La Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca
La Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca
4.5
About
Features animals
Learn more about animal welfare in tourismSuggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience La Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca and nearby attractions
The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
2 within 3 miles
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
90 reviews
Excellent
66
Very good
19
Average
5
Poor
0
Terrible
0
ChicagoTeacher333
Chicago, IL19 contributions
Dec 2022 • Family
Wow! This was an unbelievable experience. It was not an easy journey! We traveled by car for 5 hours from Las maravillas. Michoacan to la Biosfera. When we got there we had to walk up the mountain through all of the souvenir vendors and food vendors to get to the ticket gate. The tickets were 50 pesos for kids and 80 pesos for adults. Then you start the climb. It was a good hour of walking up the mountain. I was out of breath. I'm 50 and my mom is 74 we did walk up and took lots of breaks. When we finally got to the top it was another 5 to 10 minutes to walk to the corner of the forest where you can see the butterfly nests in the trees. It was a spectacular sight to see.
Written December 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JeanJeanJean35
Sarlat-la-Canéda, France108 contributions
Feb 2017 • Couples
The reserve is 3 or 4 hours' drive from Mexico City: we travelled the day before and stayed in a hotel about an hour away.
We arrived at about 11:30am. It was very chilly so I'd advise you to take a warm sweater. You can either walk to the butterflies, which is uphill for 3 kilometres or you can go on horseback. The walk is beautiful although very dusty: our legs & feet were filthy.
Once you reach the butterflies, the area is cordoned off. There are hundreds of thousands of butterflies, clustered in the trees and flying about. As it gets warmer they start to wake up so by about 13:00 the air is just filled with them.
It's an extraordinary experience. I can't recommend it highly enough.
We arrived at about 11:30am. It was very chilly so I'd advise you to take a warm sweater. You can either walk to the butterflies, which is uphill for 3 kilometres or you can go on horseback. The walk is beautiful although very dusty: our legs & feet were filthy.
Once you reach the butterflies, the area is cordoned off. There are hundreds of thousands of butterflies, clustered in the trees and flying about. As it gets warmer they start to wake up so by about 13:00 the air is just filled with them.
It's an extraordinary experience. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Written March 4, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ojiwankenobi
Portland, OR60 contributions
Feb 2016 • Friends
My wife had always wanted to witness the winter gathering of Mariposa butterflies in México. Our friends drove us from México City, through the Toluca Valley during stubble-burning season and up into the mountains where the butterflies winter. Air pollution from the burning fields was deadly, but air in the mountains where live the butterflies was a relief!
Understand before you make the climb from the parking lot up to the main butterfly concentration that the altitude is high - around 3,000m according to the gov't website. Individuals who just flew in from lowlands need to go slow and easy!
Dress in layers. We alternated between being chilly in the shade to toasty in the sun during rest stops. Stay hydrated. Have respiratory issues? Check air quality in the Toluca valley before you drive through it.
I made the mistake of eating a large brunch at one of the restaurants near the main parking lot. DELICIOUS food, but it would have been smarter to eat AFTER the exertion ;-)
Wikipedia has an excellent entry for "Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve."
Bottom Line: We quite enjoyed the daytrip; my wife considers it a "dream come true! We would go again. We recommend the experience.
ps. In case I am unable to review "Cocina Agostina" in the Food section of TA, let me recommend it to you here. It was the best meal we had for this entire trip!
Understand before you make the climb from the parking lot up to the main butterfly concentration that the altitude is high - around 3,000m according to the gov't website. Individuals who just flew in from lowlands need to go slow and easy!
Dress in layers. We alternated between being chilly in the shade to toasty in the sun during rest stops. Stay hydrated. Have respiratory issues? Check air quality in the Toluca valley before you drive through it.
I made the mistake of eating a large brunch at one of the restaurants near the main parking lot. DELICIOUS food, but it would have been smarter to eat AFTER the exertion ;-)
Wikipedia has an excellent entry for "Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve."
Bottom Line: We quite enjoyed the daytrip; my wife considers it a "dream come true! We would go again. We recommend the experience.
ps. In case I am unable to review "Cocina Agostina" in the Food section of TA, let me recommend it to you here. It was the best meal we had for this entire trip!
