Mexico
Monarchs and monsters!

Saturday 22 January - Sunday 6 February 2011 (16 days)
Saturday 21 January - Sunday 5 February 2012 (16 days)

We combine two of the world's best wildlife spectacles - the gathering of millions of Monarch butterflies in Mexico's highlands, and the gathering of wintering whales off Baja California. Add Mexico's superb range of birdlife, and you have an unforgettable combination in a two-week tour

Mexico is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world with many endemic species. Our tour focuses on two very different migrations: the amazing Monarch butterfly which overwinters every year in the mountains north of Mexico and the no less spectacular Gray Whale which makes its way 9000 km from the coast of Alaska down to the peninsula of Baja California to give birth to its young. En route, we shall be visiting Valle de Bravo which is a very attractive valley surrounded by low mountains and good for butterflies and birds; Patzcuaro Lake considered the most beautiful in Mexico; Uruapan which enjoys a sub-tropical climate complete with waterfalls, lush forests and its own active volcano and Lagunas de Chapala, a wetland site renowned for birds, amphibians and mammals.

As well as millions of Monarchs (literally), we should see a good range of other butterflies including various Swallowtails, Fritillaries and Skippers. There is a new very comprehensive Field Guide to the Butterflies of Mexico which hopefully means we will be able to identify at least the majority of what we see. Birdlife should also be pretty prolific; a previous tour following a similar itinerary clocked up around 150 species including Ttrogons, orioles, grosbeaks and several species of hummingbirds.

Mike Williams previously designed and led this tour for West Midlands Butterfly Conservation branch - it was his wonderful report in their local newsletter that alerted us to the trip's potential

Accommodation will be in hotels or lodges with all rooms en suite. Some of the lodges are remote, and have simpler-style rooms, often in cabins.

Transport is by small coach or minibus. Horses are available at the Monarch sites!

Walking: Some forest trails can be steep in parts, but we take these slowly. We travel up to over 3,000m., but will not be walking much at this altitude.



Price: £ 3,995
Single supp.: £ 525
Deposit: £ 500 per person

The price is per person and includes scheduled return flights London/Mexico City*, airport taxes, ground and boat transportation as outlined above, accommodation on a full-board basis, admissions, local taxes, tips to hotels and restaurants, and the services of the leaders.

The price excludes holiday insurance, drinks, optional tips to the drivers and local guide, and other personal expenses.

*For an ex-international flight cost (Mexico City / Mexico City) please deduct £645 from the tour cost.

Leaders: Mike Williams and Eric Miranda

Numbers: Max. 14 clients

Mexico map

Outline Itinerary
Day 1We fly from London to Mexico City, arriving late afternoon where we will be met by our guide, Eric Miranda. Overnight Mexico City
Days 2-4 In the morning, there will be an opportunity to visit Mexico's best known archaeological site at Teotihuacan. The following day we head for the El Capulin Monarch Sanctuary. Three nights Valle de Bravo
Days 5-6 Today we make our way to Tlalpujahua, an old gold mining town , well placed for visiting the Monarch sanctuaries of the surrounding mountains and will be our base for two nights. The following day, we shall visit what is the best known (and still the largest) Monarch overwintering site in the world! at El Rosario. Two nights Tlalpujahua
Days 7-8 Our destination is Patzcuaro, a town with striking colonial architecture alongside its beautiful lake. Two nights Patzcuaro
Days 9-10 Volcanoes are very much the theme of this stage of the tour as, en route to Uruapan, we pass several including the relatively new and still active volcano of Paricutin which only dates from 1943. Two nights Uruapan
Day 11Guadalajara is Mexico's second largest city but has a very different feel to the capital, retaining still lots of parks, old colonial squares and open space Overnight Guadalajara
Day 12Our hotel is close to the airport which is where we head the following morning for our early morning flight to La Paz, the main city on Baja California. Today, as an introduction, we take a boat trip to Isla Espiritu Santo where there is a large colony of Californian Sealions to be seen. Our hotel is right on the seafront. Overnight La Paz
Day 13 After breakfast, we cross the peninsula to the west coast around Magdalena Bay where each year Gray Whales gather in the shallow waters to give birth. We stay for one night in a hotel right on the side of the bay. Overnight Lopez Mateos
Day 14Today, offers a second chance to see Gray Whales followed by a picnic lunch on Isla Magdalena in the middle of the lagoon. In the afternoon, we return to La Paz arriving in plenty of time for our farewell dinner at the hotel. Overnight La Paz
Day 15This is our final day in Mexico and we shall catch an early morning departure from La Paz airport to connect to our return flight from Mexico City to London arriving on Day 16.

Click here for a full, printable itinerary