Michoacan/Monarch butterflies

[DonaldW]

I have visited twice .... Drove once and hired a car from Morelia once, both times in late November. When I drove about 5 years ago there were two hotels I found in Anguangueo. I looked at the $65 hotel and it was too expensive for the accommodations so I stayed at the $35 hotel. They are possibly more costly now, or perhaps not? The blankets I needed at the cheap hotel were so heavy that I had to lift them with my knees to turn over at night. My breath fogged the room and I had to cover my nose at night and later turn on the hot shower in the morning just to steam up the room enough to be able to get out of bed to get dressed. At over 9000' elevation, baby it's cold outside!

The tour from San Miguel is well advertised but a long journey and what I learned from both trips while seeing some of the tour buses that showed up is you don't want a bunch of people around and a tour guide tapping his foot rushing you along; instead you want to spend as much time as you feel appropriate. Worth waiting for when it gets dead silent and all you can hear is the gentle whisps of millions of wings. So for that reason, I'd either drive or sleep over in or near Anguangueo or hire a car out of Morelia like I and some friends did 2 years ago ($100 for the day for 3 people). Either way, I wouldn't do a mad rush of a tour to visit this place if I were you. Spend a few days touring Morelia and perhaps Patzcuaro and when you can head to the reserve from Morelia. Also, there are hot springs in the hills for those brave enough to face such contrasts in sometimes near freezing weather. Better have your flu shots ;-).

Also note that there is a stiff walk up to the actual butterfly location from the parking lot of the sanctuary. Be sure you take enough ($15 - $20 US) to rent one of their human drawn horses to climb the mountain if you're not that hot of a climber at the chilly 9000-10000' elevation. And don't forget your jacket.