Monarch Sanctuary | Tourist Attraction

Mexico

Details

Verified:
15 days ago
Altitude:
3252.7 masl
Contributor:
fabianarnold

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Description

Another place to see thousands of butterflies in a forest. Arriving at the top, you will see buildings with comedors and cocinas economicas, a huge parking lot as well as a ticket office. There are toilets. Lots of street vendors trying to sell things but very friendly.

With the entrance fee to see the butterflies, you will get a guide who leads you through the woods. The guide is no obligation. They will expect a tip if you use their services.

They offer horses as well but it's only a 30 min walk.

There is a charge for parking and you can camp overnight right here. (Or see the other places on iOverlander marked as camping spots.)

Spotty Telcel reception inside the sanctuary.

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The 2023/24 season is over and there’re only dead butterflies right now.

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Great place to see butterfly, the 21 of march 2023 they were here: 19.67173667°N, 100.29859333°W. Lot of them flying and in the trees, it is incredible! We paid 80 pesos at the first gate for the car and once at the parking you have to pay 80 pesos for the adults and 50 pesos for the children (free for children under 6). You can refuse to have a guide.

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we visited this on a sunday at 11am. there were people but not super busy as it is early in the season. we had to pay 50 pesos per person. a guide was offered but it was not necessary. there are not very many butterflies at the moment, but there are already a few thousand. but mainly in the air

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We were here on a Saturday at 11:00 am. Tourists arrived by the bus loads, it was very crowded. The hike to the colony lasted much longer - the crowd ahead of us included a group of 70+ year old people.

Once there, the butterflies are impressive enough for most people to be silent. We took many pictures. Some are close enough to fill the frame with antennae and rolled up tongues (using a 1:1 macro lens).

Coming back, you'll see a track in a hairpin leading down, away from the main track. The first 100 meters are used as public toilets (excrements and paper), but eventually you'll reach the stream you've passed going in, but now much lower. The butterflies come and drink here. We sat down in the middle of the track for half an hour with no other people but us to disturb the insects. (There's another track closer to the entrance, leading up, which would be a great Mirador if there were fewer trees.)

Prices (all in MXN): Parking 50 per vehicle, entrance 80 per person, the optional guide expects a tip, horse ride 150 per person each way.

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be aware that the butterflies are here only till March. but all years are different : in 2021 they all left around the 12 of March.
and now, up there, you have to pay 80 per adult and 50 per kid...
anyway the mountain is nice and there are a lot of nice spots to wild camp with cold nights

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Paid $50 vehicle to park and camp on the road in. $50 person to enter the sanctuary.
Horses $100 one way- $200 RT.
Not sure if you have to take a guide. Bet we were glad we did. I believe they just work on tips.
Everyone we talked to had been to other sanctuaries- and said this was the best one- because of fewer people- more butterflies.

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The dirtroad to the Monarch Sanctuary is in good shape. The hike to the monarch grove is one way 2,8 km with 140 m elevation gain. It is well marked and easy to follow. We did not take a guide, no problem. The view, photo opportunities and experience of the butterflies here is much better than in El Rosario. There is a forest opening with millions of butterflies flying and sitting on the ground, in the trees and bushes. You have a very good unblocked view and you get very close to the butterflies (so add a wide angle lens to you telephoto). You can also follow the trail in the forest to get the same kind of butterlfies hanging in the trees like in El Rosario. Best time to arrive at the monarch grove is around 10 to 11 am because there are only view visitors and the light is much better than in the afternoon. Highest butterfly activity is around noon. After 1.30 pm it got very crowded on Friday. Saturday was very crowded all day, so try to come here on a weekday. Saturday

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This place is in wrong location - it is located at 19.67112, -100.27807

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Note: coordinates are incorrect. Correct coordinates are N 19.67109, W 100.27807 and are on iOverlander app already as a camp site. The entrance is where the people are flagging you down from the main road.

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This place is sweet. High alpine setting at 9000 feet. It was 28 degrees the night we spent. Helpful hint. U don’t need a guide It’s a very busy place escpediallly on weekends with lots of tour buses. Just pay the entrance fee of 50$mex and follow the people

We like to practice our Spanish and help the locals so we opted for a guide Ended up going out in afternoon and clouds came in. Saw thousands of mariposas in trees. Since the clouds shut down the butterflies , our guide told us we could go out the next day for free and just tell the folks that he said it was ok. We went early (ish) and had the entire place to ourselves No guide and MILLIONS of butterflies

You must eat at one of the local eateries on site. Super delicious and fresh.

Be ware. Lots of children on site and not all but some would come and ask for u to buy them a soda. Maybe give them an apple instead

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Unique spot. Beautiful scenery- green and lush with wildflowers.
Cold.
We camped overnight in parking lot and two other overland vehicles did as well.
The only issue was pack of territorial dogs. We love dogs but they were not nice. One clamped on to my 5 year old daughters arm pretty hard twice and my 7 year old son once despite trying to keep our distance. They also barked loudly throughout the night and peed on tires, chairs, toys. We couldn’t eat or cook outdoors.
We ate at restaurant twice and had good food. We enjoyed monarchs without guide but did kind of get “lost” but followed others so guide may be worth it. It is a difficult hike in high altitude but we made it there and back with two young kids.

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Nice place, was quite crowded now in between holidays. No guide is needed despite what they might try to tell you (I asked), route was easy to follow and there were signs with some explanation as well.
Up to you if you want to support the locals, but a lot of them didn't seem to do much, most of local tourists went without one.

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We arrived mid November and there was no activity at this location at all.
Might have been too early in the season? We walked up the hill on our own on an obvious path but no Monarchs in sight anywhere.
We drove over to El Rosario Reserve and has a great time.
No vendors there yet and plenty of Monarchs.

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Entry fee is 70 pesos for buses / big rigs. You can stay overnight on a unlevelled gras parking lot. Lots of space there.

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Nice to see. We didn't want a guide but were forced to have one since supposedly the route is hard to find. The guide didn't explain anything and was more annoyed by us that we stopped once in a while and took pictures. At the end he left us and we walked back alone.

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Another place to see thousands of butterflies in a forest. The GPS coordinates might not be 100% correct, but should be very close. You will see an arch on top of the hill which tells you when to turn left/right, depending on where you come from. Parking costs 40 pesos and you can camp overnight. Plenty of space & quiet & cheap and safe. Tickets to see the butterflies are 45 pesos per person and you will get a guide who leads you through the woods. They offer horses as well (75 pesos one way or 150 return) but it's only a 10 min walk. Still fun though..There are toilets and places to buy food&drink. Lots of locals trying to sell things but very friendly.

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