A fairy tale or a miracle, as you wish...  

F.A.Q.

There are seven sanctuaries in Michoacán but only three openned to the public: Rosario Sanctuary and Sierra Chincua Sanctuary. Cerro Pelón Sanctuary is shared with the neighbor State of México. The difference between sanctuaries in amount of butterflies is hardly perceptible for any human eye. Our colective tours visit one of the first two.

We provide comfortable transportation all the way to any of them, including the rough stretches of road between them and Ocampo or Angangueo. Once at the entrance, we come in with you all the way up. Each sanctuary has many square miles and the butterflies choose where to land in a different spot of the forest almost every year, and the spot is moving all along the season, sometimes closer to the entrance. That makes more convenient to visit a sanctuary where the butterflies are closer to you. That´s why during the season we take you to the one in wich the butterflies are closer, either one or the other, and that depends on the butterflies, not on us.  These insects have their own behaviour and they don´t wait for turists to make a show.

From the entrance it´s   an average of one hour of walking up a steep path at high altitude to get the butterflies, but walking it  in less time and easier is a matter of knowledge and experience. We try to make it easier for you, but you shouldn´t consider doing this if you are not in good shape. Even if you´re over 90 you can do it, but always with those conditions. Anyway, when we go there we take a walk with you, we don´t compite against you.

For those who want to ride horses, they can rent one for some 10 or 15 dolars in Sierra Chincua or Rosario Sanctuaries. They are very tame and the locals go always walking holding the rein in front of you. This makes the walk not tiring at all and very relaxing --in fact it´s not riding a horse, but mounting one and been pulled. 

There are seasons when Monarch settle at the more remote corners of the huge santuary area and in those ocassions will be necesary to use an extra vehicle to be taken on rude dirt roads. If that is necessary we´ll let you at the beggining of the tour.

A very common mistake is to believe that butterflies are in Michoacán only up to February. For sure they are here all March and sometimes in the very first days of April you still can find them. So you can program your trip perfectly from November up to late March.

Recomendations: 

* Take with you a light but warm sweater or jacket and a good pair of walking shoes. Pants, instead of skirts or shorts are better, because of the branches on the forest´s ground.

* Do not use that day perfumes or deodorants, and don´t litter.

* Do not use flash. Locals are becoming more and more conscious.

* Eat some candies or chocolats during your walking, and carry a bottle of water, which you can buy next to the parking area. Remember that you are walking up at 10,000 feet and your body could feel lazy at the beggining. That is natural and after some minutes  you´ll feel fine, but never, during your walking, run or do something exhausting, no matter if you are young. We have seen up there almost only young people collapsed and not old ones.

•It´s a ruleto send local people as guides inside the Sanctuaries, no matter if you have your own. Be kind to him or her, might be more helpfull that you could think. In fact you´re one intruder in their land. This is aswell a way of selfemployment for local communities, and atip of yours will help them.• * Follow your tour guide instructions. And do not try to walk on your own in this huge mountains; there are dozens of paths and you could easily get lost.

 
 For more info. see our FAQ´s Section