The Mystery of the Monarch's ~ The Spectacular Butterfly Migration !
~ and the magical cities of Tlaquepaque, Morelia, Patzcuaro (and surrounding artisan villages)!
Saturday, February 11 to Saturday, February 18, 2023!
THIS ADVENTURE IS SOLD OUT ~ LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EARLY 2024...
Join us in "the most Mexican of cities", Guadalajara, as we begin our adventure to experience the only butterfly in the world that makes a two-way migration as birds do - traveling over 2,000 miles from the Rocky Mountains in Canada and the U.S. and arriving by the millions in their winter home in central Mexico, in mid-November. To me, the best time to visit the sanctuaries is in mid-february, as the milkweed (their primary food) is blooming and they come down from the high trees to feed, and are more accessible and visible to us. Here is a wonderful short video about this mysterious butterfly and its arrival in Mexico: click here
~ and the magical cities of Tlaquepaque, Morelia, Patzcuaro (and surrounding artisan villages)!
Saturday, February 11 to Saturday, February 18, 2023!
THIS ADVENTURE IS SOLD OUT ~ LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EARLY 2024...
Join us in "the most Mexican of cities", Guadalajara, as we begin our adventure to experience the only butterfly in the world that makes a two-way migration as birds do - traveling over 2,000 miles from the Rocky Mountains in Canada and the U.S. and arriving by the millions in their winter home in central Mexico, in mid-November. To me, the best time to visit the sanctuaries is in mid-february, as the milkweed (their primary food) is blooming and they come down from the high trees to feed, and are more accessible and visible to us. Here is a wonderful short video about this mysterious butterfly and its arrival in Mexico: click here
Getting to the Butterfly Sanctuary is really going "off-the-beaten-path," and we'll take advantage of that by including some of the magical towns along the way! You might enjoy this short article one our last group wrote about the trip for her local newspaper. A good overview of what you'll experience: click here
Our home-away-from-home will be in the artisan town of Tlaquepaque, a suburb of Guadalajara, and just 20 minutes from the Guadalajara airport. Tlaquepaque is famous for handmade pottery, blown glass, and the place where Mariachi bands originated! There is a wonderful pedestrian walkway just a couple blocks from our hotel, where we can find ceramic museums, shops with handicrafts, Huichol Indians doing spectacular beadwork, great restaurants, everything you can imagine!
Our home-away-from-home will be in the artisan town of Tlaquepaque, a suburb of Guadalajara, and just 20 minutes from the Guadalajara airport. Tlaquepaque is famous for handmade pottery, blown glass, and the place where Mariachi bands originated! There is a wonderful pedestrian walkway just a couple blocks from our hotel, where we can find ceramic museums, shops with handicrafts, Huichol Indians doing spectacular beadwork, great restaurants, everything you can imagine!
The next morning, we'll be picked up from our hotel and driven about 3 hours to Morelia, the gateway to the butterfly sanctuary. Founded in 1541, Morelia is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico, and we'll be staying right on the spectacular Plaza, for one night.
Every time I visit Morelia, I find something new and wonderful; the best ice cream I have ever tasted, a cultural center with only the very best of artisanal handicrafts from the State of Michoacan, a restaurant with the greatest view of the city at night, a "hidden" chapel with incredible murals on the ceilings....we will have a guide take us on a walking tour while we're there.
After our night in Morelia, our van will take us to the safe and sleepy farming community of Macheros. It offers a tranquil respite to big city life, an opportunity to kick back and relax in a bucolic village nestled in a valley that lies at the entry of the Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. At our B&B, where we will be for two nights, you can lounge on the lawn, watch the phenomenal sunsets (photo on the left taken from the rooftop of the B&B), go bird watching, ride horses, visit local cottage industries, hike in the adjoining forest, learn how to make Mexican food, or stargaze from the rooftop. In short, you’ll get to have a firsthand experience of small town life in an ejido in the rural hinterlands of Mexico.
Our B&B is owned by Joel Moreno Rojas, and his family. Their mission is to promote conservation of the butterflies and bring economic development to their Mexican neighbors. I chose this specific place because of the work they do to support the local community and their great passion for protecting the butterfly's environment.
His family will provide our meals, and we can relax around the pool, watch the tremendous sunsets from the rooftop mirador, bird watch, and the next day, we'll go up the mountain to see the butterflies!
His family will provide our meals, and we can relax around the pool, watch the tremendous sunsets from the rooftop mirador, bird watch, and the next day, we'll go up the mountain to see the butterflies!
We'll be right next to the remote Cerro Pelon Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, the least touristy and most pristine of the four sanctuaries that are open to the public. It is where scientists first confirmed that the butterflies migrated from Canada all the way to this forest in Mexico. At the Reserve the next morning, we'll ride horses one hour up to the Oyamel fir trees in the forest where the butterflies congregate in huge clouds, often hanging from the trees in huge clumps covering the entire tree, sometimes alighting softly on our hands. Have no fear if you are not an experienced horseback rider because there will be a horse handler to lead you and your horse.
After breakfast the next morning, we'll begin our way back, stopping along the way in the beautiful town of Patzcuaro, almost a four hour drive. The town is built on a lake where the local fishermen still use butterfly nets (coincidentally). There, we'll stay in an eclectic B&B one block from the Plaza. The next day, our private guide will take us to several artisan villages in the area, each village has been renowned for hundreds of years for a specific skill - textiles, furniture, Katrina dolls....the State of Michoacan, specifically this area, has been recognized throughout the country for the great artisans that reside and work there.
The morning after our time with the artisans, our last night will be back in Tlaquepaque (about a 3.5 hour drive) ~ We'll enjoy our last night together sharing our stories over dinner, and the next morning after breakfast at the hotel, say Adios!
"This was our second tour with Deborah Stephens and like last time to the Cave Paintings of Baja she out did herself!! The planning and attention to details showed. Excellent B&B's/Hotels, great side tours to interesting places with knowledgeable guides and a good mix of people on the tour. The Monarch Butterfly day was AMAZING and a true one-of-a-kind experience. We would do it again!!!" ~ Kathy Goldin, Todos Santos, BCS
Space is limited on this adventure to just 9 people.
Price: $975 USD includes all ground transport for the above-mentioned tours: Morelia's historic center, Patzcuaro, and a few artisan villages nearby, and the Butterfly Reserve, plus all hotels (double occupancy), and many meals. Airfare and tips are not included. To reserve your space with a $500 USD non-refundable deposit, please click on the green Book Now button below, and it will take you to a secure site.
Price: $975 USD includes all ground transport for the above-mentioned tours: Morelia's historic center, Patzcuaro, and a few artisan villages nearby, and the Butterfly Reserve, plus all hotels (double occupancy), and many meals. Airfare and tips are not included. To reserve your space with a $500 USD non-refundable deposit, please click on the green Book Now button below, and it will take you to a secure site.
***Please note: We are going to a very remote village and have been asked that only those who are fully Covid vaccinated join us on this adventure, and proof will be requested.