Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Every winter, millions of monarch butterflies travel from eastern North America to the high forests of central Mexico, and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve protects most of the places where they settle. It is a World Heritage Site spread across the border of Michoacán and the State of Mexico, about 100 kilometers northwest of Mexico City.
El Rosario
Sierra Chincua
Piedra Herrada
El Capulín
+4 more places
The reserve was declared a biosphere reserve in 1980 and enlarged to about 56,000 hectares in 2000, and it became a World Heritage Site in 2008. Researchers only brought the overwintering sites to wider attention in 1975. The butterflies use just a fraction of the land, mostly from October to March, clustering on pine and oyamel fir trees until the branches sag under their weight.
The experience is quiet and physical. You walk uphill through cool mountain forest, and then the trees turn orange. On warm days, when the sun reaches the clusters, the monarchs take flight, and their wings have been compared to the sound of light rain.
The wider landscape is part of the appeal. The reserve is predominantly rural, with communities of Otomí and Mazahua people, and the forests of pine and oyamel fir climb to peaks of around 2,700 meters in Michoacán.
El Rosario is the largest sanctuary in Michoacán, with monarchs covering about 1,500 trees, and it is the most popular entrance to the reserve. The town of Angangueo is the nearest base.
El Rosario is the largest butterfly sanctuary in Michoacán. Photo: Maricint, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sierra Chincua is the other sanctuary open to visitors in Michoacán. It has a research facility dedicated to the monarch and a nursery for reforestation efforts, so it is a good choice if you want to understand the conservation story as well as see the butterflies.
Sierra Chincua has a monarch research facility and a reforestation nursery. Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Piedra Herrada is one of three colonies open to visitors on the State of Mexico side, along with La Mesa and El Capulín. It is the natural choice if you are traveling from Mexico City or staying around Valle de Bravo.
Piedra Herrada is one of the colonies open to visitors in the State of Mexico. Photo: Charles J. Sharp, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
La Mesa is another State of Mexico sanctuary with public access during the season. It is worth considering if the Michoacán sites feel crowded on a weekend.
El Capulín completes the trio of State of Mexico colonies that welcome visitors. Compare the three before booking, since arrangements differ from site to site and from one season to the next.
Branches sag under the weight of clustered monarchs during the winter. Photo: Pacific Southwest Region USFWS from Sacramento, US, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Angangueo is a small mining town in a canyon, founded after a large mineral deposit was discovered in the late 18th century. The mines gave out in the 20th century, and today the nearby butterfly sanctuaries have brought in some tourism.
Angangueo sits in a small canyon and is the closest town to El Rosario. Photo: Oscar Rolando López Ramirez, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Valle de Bravo sits on the shore of Lake Avándaro in the State of Mexico, about two hours by road from Mexico City. It is a popular weekend getaway that suits a relaxed pause before or after the forest.
Valle de Bravo lies on the shore of Lake Avándaro in the State of Mexico. Photo: B.jars, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The towns around the reserve eat the food of the Michoacán highlands and the neighboring State of Mexico. Sopa tarasca, a bean and tortilla soup with chili and crema, is the classic warming order after a cold forest morning.
In Angangueo and Zitácuaro, look for family kitchens and market stalls near the main plaza. Ask what is fresh that day and eat early, since mountain towns wind down in the evening.
Popular dishes to try in Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
Angangueo is the closest base for El Rosario and Sierra Chincua, and staying here means a short ride to the trailhead and a simple, small-town evening. It suits travelers who want to be at the sanctuary gate early, when the forest is coldest and the butterflies are still clustered.
Zitácuaro is a larger city with more restaurants and services, which suits groups, families and anyone who prefers more choices after a long day.
Where to stay in Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
The butterflies inhabit the reserve from October to March. The forest climate is temperate and somewhat moist, with a rainy season in summer, so the monarch season falls mostly in the drier months.
On clear days the clusters warm up and the butterflies take flight, which makes late morning a lively time to be among the trees. Weekends bring crowds, so choose a weekday if you can.
The reserve straddles the border between Michoacán and the State of Mexico, around 100 kilometers northwest of Mexico City. Most visitors drive or take a bus to Angangueo, Zitácuaro or Valle de Bravo, then continue by local transport or on a guided tour to the sanctuary gate.
Inside the sanctuaries, you will walk. The paths are marked and some have steps, but they climb through high forest, so allow plenty of time and keep to the trail.
Travel to Angangueo or Zitácuaro in the morning, settle in and take a slow walk through town.
Arrive at El Rosario or Sierra Chincua as the gates open, spend the morning among the butterflies and return for lunch. If time allows, use the afternoon for a second sanctuary or a drive to Valle de Bravo.
Clusters of monarchs cover trunks and branches of the highland forest. Photo: PetrohsW, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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