Mexico is one of the few places in the world you can see the natural wonder that is the monarch butterfly migration. Every autumn the monarch butterflies arrive from the USA and set up home in the Oyamel fir forests in the states of Michoacán and Estado de Mexico, not far from Mexico City.

It is possible to visit the monarch butterfly biosphere reserves if you’re in central Mexico during this time should you wish to experience this incredible event yourself.

This was one of my family’s favourite experiences in Mexico so let’s dive right into the details to ensure that you, too have a magical experience.

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Where do the monarch butterflies go in Mexico?

🦋 Monarch butterflies are native to the continent of North America. Each autumn they fly between their summer breeding grounds in the Rocky Mountains in the USA/southern Canada and Michoacán and Estado de México in central Mexico.

Milkweed is the main source of food for monarch caterpillars. Adult monarchs live just three-four weeks unless they are of the monarch ‘Methuselah’ generation that is born once a year. This generation lives for approximately nine months and it is they who make the journey south to Mexico for the winter. Rather than feasting on milkweed, these insects require nectar to build up their lipid reserves to allow them to make their migratory journey.

Once the butterflies arrive in the Oyamel Forests they cluster on tree trunks for the winter. On sunny days the butterflies flutter around the forests, returning to their enormous tree clusters as the air cools down at night.

By around February, when the air temperature begins to increase, the monarchs begin their mating rituals and each female will lay around four-hundred eggs in the trees. They then go off in search of the nectar they need to fuel their long journey north. By mid to late March the butterflies are beginning to look out for the air currents that help them return back to Canada and the USA.

How can you see the monarch butterflies in Mexico?

It’s highly likely that if you’re in central Mexico in monarch season you’ll see some of these little guys fluttering around even without visiting an official sanctuary. On the roads there are even signs reminding drivers to keep an eye out so they don’t get crushed.

There are four official sanctuaries within a biosphere reserve across the states of Michoacán and Estado de México. These protected sanctuaries were set up by the Mexican government in order to protect and preserve the habitats of the monarch butterflies and prevent any further loss of habitat. The biosphere covers an area of over 560 square kilometres and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

🚗 You can rent a car and drive yourself to the towns around the sanctuaries. We chose to do this, renting a car in CDMX and meeting our tour guide in the reserve for our butterfly adventure

👣 There are numerous available tours from Mexico City, Morelia, Michoacan and smaller towns so wherever you’re likely to be, you’ll be able to book something.

→ Check out monarch butterfly tours now

🐴 It is possible to visit the butterflies on horseback. There are horseback options offered once you reach the reserves. You aren’t required to know how to ride but of course, it helps.

Monarch butterflies in Cerro Pelón

In Macheros, where we chose to stay, we were a five-minute walk from the entrance to Cerro Pelón. Macheros is one of the only places where you can actually stay inside a butterfly sanctuary in Mexico.

Cerro Pelón straddles the border between the State of Mexico and Michoacan. It is the least visited and most pristine of all the options for visiting the monarch butterflies in Mexico. The best way to get around Cerro Pelón is on horseback. The route taken is fairly rough and pretty steep.

Monarch butterflies in Piedra Herrada

The ground here is fairly steep. You can rent horses but there is always a short walk required. This monarch sanctuary is just two hours from Mexico City so can easily be visited in a day. It’s also easily visited from Valle de Bravo, where people often stay when visiting this sanctuary since it’s an easy 40 minute drive.

→ Book a day tour to the Piedra Herrada sanctuary from Mexico City

🏨 Check out hotel options in Valle de Bravo or book the gorgeous MexicoCassie recommended Rodavento Boutique Hotel & Spa an enjoy relaxing in the hotel pool in the forest after a day’s butterfly adventuring.

Monarch butterflies in El Rosario

This sanctuary is near Ocampo (just over the border into Michocan) and is the largest and most visited monarch sanctuary in Mexico. It’s also possible to stay in the slightly bigger city of Zitácuaro

 The trail is a steep walk up for an hour but there are often butterflies much closer to the entrance too. If you take the trail, you are permitted around twenty minutes at each lookout. The reason for the relatively short time slots is that there are so many people visiting at the same time.