Written April 17, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HotelAguaBlanca
Jungapeo, Mexico1 contribution
Mar 2019 • Family
Amazing spiritual experience. Always depends on the weather, butterflies may be active and flying or all gathered together in the trees. Either way: amazing!
It is at a high altitude and about a 40 min. hike, very difficult. We recommend taking the horses on the way up.
Many tours make this a day trip from the cities (expect at least 7 hours driving). We recommend staying at a lower altitude at a place called Hotel Agua Blanca, natural hot springs.
It is at a high altitude and about a 40 min. hike, very difficult. We recommend taking the horses on the way up.
Many tours make this a day trip from the cities (expect at least 7 hours driving). We recommend staying at a lower altitude at a place called Hotel Agua Blanca, natural hot springs.
Written July 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bianca
Sioux City, IA26 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
My family and I went to the reserve during our time in Mexico. To start off, it’s a very uphill hike that switches directions as you’re walking higher and higher up the mountain. The guide (teenager) told us it usually takes about 45 mins to get to the plateau where the milkweed bushes are. I will be very honest, it was a hard hike, not only because of the terrain (fairly well kept) but the altitude. We were up to 10k feet at the very entrance of the reserve. We were trying to keep a pretty good pace with the guide with multiple (3-4 breaks at about 1 min each) breaks. It took us about 25 mins to get to the top but not without wearing us out. There are times that it was very tough to breathe so I encourage you to take it slow especially if you have a heart condition. Yes, they have horses to help you up but we wanted to experience the hike up. The guide told us we were a little late on visiting since the butterflies had left a couple weeks before but even this late I. March there were still plenty to see. It took us another 5 mins to get to the final stop where the trail leads you to the pines with the most monarchs. We started to see butterflies in the ground and as we got closer the butterflies started to completely cover the ground/plants. As explained by he guide. This was the place where the butterflies whose “cycle is ending” come to die. It was a majestic bittersweet sight since you could handle the monarchs as they were “coming to their end”. I would say this was quite a wonderful experience. We are going to make it a point to go back during peak season (Jan-February).
Written May 11, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diana B
Queretaro, Mexico107 contributions
Nov 2015 • Couples
The place is sooooo beautiful and the butterflies offered you an spectacle very formidable, you can breathe fresch and clean air, so peaceful, you can hear the wings of the butterflies, you can stay many hours looking at this and you dont feel tired, you need to have a great condition or take horse, but BE CAREFUL the prices of the horse that is announce by internet is the double because is only 80 pesos by person for go up after you need to pay for return.
The guides are so kind ,but if you dont go in car , and you want return in taxi you need to anticipate because after for return to the city , it is impossible to find taxi or combi.
The guides are so kind ,but if you dont go in car , and you want return in taxi you need to anticipate because after for return to the city , it is impossible to find taxi or combi.
Written December 1, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
msvalhalla
Barcelona, Spain306 contributions
Apr 2014 • Couples
A private taxi to the top was worth it for us to get the place to ourselves as the butterflies took flight with sunrise.
We came to the nearest large town, Angangeo, the night before and happened across German, a guy in the street who asked us if we wanted a guide to the reserve the next day. We had a one day turnaround, so we decided to take a chance on it and use German versus trying to find out about the buses first thing in the morning (as we arrived late the night before). You can pay for what is essentially a private taxi up to the reserve or get the local bus. If you are on a tight timeline, you may just have to get the private taxi option. We did as we had a return bus on the same day around 3pm. Unfortunately, its a bit political at the reserve, their are local "useless" guides that literally walk ahead of you up the steps to the where the butterflies are. These people rarely speak unless spoken to, but that's the norm. We had paid for our guy to take us up, and when we got there, we got an excuse that he didn't want to leave his car alone as it may be damaged and that he would wait for us to return. This wasn't what we thought we agreed on, and after a few short words he ended up escorting us up also with the local guide (after a bit of shimmying on his part with the entrance staff to get in). Regardless of this, he came in handy as he was a bit more tuned in to making sure we got a location where we could get the full effect of the butterflies. i.e. the local guide was willing to stop at several locations with smaller quantities of butterflies but he just kept on walking and taking us wtih him, remember this. Also, he made sure we spent as much time as we wanted for photos and for just the pure observation of the butterflies taking flight as the sun rose. This is a truly unmissable experience.
