Santuario de la Mariposa Monarca La Mesa

Every winter, millions of monarch butterflies fly thousands of kilometers from Canada and the United States to cluster in the fir forests of the mountains along the border between the State of Mexico and Michoacán. La Mesa, in the municipality of San José del Rincón, is one of the sanctuaries where you can see them, within easy reach of El Oro.

The butterflies usually arrive in November and stay until March. On cold mornings they hang from the branches in heavy orange clusters, so dense that the trees seem to sag; as the sun warms the forest, they let go and fill the air, and the sound of their wings is surprisingly audible. The visit is a walk, or a ride on a rented horse, up a forest trail with a local guide from the community that looks after the site.

La Mesa is run on a smaller scale than the famous Michoacán sanctuaries, which makes it calmer on most days. There are cabins for groups, camping areas and simple food stands, and the forest is worth the trip even outside the butterfly season.