Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary (November – March)

In the surrounding areas of Angangueo, in the eastern part of the state, we find one of most fabulous regions of Michoacán:  the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary.  In 1986, Mexico declared it a protected reserve and, in 2008, was declared a Natural Treasure of Humanity.  The woods of eastern Mochoacán let us appreciate the marvel of the migration of the Monarch Butterfly.  Around the end of October, millions of Monarchs embark on the mysterious, phenomenal pilgrimage from southern Canada to the forests of central Mexico – an incredible 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers).

The Purépecha who inhabit the region consider it the soul of the dead, and their arrival coincides with the celebration of the dead.

We can visit either “El Rosario” sanctuary (near the town of Ocampo), or “Sierra Chincua” sanctuary (town of Angangueo).

 

9      a.m.        Leave Pátzuaro for the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary

7      p.m.        Back in Pátzcuaro

                        Round-trip road time is approximately 7 hours (leaving 3 hours at the Sanctuary)

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