We came to the nearest large town, Angangeo, the night before and happened across German, a guy in the street who asked us if we wanted a guide to the reserve the next day. We had a one day turnaround, so we decided to take a chance on it and use German versus trying to find out about the buses first thing in the morning (as we arrived late the night before). You can pay for what is essentially a private taxi up to the reserve or get the local bus. If you are on a tight timeline, you may just have to get the private taxi option. We did as we had a return bus on the same day around 3pm. Unfortunately, its a bit political at the reserve, their are local "useless" guides that literally walk ahead of you up the steps to the where the butterflies are. These people rarely speak unless spoken to, but that's the norm. We had paid for our guy to take us up, and when we got there, we got an excuse that he didn't want to leave his car alone as it may be damaged and that he would wait for us to return. This wasn't what we thought we agreed on, and after a few short words he ended up escorting us up also with the local guide (after a bit of shimmying on his part with the entrance staff to get in). Regardless of this, he came in handy as he was a bit more tuned in to making sure we got a location where we could get the full effect of the butterflies. i.e. the local guide was willing to stop at several locations with smaller quantities of butterflies but he just kept on walking and taking us wtih him, remember this. Also, he made sure we spent as much time as we wanted for photos and for just the pure observation of the butterflies taking flight as the sun rose. This is a truly unmissable experience.
Written March 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
richar1aucklandnz
auckland n z61 contributions
Feb 2017 • Friends
3000 metres above sea level so I suggest from the start you take a horse 3 km up you have to be pretty fit to do it if you decide to walk dusty so take a mask Best time to go would be the end of January A great adventure and we thoroughly enjoy it at the age of 68 we stayed overnight and did another one another one the following day
Written March 7, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Basia F
8 contributions
Oct 2015 • Friends
We went to Macheros to see the new reserve Capulin in the State of Mexico. Unfortunately we got there too early, October 21st and the permits to go up the mountains with the guides to see the mariposa monarca are available only from November 20th. We were lucky to meet Abiel, local guide living across the street from the tourist point in Macheros. He paid 200pesos per person plus 200pesos for the guide to go on a horse back ride in the mountains. We met Abiel's family and all of them were very hostile and friendly. We spoke only Spanish. We recommend Macheros and Abiel as a guide. The experience was very authentic. We met honest, good pleople who love the nature. You can contact Abiel's wife Alexandra per email:ammondragn@yahoo.com
Written October 24, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alfredo Tour Guide
Morelia, Mexico352 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
This winter time 2015-2016 shows a record number of insects compared to last year, which can be “a good signal to recover” from the minimum numbers shown two years ago, the World Wildlife Found (WWF) informed today.
This butterfly, well known by the black & orange colored wings, migrates from Canada and North USA to México in the fall, where this winter time, 9 colonies were detected in the wooden areas of the State of México & Michoacán.
This year they were found in 8 acre pine trees area, a lot more to the 1 acre that was registered in 2013-2014 season; which was the lowest area ever registered in the last two decades, as WWF´s speaker said.
The less number of milkweed that the Monarchs can find to feed on the journey; the use of toxic pesticides to the milkweed used in the United States; next to deforestation in México and global warmth are threat conditions that will cause the Monarchs to miss the way as they migrate or die as they fly North.
To stop this, the WWF director in Mexico, Omar Vidal, said that is necessary to "restrict the use of herbicides" that actually kill the milkweed and “cultivate the milkweed to restore the habitat lost in the last decades" in the US territory.
The largest colony among all sites of hibernation this year was found at El Rosario, Michoacán, where the monarchs were extended in the 3 acre area. On the other side, the smallest colony this winter was 0.2 acres found at Cerro Pelon, in the State of Mexico.
Finally, this year is the first time from 2011 that monarchs were found in every one of the natural reserves of the Monarch Butterfly and outside the known areas too!
This butterfly, well known by the black & orange colored wings, migrates from Canada and North USA to México in the fall, where this winter time, 9 colonies were detected in the wooden areas of the State of México & Michoacán.
