Michoacan & the State of Mexico, Mexico – Reported by Elite Traveler, the private jet lifestyle magazine
From November through March, Mexico’s Michoacan and State of Mexico regions are the winter home of millions of monarch butterflies who journey from Canada and across the United States in search of Mexico’s warm climes. Witnessing thousands of these striking butterflies cavorting and resting in Mexico’s lush fir forests is a truly magical experience.
Each of Mexico’s butterfly sanctuaries will attract almost 20 million monarch butterflies this winter season, in turn attracting thousands of visitors to enjoy their majestic beauty. Over the coming few months, the butterflies—whose lifespan ranges from seven to nine months—will hibernate, feed, and reproduce in Mexico’s UNESCO-rated monarch butterfly reserve, comprised of five distinct sanctuaries: Pelon Hill, Chivati el Huacal Hill, Altamirano Hill, El Rosario at the Campanario Sierra, and Chincua Sierra. Together, these sanctuaries cover 156,000 hectares.
Like the whales that make the warm waters around Los Cabos their winter abode, these stunning butterflies’ migratory patterns give outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers one more reason to seek out Mexico this winter.