Chasing Butterflies in Mexico

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

02 Dec 2007 06:35 PM

Mexico is an ideal winter destination. However, an increasing amount of travelers are opting to forgo fighting to secure a swath of sand on crowded Mexican beaches and instead are heading to the mountains to chase butterflies.

Thanks to the spectacular yearly migration of millions of orange-and-black-winged monarch butterflies, eco-tourism packages that include rare butterfly experiences are growing in popularity.

To put in perspective how amazingly breathtaking these butterflies are consider that cars passing the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve sometimes have to slow to speeds of a couple of miles per hour to avoid hitting the swarms that contain tens of millions of the delicate creatures as they fly across the road.

The Biosphere Reserve in Angangueo, Mexico is a federally protected area nominated for World Heritage Site status. It spans more than 124,000 acres across two states and costs less than $5 to enter (drop $10 more and you can take a guided tour). Four butterfly sanctuaries are open to the public on the property: El Rosario and Sierra Chincua in Michoacan, and El Capulin and La Mesa in Mexico state.

If you go be prepared to dress properly. Tour guides suggest wearing layers since the weather can be extremely cold in the morning and down right hot by afternoon. Comfortable hiking boots and a raincoat are also recommended. You can expect to hike anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour (or you can opt to ride a donkey). The butterflies can only be reached on designated paths--most of which are located at extremely high altitudes - between 9,000 and 11,000 feet.

The butterflies begin arriving in November, and leave by late March. Once you are in Mexico plan to head out to the reserve between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., that's when the butterflies are at their most active.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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