This year they were found in 8 acre pine trees area, a lot more to the 1 acre that was registered in 2013-2014 season; which was the lowest area ever registered in the last two decades, as WWF´s speaker said.
The less number of milkweed that the Monarchs can find to feed on the journey; the use of toxic pesticides to the milkweed used in the United States; next to deforestation in México and global warmth are threat conditions that will cause the Monarchs to miss the way as they migrate or die as they fly North.
To stop this, the WWF director in Mexico, Omar Vidal, said that is necessary to "restrict the use of herbicides" that actually kill the milkweed and “cultivate the milkweed to restore the habitat lost in the last decades" in the US territory.
The largest colony among all sites of hibernation this year was found at El Rosario, Michoacán, where the monarchs were extended in the 3 acre area. On the other side, the smallest colony this winter was 0.2 acres found at Cerro Pelon, in the State of Mexico.
Finally, this year is the first time from 2011 that monarchs were found in every one of the natural reserves of the Monarch Butterfly and outside the known areas too!
Written April 25, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mirta a
Mazatlan, Mexico1 contribution
que autobus me lleva desde tlalpujahua al santuario de la mariposa monarca de el Rosario
Alicia F
Wharton, TX119 contributions
What is the best way to get there via public transportation from Moroleon or Acambaro, Guanajuato? If we catch a bus from either of these places to the butterfly reserve, where would we catch it to (town)?
Ashwani_Singh
Geneva, Switzerland9 contributions
How long does it take to get by taxi to the reserva from Mexico City Center? Where to book a taxi, how much does it cost? Will it wait for the return journey?
isolana
Acireale, Italy10 contributions
Come posso arrivare alla riserva da Città del Messico? C’è un bus? Quanto tempo impiega?
3 horas en bus.
Buena tarde, ya se fue la mariposa en marzo? Aun se ve algo de ellas por el 24 o 25 de marzo?? Gracias saludos
Luca C
salerno69 contributions
Sono in partenza per il Mex a febbraio, volevo visitare questa riserva ma per visitarla bisogna contattare una guida o si può andare da soli? Quanto tempo ci vuole per la visita? C è un paese vicino dove pernottare?
How far do you have to walk to the butterflies
richar1aucklandnz
auckland n z61 contributions
If you walk it's a hard 45 minutes up depending on your age of course if you take a horse much easier there's lots of horses there so you don't have to book anything and cheaper Pay cash don't forget a mask Best time to go to late February early March it's a beautiful trip you thoroughly love it
JLuisM
San Luis Potosi, Mexico108 contributions
Que hotel me recomiendan cerca al santuario de la mariposa monarca? Q lugares me recomiendan visitar. Creo q quedarme en Morelia es retirado.
Leslie Cindy
Tampico, Mexico244 contributions
De preferencia uno en el centro de Morelia, cualquier hotel cuenta con tour y tiene variedad, puedes escojer entre 8 tours a diferentes lados de Michoacán entre ellos el de la mariposa
Jazmin c
58 contributions
Como llego al santuario?Viajo de ciudad de México a Zitacuaro en autobus.
GraceCB
Mexico City, Mexico116 contributions
La mejor forma de llegar desde la ciudad de México, es por la autopista México-Toluca, tomar la desviación hacia Zitácuaro y luego ir rumbo a la carretera de San Felipe Alzati – Angangueo, el pueblo de Angangueo está después del pueblo de Ocampo (Cerca de tres horas de viaje).
Si vas en autobús, seguro te conviene llegar a Zitácuaro y me imagino que de debe haber transporte local a Angangueo o Tlalpujahua, que son de los pueblos más cercanos a los Santuarios de Sierra Chincua y el Rosario.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingLa Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about La Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca
- Restaurants near La Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca:
- (3.00 mi) Pinche Chilango
- (3.95 mi) aLos Arcos
- (9.70 mi) Restaurante - Bar La Cabana De Don Bar Bar
- (9.56 mi) El buen tono
- (9.34 mi) Hierba Buena
La Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca Information
Excellent Reviews | 66 |
|---|---|
Very Good Reviews | 19 |
La Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca Photos | 116 |