2012 Limited Edition: Mexico Monarch Butterfly Trail (CMMT)
Countries Visited: Mexico
Trip Style: Limited Edition - Book well in advance! While all of our adventures are special, these tours fill up fast. Some trips feature cultural festivals, others exclusive photography excursions-but all of these one-off departures offer extraordinary opportunities to experience some of the most exciting events on the planet.
Service Level: Standard - authentic experiences with some of the comforts of home
Physical Demands Rating: 3 - May include outdoor endeavours like hiking, biking, rafting, or kayaking. Requires an average level of fitness.
Group Size: Min 5, Max 15
Meals Included: No meals included.
Accommodations: Hotels (9 nts).
Highlights
Watching thousands of monarch butterflies fly around you, treading off the beaten track to small towns, gawking at impressive architecture in Morelia's city centre, sampling Mexico City's vibrant nightlife.
Description
For the nature lover who also appreciates cultural luminescence, this limited-edition butterfly adventure captures the brightest colours of Mexico in just ten days. From the historic streets of Mexico City, you'll travel through stunning national parks, colonial towns and beautiful countryside as you follow the migration of the monarch butterfly. Wander through flutters of butterflies in the reserves of El Rosario and Sierra Chincua. Off the beaten path, this quirky adventure will give you a unique insight into the people and mariposas of Mexico.
Trip Style: Limited Edition - Book well in advance! While all of our adventures are special, these tours fill up fast. Some trips feature cultural festivals, others exclusive photography excursions-but all of these one-off departures offer extraordinary opportunities to experience some of the most exciting events on the planet.
Service Level: Standard - authentic experiences with some of the comforts of home
Physical Demands Rating: 3 - May include outdoor endeavours like hiking, biking, rafting, or kayaking. Requires an average level of fitness.
Group Size: Min 5, Max 15
Meals Included: No meals included.
Accommodations: Hotels (9 nts).
Highlights
Watching thousands of monarch butterflies fly around you, treading off the beaten track to small towns, gawking at impressive architecture in Morelia's city centre, sampling Mexico City's vibrant nightlife.
Description
For the nature lover who also appreciates cultural luminescence, this limited-edition butterfly adventure captures the brightest colours of Mexico in just ten days. From the historic streets of Mexico City, you'll travel through stunning national parks, colonial towns and beautiful countryside as you follow the migration of the monarch butterfly. Wander through flutters of butterflies in the reserves of El Rosario and Sierra Chincua. Off the beaten path, this quirky adventure will give you a unique insight into the people and mariposas of Mexico.
Call (800) 691-0243 for more information or to book today! Mention code 10411051
- Tour Operator
- G Adventures
- Duration
- 10 Days
- Escorted
- Escorted - Yes
| Day | Destination | Description |
| Day 1 | Mexico City | Day 1 Arrive Mexico City Arrive in Mexico City at any time. There are no planned activities during the day, so check into the hotel and enjoy this charming city. Please try to arrive before 6pm for an important group meeting where you can meet the Chief Experience Officer (CEO) and the other group members. Explore the world's largest metropolitan area or take an optional day trip to the famous archaeological site of Teotihuacan. The former Aztec Capital (you can still see some of the ruins of the great Tenochtitlan in the centre of the city, or take a subway ride through one of the temples) was destroyed in the struggle with Cortez and those who followed him. Today it is one of the world's fastest growing urban centres, offering a great variety of impressive museums, galleries and range of architecture, perhaps unequalled anywhere else in the Americas. Mexico City or D.F., as the locals refer to it, also has a variety of food to match its impressive visual style. If you prefer to get outside the city, the pyramids of Teotihuacan and the canals and gardens of Xochimilco are two good places to start. A word of caution: Mexico City may be slightly overwhelming at first. As one of the world's most populous centres, it is a crowded, smoggy, urban place where the altitude combined with atmospheric conditions may cause irritation of eyes, nose and throat. Also be aware that the heat may affect you upon arrival, with a general sense of lethargy and/or loss of appetite. This is no cause for alarm; it is simply a reaction to the heat. Be sure to drink plenty of water (cold bottled water is available everywhere) and do not attempt too much in any given day. We prefer fan-cooled rather than air conditioned rooms to avoid having to acclimatize to the heat and humidity every time you go outside. This is also a more eco-friendly method compared to air conditioning. |
| Day 2 | Uruapan / Angahuan | Day 2 Uruapan / Angahuan |
| Day 3 | Uruapan / Angahuan | Day 3 Uruapan / Angahuan We have the morning to explore Mexico City, then we travel to Uruapan. When the Spanish Monk Fray Juan de San Miguel arrived to Uruapan in 1533, he was so impressed with the Rio Cupatitzio and the lush vegetation surrounding it that he gave the area the Purepecha name Uruapan, which means 'a time when a plant bears flowers and fruit simultaneously.' We tend to translate it as 'Eternal Spring.' Fray Juan had a large market square, hospital and chapel built and he arranged the streets in a checkerboard pattern. It bills itself as the 'Capital Mundial del Aguacate' and it has an avocado fair in November. The town's craftpeople are famed for their hand-painted cedar lacquerware, particularly trays and boxes. Uruapan is a very traditional 'Mexican' city which retains a little colonial ambience. Attractive red-tile roofs top a few stucco buildings and a lush hillside surrounds the city. The splendid little national park, Parque Nacional Eduardo Ruiz is just a 15 minute walk from the town center. On Day 3, learn about rural ways of life as we visit Angahuan, a Purepechan community. Enjoy an included horseback ride around Paricutin Volcano. Both nights, we overnight in Uruapan. Estimated Travel Time: 8 hours Approximate Distance: 410 km |
