Andre and Wendy: Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary

Today is a day I never thought was going to happen. Because of the instability we have heard about in the Michoacán region of Mexico where there are butterfly sanctuaries we did not think we would ever get there. Researching this trip I saw that it was butterfly season here, the peak is mid February to March when they all leave. Perfect timing, so after discussion with Andre convinced him it would be safe if we went on a tour. So booked a small group tour leaving from Mexico City, we were 10 of us in a van. Our itinerary said it was a 4 hour drive to get to the sanctuary, our guide at departure said it would be 2.5 hours, and 3 hours on the way home due to traffic. That should have been our first clue that Adrian our guide really works on Mexico time.

2 hours into the drive we stop for a bathroom break. He told us there that it was another 40 minutes, nearly 2 hours later we actually arrive at Sierra Chincua Sanctuary. The drive has some scenic parts, that last 1.5 hours is through the mountains on smaller twisty roads, good thing we were in a van. Lots and lots of tolls on the highway section, this is what slowed us down a bit, ran into a bit of traffic at the gates.

Adrian goes and buys entrance tickets for us all, only 100 pesos each, to enter the reserve. I head read it is very very busy with Mexicans visiting on the weekends, so we chose a weekday. You can see at the entrance that there are lots of vendor stalls set up, but very few open today. Some of the stalls were also selling food. We did not visit.

Off to start our walk up to where the butterflies are resting. A short walk up and there are horses you can ride for the first section. We all said no, but were followed along beside us with a guy and 2 empty horses, yep 2 of our group decided enough of the hike and on they went to the horse. We had a guide with us from the sanctuary to explain things, she was quite young and only spoke Spanish so we relied on Adrian for translation. There were 2 from our group that spoke Spanish, one from Brazil, one from Korea originally that spoke Spanish, and all the rest were Americans. When we first met up at the meeting spot and were introducing ourselves and where we were from the Americans apologized to us when they found out we were Canadian. They are so disgusted with what is going on politically at home.

Our first real break of the hike is at a view point that involves a bit of scrambling to get to the top. I decided my hip would be better off just resting and not climbing and I knew Andre would get good pictures. I have decided I am just no good at altitude as well. The hike started at 10,000 feet and the look out was 11,000 feet. It is not a really difficult climb, just gradual uphill with a couple of steeper sections, it is just the altitude that gets me. I had the same experience in Atacama, Chile, altitude is rough on me.

After the lookout we met up with the horse riders, and there is still a couple of KM walk to do from there. We had a great group, everyone was very interested in looking at the fauna and flowers so it was nice and slow with lots of stops. Our guide had 2 walking sticks with him, didn't take long for me to ask for 1 which was a help.

Finally reach where the butterflies are and there are signs that you can stay for 18 minutes, in my research I knew there was limits, and I had read 20 minutes, I guess they needed the 2 extra minutes. You are supposed to be very quiet to avoid scaring the butterflies. When we first got there no butterflies were flying, they were all resting in the fir trees. What looks like branches hanging are really hundreds and hundreds of butterflies all snuggled in together. It is just as amazing a site to see as what we have seen in pictures. I had brought my binoculars from home for this day and I am so glad I had them, such amazing details and even though we were quite close still more incredible to see through binoculars.

The sun was behind clouds when we arrived at the spot, the butterflies only fly around when it is sunny. Our guide asked the local guide if we could stay longer, and since there were so few people there with us we were allowed to stay. We could see the clouds moving a bit and all of us had our fingers crossed and like magic the sun came out and the butterflies start moving around, it was like a magical experience. We were so very very fortunate, seeing them all resting in the trees was amazing, but they when they started flying around another experience that I can't explain how moving it was. We stayed at the butterfly spot for 50 minutes, incredible, I could have sat there all day.

Unfortunately our time is up and on the move down we go. There is a very short steeper uphill to get started and that nearly did me in. I think it was just standing and so much looking through binoculars that I actually felt a little sick. I had a break and sat down on a little bench, one of the other women stayed back with Andre and I as well, she was having so much fun looking at the different vegetation she was in no hurry at all. Off we go and I am much better after my rest, we catch up to the rest of the group and we are off. Most of the way back is downhill, plus we are losing some altitude so I am so much better.

Back to where the horse spot is and the 2 that took them up also took them down. The remaining 8 of us stopped at another viewpoint that was just a walk to, no scramble, absolutely beautiful scenery.

Back down to the entrance after an absolutely fantastic once in a lifetime experience.

Back in the van and it is about a 30 minute drive to where we are having lunch in Angangueo, a smaller town in the mountains that we both really liked. We ate at a restaurant that just told us what was on the menu today, we chose Green Mole and the local Mole that was made with guava. Both were delicious, I didn't think green mole was spicy but this definitely was. They also had a local brewed beer that had butterflies on the label, of course that was tried as well.

After lunch we had a small walking tour of the town. Interesting church as one of the church bell towers had been bombed during a revolution and was never reconstructed, it just looked funny having only one side with a tower. Lots of butterfly symbols around town. It is one of the town that Mexico call Magical Towns.

Now time for the drive home, we are so incredibly late that we missed all the traffic. We started our tour at 7:15 this morning and got back to the city at 9:15PM. An exhausting day, but so worth it. We took the bus home from the drop off point, we have done this route once so knew where to transfer and get off for our home stop. Buses are definitely much less crowded at this time of the night.

At no point today did we ever feel uncomfortable or unsafe. So so happy that we added this tour to our trip.