"El Rosario" Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary — Attraction in Michoacán

This is the second time I've made the trek here and it's well worth it. I visited during a sunny weekday afternoon in January and it wasn't crowded at all. My guide was lovely and had lots of information about not only the monarch butterflies, but the birds we heard and the medicinal uses of the plants we encountered. She told me all about the local ecosystem as well as what it's like to work there and how the preserve also supports the local economy.

Keep in mind there is a very steep ~45min hike to the core viewing area. Horses are available to take you part of the way, but a steep hike is unavoidable. Needless to say you need to be in good shape and have good shoes! This hike could be done faster but my guide took us at a relaxed pace due to the elevation.

My first tip is to take a decent camera with a telephoto lens, a smartphone just isn't going to capture the beauty and color of the butterflies.

My second tip is don't bother with the day tours from CDMX, they're expensive and exhausting. Stay overnight in Angangueo which is a really neat little mountain town with some very good restaurants and cafés. You can take the private bus service from Angangueo directly to the front gate of El Rosario! The drivers (and passengers) were sooo kind and helpful, and the total cost RT was $80 pesos. The bus stop can be found next to the school in Angangueo. Staying overnight here also helps the local economy.

There were many butterflies to be seen and they were very active, but I can tell you there are far fewer of them than when I was last here 15 years ago. Tip your guides well and and if you can, make an extra donation to preserve this precious ecosystem (the entry fee is only $100pesos). When you get home, remember to...

Spectacular. Much better with binoculars. The resting groups of butterflies are a bit far off. And you should embrace the crowds - it's actually a beautiful pilgrimage. Guides are required on low days (usually Monday-Friday) to make sure you follow the rules, but on busy days you can walk in on your own because they have staff posted all along the important parts. We went on a sunny Saturday morning, starting the hike around 10:00, and arriving at the viewing area before 11:00. There was a steady stream of people, but it wasn't uncomfortably crowded. The trail is pretty tiring for someone in just-okay shape. You can take the horses, but they only bring you about 2/3 of the way up. Only the beginning of the trail is paved (most of it is dirt - well-maintained but a little bumpy at parts). The entry fee per person is 100 pesos, not counting parking (if you have your own car).

It was really impressive to us, despite the butterfly population plummetting this year due to pesticides and climate change related droughts in the US, according to WWF research (deforestation in Mexico has impacted it too, but slowed down a lot this year). We were lucky enough to see large clumps of monarchs resting in the trees AND flocks of them flying around as they started to warm up. There was no time limit at the viewing area - maybe they only do that when it's even more crowded.

One of the best parts was observing the people getting more and more quiet even as they crowded closer together at the end of the trail. It really felt like a religious pilgrimage. Also underrated: Tons of beautiful wildlflowers all along the trail, not to mention the majestic forest of...

Truly amazing. I visited at the end of the season, on a Tuesday, 3/18. I was concerned about my timing and the cloudy morning, but was up for a hike through the Michoacan woods regardless. This is a rural community in an argricultural region of MX. There is almost no english spoken, even amongst the available guides provided by the park, so bring your own guide if you want to learn more than what your eyes can tell you. Better yet, brush up on your spanish in order to better appreciate these caretakers of the Monarch Winter nesting area. Everyone was kind and pleasant, unlike when you visit a US beach town the weekend after Labor Day and the locals are completely jaded by the season. Yes, These are the considerations I make when planning travel😁 I stayed at Rancho Cumbre Monarca and HIGHLY recommend. They are close to El Rosario and it is a little oasis, particularly if you have dogs. Back to the experience: You get to the top and you see branches laden with butterflies. The color is dull and camouflage in The Forest, so you may not notice them right away… that is until the sunlight hits the branches and the butterflies drop like Oak leaves in the Fall catching on the wind. That is what makes this experience so hard for people to articulate is that the butterflies don’t fly away, they fall in clusters. It’s amazing. Of course they are flying in the air all around you after these drops but it was beautiful to withhold how graceful the whole dance is. This took some planning an effort to get to the sanctuary and I am so so thankful that I did it! Oh, and I was one of maybe half a dozen tourist that I saw in...