Obviously, visiting on a weekday will lessen the crowds although I believe school trips are made during the week too.

🏨 Check out hotels in Ocampo, Zitácuaro or book now to stay in the MexicoCassie recommended super laid back Rancho Cumbre Monarca.

Monarch butterflies in Sierra Chincuna Reserve

This is a smaller and slightly quieter site near Angangueo (30 minute drive). A local guide takes visitors to the colonies, which are generally found around an hour’s walk away from the starting point. There are horses should you wish to ride. Again you are given around twenty minutes to watch the butterflies here.

→ Book a day trip from Mexico City

🏨 Check out hotels in Ocampo, Zitácuaro or book now to stay in the MexicoCassie recommended super laid back Rancho Cumbre Monarca.

Is it better to take a day trip or stay nearby?

Obviously, that is a question you need to answer yourself depending on how much time you have available.

🦋 It is possible to visit the monarchs in a day from the big cities of Mexico City or Morelia, either on your own or with a tour.

🚗 My ideal would be to rent a car, stay in the MexicoCassie recommended hotels, and explore the region alone as I always love to be able to stop wherever I feel like it.

When is the best time to see the monarch butterflies?

🕣The season officially runs from mid-November to late-March. Traditional wisdom states that the best time to see the butterflies is February, however, I spoke to a number of butterfly guides and they would love to see people visiting throughout the season as the butterflies are fascinating no matter when you go.

🧣 If you visit early, between mid-November and early-December you’re likely to see the butterflies arriving en masse.

🌸 In March you’ll see them more active as they prepare to for their long journey back to the USA and Canada. In fact, in late March, many butterflies are leaving but often the rearguard will still be arriving!

One great option would be to pair seeing the monarch butterflies with a trip to somewhere like Pitzacauro for a Día de los Muertos experience.

⚠️ Obviously, the monarch butterflies are a natural phenomenon so it is difficult to predict what the season will look like but there are enough butterflies that you’ll never be disappointed no matter when you visit in the season.

👧🏽 Do note that weekends and local holidays are generally busier than weekdays but local schools do bring school children to observe the monarch butterflies during the week.

Monarchs in Mexico information

I learned so much in the short time we were visiting the monarch butterflies in Estado de Mexico but I think what fascinated me most was the sheer enthusiasm people have for these tiny creatures and for saving them.

Every single other person I met was excited by butterflies, we were all there for one reason: to see these gorgeous creatures up close. Trust me, it’s impossible to see them flying around without smiling.

Let’s finish with a few interesting monarch facts:

💨 Monarch butterflies are thought to fly around 75km a day during migration time but some have been clocked getting towards 130km a day. Their distance and speed depend on wind and direction. Despite these numbers sounding impressive, they actually fly slower than many other butterflies.

🏝 The monarch flies further than any other tropical butterfly, up to 4000km between their summer and winter grounds.

🦋 While most monarch butterflies live around one month, those that make it to Mexico are the super generation that live for up to eight months. The lower metabolism required in diapause (when they’re dormant during winter) is thought to be behind this extended life.

🦋 The monarchs in Mexico are not sexually active until the end of the winter. It is thought that after (during?) copulation the males release their energy reserves to the females and then die. The females then have enough energy to make the journey to the milkweed plants further north.

🪺 The female monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed on their way back to USA and Canada from Mexico. The more milkweed there is, the more butterflies will be able to lay their eggs. Generally, the butterflies leaving Mexico make it as far north as the southern USA. They lay eggs and die. The next generation makes it to Canada.

The numbers of monarch butterflies have been decreasing over the last twenty years, thanks in part, to deforestation in the USA, Canada and Mexico and the depletion of milkweed supplies. Some suggest as much as an 84% decrease over the last twenty years.