Travel with Me to El Rosario, Mexico via Ditas Videos of the Monarch Butterflies

My Daughter, Ditas was in El Rosario, Mexico to enjoy the overwintering of millions of Monarch Butterflies just recently. She posted some photos and videos in her FB page that I am happy to Share.

From November to March, one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world can be observed in Central Mexico! The Oyamel Fir forested mountains, a few hours west of Mexico City, are home to millions of overwintering Monarch butterflies.

El Rosario is the most accessible of Mexico's five protected wintering grounds for millions of Monarch butterflies. It is also known for having the largest populations of Monarchs! From Mexico City, it is just a few hours away.  You can also get there by flying into Morelia Airport.​

When To Go

Peak viewing season runs from mid-January to late February—this is when the butterflies are most active!

How to Get There From Mexico City Airport​

Mexico City airport, officially Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez, is the second largest airport in Mexico so it tends to be the least expensive and has the most direct flights. If your flight is getting in late, I would recommend staying at Hotel Geneve, a 5-star hotel for an incredibly good price and one of the oldest hotels in CDMX!

From Mexico City Airport you can take an authorized taxi to a bus station in Mexico City. Authorized taxis offer comfortable and safe service and are the only taxis authorized by the Communications and Transport Authority. Taxi tickets are sold at the modules located near the arrival gates at Terminal 1 and 2. You will tell the clerk where you would like to go, in this case the Terminal Central de Autobuses del Poniente Bus Station. They will hand you a ticket which you will give to an authorized taxi driver outside. Mexico City is a large city (almost 9 million people!) so there are several different Bus Stations.  Poniente Bus Station is located on the Western side of the city and will be your best option for finding a direct bus ride to Zitácuaro. 

Here are Ditas 2 videos during her visit.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1992873451236653

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1281618069801096

The annual migration of North America’s monarch butterfly is a unique and amazing phenomenon. The monarch is the only butterfly known to make a two-way migration as birds do. Unlike other butterflies that can overwinter as larvae, pupae, or even as adults in some species, monarchs cannot survive the cold winters of northern climates. Using environmental cues, the monarchs know when it is time to travel south for the winter. Monarchs use a combination of air currents and thermals to travel long distances. Some fly as far as 3,000 miles to reach their winter home! 

For Details of this overwintering and migration read:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/Monarch_Butterfly/migration/index.shtml

Lastly, the latest news on the Musk-Trump Firing of Park Rangers and other Federal Employees

From CNN News:

 — 

February is one of the busiest times of the year at Yosemite National

 Park thanks to “firefall,” a natural phenomenon that causes a 

glowing ribbon of water to look like molten lava cascading down El Capitan’s

 Horsetail Fall. Travelers come from around the world to witness the event at

 the granite monolith, famed for its nearly vertical walls, some booking entry

 tickets and reserving parking spots a year in advance.

But this year’s visitors witnessed more than firefall on February 22. They also

 saw an upside-down American flag, which Yosemite employees reportedly

 hung over the side of El Capitan to protest the recent downsizing that took

 place as part of the Trump administration’s cost-cutting initiatives.