| Day 4-5 | Patzcuaro | Day 4-5 Patzcuaro Start your day off with an optional early morning visit to Parque National Eduardo Ruiz waterfall park with its crystal clear waters in a tropical setting, then it's off to Patzcuaro. Spend the afternoon marveling at the beautiful plazas and colonial buildings in this magical city. A great day for shopping, or just sampling some local food and drink at numerous outdoor cafes. Lovely Patzcuaro, nestled in the heart of Purepecha country, is the crown jewel of Highland Michoacan. The town's colonial centre is filled with serene plazas, impressive churchs, pretty cobbled streets and tiled adobe buildings painted white and reddish-brown. It's a great place to explore or relax for a few days. It has 3 main plazas, Plaza grande, Plaza Chica and the Plaza de la Basilica. From wood carvings to pottery, the towns around Patzcuaro are known for creating exceptional hand-crafted products. To the north is Lago de Patzcuaro with some small islands, and some traditional Purepecha villages on the banks of the lake. On day 5 we take a boat ride across Lake Patzcuaro to Janitzio. This small island is full of beautiful traditions including the famous "butterfly fishermen", skilled at using their butterfly-shaped nets to catch local fish. View the colossal 40-metre statue of Jose Maria Morelos, built as an homage to this independence patriot. We also visit Tzintzuntzan, the 'Place of the Hummingbirds', which was the capital of the ancient Tarascan kingdom. Estimated Travel Time: 2 hours Approximate Distance: 60 km |
| Day 6-7 | Morelia | Day 6-7 Morelia Travel to Morelia and enjoy an included city tour on foot to get your bearings. Take some time to explore the capital of Michoacan, a well-preserved colonial city - the historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site, or maybe just enjoy the atmosphere with a coffee in one of the many cafes round the Zocalo. Morelia was one of the first Spanish cities in Nueva Espana. Overnight in a colonial style hotel. Morelia lies 315km west of Mexico City and 278km southeast of Guadalajara. The capital of Michoacan is a well-preserved colonial city - the historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site - with a large cathedral, an important university and an active cultural scene. Despite its picturesque buildings and active demeanour, Morelia isn't overly touristy. Morelia was one of the first Spanish cities in Nueva Espana, officially founded in 1541, although a Franciscan monastery had been in the area since 1537. The first Viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza, named it Valladolid after the Spanish city of the same name, and he encouraged families of Spanish Nobilty to move there. The families remained and maintained Valladolid as a very Spanish City, at least architecturally, until 1828. By that time Nueva Espana had become the Independent Republic of Mexico, and the city was renamed in honour of local hero Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon, a key figure in Mexico's independence movement. Many of Morelia's downtown streets are lined with colonial buildings and it still looks nearly as Spanish as it did before independence. Estimated Travel Time: 2 hours Approximate Distance: 60 km |
| Day 8 | El Rosario / Angangueo | Day 8 El Rosario / Angangueo Pass by scenic countryside and into towering forests on the way to El Rosario, a magnificent Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary situated at the top of a steep mountainside. Complete with visitor centre, walkways and forested trails, millions of butterflies congregate at this sanctuary every year. Located 6 km further down the windy mountain road is the small village of Angangueo, which means "entrance to the cave" in the Tarascan language. Angangueo is an old mining town that still extracts some lead and silver from the rugged hillsides. It is spread out along a single main street (sometimes called either Nacional or Morelos) with the Plaza de la Constitucion at the uphill end. Stroll through the town's cobblestone streets and visit the impressive churches of La Imaculada Concepcion and San Simon. The historical monument dedicated to the area's miners offers a good view of the village. Estimated Travel Time: 4 hours Approximate Distance: 130 km |
| Day 9 | Sierra Chincua | Day 9 Sierra Chincua Depart Angangueo in the morning for the 45 minute drive through the volcanic highlands towards the Sierra Chincua reserve to visit a monarch butterfly sanctuary. Enjoy the scenic mile-long hike climbing the hillside as we enter into the forest of tall fir trees of the sanctuary. At an elevation of 3,000 metres, we hike along a path to where millions of colourful monarchs gather in trees, bushes, and even along the ground. Truly an impressive sight! The Mexican government created the Monarch Butterfly Special Biosphere Reserve in 1986. Made up of five hilltop sanctuaries where the monarchs come for the winter, only two are open to the public. Sierra Chincua reserve is the most recent of these public reserves and was opened in 1996. Return to Mexico City in the evening. Estimated Travel Time: 5 hours Approximate Distance: 180 km |
| Day 10 | Mexico City | Day 10 Depart Mexico city |
- Dates/Pricing
- Disclaimer
- Dossier Disclaimer: The information in this trip details document has been compiled with care and is provided in good faith. However it is subject to change, and does not form part of the contract between the client and the operator. The itinerary featured is correct at time of printing. It may differ slightly to the one in the brochure. Occasionally our itineraries change as we make improvements that stem from past travellers, comments and our own research. Sometimes it can be a small change like adding an extra meal along the itinerary. Sometimes the change may result in us altering the tour for the coming year. Ultimately, our goal is to provide you with the most rewarding experience. Please note that our brochure is usually released in November each year. If you have booked from the previous brochure you may find there have been some changes to the itinerary.
VERY IMPORTANT: Please ensure that you print a final copy of your Trip Details to review a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans.
Itinerary Disclaimer: While it is our intention to adhere to the route described below, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The Trip Details document is a general guide to the tour and region and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. Aboard expedition trips visits to research stations depend on final permission.
Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances.
