sanctuaries in Mexico provide vital refuge and shelter for these insects. Responsible tourism practices are crucial to minimize the impact of visitors to them and the reserve. Follow the guides’ instructions, respect designated trails, don’t bring in food or pets, avoid taking flash photos, and maintain silence to avoid disturbing the butterflies’ hibernation.
(Follow the monarch on its dangerous 3,000-mile journey across the continent.)
Registration and tours with local guides are mandatory and included with the entry fee, which is about $5 dollars for adults and $3 for kids in every sanctuary, no reservation needed. Time spent inside the sanctuary is limited to 18 minutes to prevent overcrowding. It is strictly prohibited to take dead butterflies; this ensures they continue to fulfill their role in the food chain, as the chemicals released after their decomposition contribute to the ecosystem and even help monarchs locate their hibernation sites in future seasons.
Michoacán is monarch territory
With nearly 70 percent of the reserve’s territory, Michoacán has emerged as the most prominent destination in Mexico to witness the migration of the monarchs. The state offers three sanctuaries open to the public: El Rosario, the biggest and most popular, known for its facilities such as the artisan corridor; Sierra Chincua, with its lush forest and shorter trails for families; and Senguio, with its lesser known and unspoiled landscapes for solo travelers.
(Whales and butterflies are the real celebrities in Santa Barbara.)
The gateway to the state’s butterfly sanctuaries is Zitácuaro, a town set amid the stunning landscapes of southeastern Michoacán. Rancho San Cayetano, a rustic-chic hotel with a lush garden, is a convenient jumping off point for sanctuary visits.
The region also has waterfalls, a forest for hiking and bird watching, and Nemi Natura Ranch. It’s a good stop for farm-fresh produce before you get to the largest butterfly sanctuary in Michoacán: El Rosario. Just an hour’s drive from Zitácuaro, the sanctuary opens from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and offers a visitor center with photo exhibits and documentaries explaining the monarchs’ migration.
The moutaintop butterfly colonies are an hour’s walk or a short horseback ride ($8) from El Rosario’s entrance. At the peak, the guide will lead you to designated viewpoints where the landscape reveals a sea of orange and black wings fluttering in the breeze, covering the ground, and draping tree branches.
An hour’s drive up the mountain from El Rosario will take you to Sierra Chincua sanctuary, where the clusters of butterflies are sometimes heavy enough to break tree branches. From the visitor center to its butterfly colonies, you'll traverse a forest path, either by foot or on horseback, taking from 45 minutes to an hour. Outside the limits of the sanctuary, visitors can also enjoy activities such as ziplining, hanging bridges, and a climbing wall.
Senguio is about an hour and a half by car from Sierra Chincua. This small town is home to the newest sanctuary in Michoacán. To reach it, visitors must walk three hours on a rugged trail, or rent a van to make it in just one. The reward? Streams, waterfalls, towering trees, and panoramic views. Senguio also offers a picnic area, local restaurants, and cozy cabins for overnight stays.
(See monarch butterflies in all their glory on this California road trip.)
From Senguio, it’s about a 3.5-hour drive back to Mexico City (or 1.5 back to Zitácuaro). These three sanctuaries can be explored in a well-planned weekend itinerary, allowing visitors to admire this breathtaking phenomenon while experiencing the natural and cultural wonders of Michoacán.
State of Mexico butterfly sanctuaries
Surrounding Mexico City, the State of Mexico’s border with Michoacán houses 54,300 acres of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. The state’s sanctuaries include El Capulín, La Mesa, and Piedra Herrada, which in total welcome up to 200,000 human visitors each year.
Near the city of Toluca, Piedra Herradais one of the three official monarch sanctuaries in the state, where community members work as tourist guides or rent horses, as it takes over two hours to walk to the core zone where the butterflies sleep.
Half an hour’s drive from this sanctuary lies Valle de Bravo, known for its spectacular lake, with sailing, water-skiing, and sport fishing. Here, Hotel Rodavento offers a unique hospitality experience with rooms suspended over the forest—an ideal place to stay before exploring other sanctuaries in the state.
It takes a little over an hour from popular Valle de Bravo to reach El Capulín, with 2.5 miles of trails through coniferous forests teeming with butterflies. From these mountains, visitors can view the largest plain in the monarch region, known as Los Tres Gobernadores.
Two hours further north, La Mesasanctuary shelters crystalline bodies of water and historical hacienda ruins. It stood as part of the Mazahua territory, the largest ethnic group in the state. Today, it has guided tours of hibernation colonies and access to a deer breeding facility.
