In the centre of the country a national reserve for Monarch butterflies makes up parts of the states Michoacan and Mexico City. From the middle of November through to spring millions of Monarch Butterflies come down from Canada and the US to spend their Winter in this area. The reserve is divided into five zones, two of which are accessible to the public and the others are kept for the privacy of the animals.
Zitacuaro is one of the villages from where the reserve is easy to enter and provides plenty of accommodation for easy traveling. Upon entry to the park a guide will be assigned to you, this is a mandatory precaution for any visitor and along the hike we learned some interesting information about the park and animals. Many Butterflies are already sitting on the paths, warming themselves in the sun rays so you have to be careful when walking up to the top. If a 40-minute hike sounds too intense for you, it is possible to rent horses down at the entrance, either way the experience starts right when you leave the base making your way through thousands upon thousands of butterflies some of which are dancing along invisible roads through the tall trees. They refresh themselves on the many flowers and small streams and relax in the sun rays, here it is possible to very quietly get so close to the animals that you can study their beautiful, colourful patterns.
On the summit the sun breaks through, lighting up the branches covered with resting Monarch butterflies and the air is bussing with an amount of butterflies I have never thought possible in a single place. Even though I had seen pictures before coming here, I was absolutely stunned and mesmerised by the dance and atmosphere in sky.
After visiting the reserve, I spend a couple of days in the nearby city Morelia but since I had to get some stuff done and organised, I didn’t have the chance to really see much. Many parks, lovely cafes and the young demographic felt very welcoming and friendly and especially on the weekend there is an abundance of live music and events. So, I suppose it is worth a deeper visit and I am hoping to come back here.
