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    The Milky Way over a tree at Canto del Bosque, one of the firefly-viewing centres in the Nanacamilpa forest near San Felipe Hidalgo, Santuario de las Luciérnagas, Tlaxcala

    Photo by Alex Rodríguez Santibáñez, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Santuario de las Luciérnagas

    Nature reserve Nanacamilpa de Mariano Arista, Tlaxcala Municipality of Nanacamilpa de Mariano Arista

    Nanacamilpa's forest, where thousands of fireflies glow at dusk from June to August. Visits only by booking with a certified centre.

    From San Martín Texmelucan: about 30 min by road (~35 km) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to Santuario de las Luciérnagas

    Day trips and guided outings from Otumba often include Santuario de las Luciérnagas; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Zacatlan Zacatlán Guided Tour walking through the Center ★ 5.0 (2) · From US$8
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Santuario de las Luciérnagas

    • From San Martín Texmelucan: about 30 min by road (~35 km)
    • Nearest airport: Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), 43 min by car to Otumba
    Rent a car at NLU Flights to NLU

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Zacatlan, near Santuario de las Luciérnagas

    Zacatlán Guided Tour walking through the Center ★ 5.0 (2) 2 h 30 min From US$8

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Santuario de las Luciérnagas

    Every summer, once the rains arrive, the conifer forest around Nanacamilpa in western Tlaxcala fills with tiny flashes. They come from fireflies of the species Macrolampis palaciosi, which light up their abdomens almost in sync to find a mate. The display lasts about an hour after sunset and happens low to the ground and among the trunks, where the insects also lay their eggs.

    The sanctuary protects more than 200 hectares, mainly in Nanacamilpa, and the season also takes in the forests of neighbouring Calpulalpan. It opened to the public in 2011; a year later the state began advertising it on billboards in Mexico City, and in March 2020 a state decree declared it part of Tlaxcala's intangible cultural heritage.

    You can't just wander in. Viewing is only allowed at certified ecotourism centres (23 of them in the 2026 season): ranches and ejidos with marked trails, guides and group limits, such as Canto del Bosque, Piedra Canteada, Laguna Azul, Villas del Bosque and El Madroño. Tlaxcala's tourism ministry asks visitors to avoid unlicensed spots, because the fireflies live on the forest floor and stepping off the path kills them. Several centres offer cabins, glamping or campsites, which helps since there are no late buses back to the capital.

    The official 2026 season ran from 10 June to 9 August, though some centres open earlier or close later, and around 120,000 visitors were expected. The best weeks are usually mid-June to early August. Sightings are never guaranteed and depend on the weather; tours go ahead in rain but stop for lightning.

    By day the area has pulque haciendas and tinacales, mountain-bike trails and, nearby, the Tecoaque archaeological site.

    How to get to Santuario de las Luciérnagas

    By car from Mexico City (about 2 hours, 130 km): take the Mexico-Puebla toll road (150D) to San Martín Texmelucan, join the Arco Norte towards Pachuca and leave at the Sanctórum-Nanacamilpa exit. It's a toll route. Alternatively, leave via the Peñón-Texcoco road and follow the federal highway towards Calpulalpan; from the junction it's about 10 minutes to Nanacamilpa. From Puebla it's also the 150D to Texmelucan and then the Arco Norte, about an hour; from San Martín Texmelucan the drive is 30 minutes and 28 km by road, and from Huejotzingo, the nearest pueblo mágico, 45 minutes and 52 km. From Tlaxcala city it's about an hour by car.

    By bus: the Texcoco and Supra lines run from Mexico City's TAPO terminal to Nanacamilpa or Calpulalpan (130 to 210 pesos in 2026). From Calpulalpan, vans go on to Nanacamilpa (about 13 pesos) or take a taxi straight to the forest. In Nanacamilpa, shuttles to the centres leave between 5 and 6 pm for about 35 pesos; the centres are some 15 minutes out of town near San Felipe Hidalgo, and the last stretch is dirt road. Several centres ask you to check in at their office in town first. There are no buses back at night, so stay over in the area or join a tour from Mexico City that gets back after midnight.

    Directions to Santuario de las Luciérnagas on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to Santuario de las Luciérnagas on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Santuario de las Luciérnagas

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Santuario de las Luciérnagas: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Tours start late afternoon (from 6 pm at Canto del Bosque); the fireflies show roughly 8:00 to 9:30 pm. El Universal · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    Night tour: 400 pesos per person (entry, parking, guide and toilets); under-3s free. Booking required. ADN40 · checked Oct 2026
    Time needed
    An hour and a half to two and a half hours guided; the display itself lasts 40 minutes to an hour. Santuario de las Luciérnagas · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    Second week of June to the first days of August; sightings depend on the weather and aren't guaranteed. Zona Turística · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    Official 2026 season: 10 June to 9 August, in Nanacamilpa and Calpulalpan; some centres open from late May. Uno TV · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    Required: groups of up to 15 people with a guide from a certified centre. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide El Universal · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Warm dark clothing (nothing reflective or fluorescent), a rain jacket, non-slip shoes and a change of clothes; it's the rainy season and nights are cold. El Universal · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    No flashlights, flash, phone lights or music; keep quiet when the guide asks; stay on the trail and don't touch the fireflies; no pets, umbrellas, fires or food; no insect repellent before the tour; no car high beams near the forest. Uno TV · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Santuario de las Luciérnagas: what to see and do

    Fireflies flashing almost in unison among the trunks, roughly 8:00 to 9:30 pm
    Nanacamilpa's conifer forest, more than 200 hectares
    The marked trails of centres such as Canto del Bosque, Piedra Canteada and Laguna Azul
    A night in a forest cabin or glamping tent
    The area's pulque haciendas and tinacales
    The Tecoaque archaeological site, near the forest

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Santuario de las Luciérnagas

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Otumba often include Santuario de las Luciérnagas; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at NLU (Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles)): about 43 min by road to Otumba, then 32 km more to Santuario de las Luciérnagas, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), about 43 min by road from Otumba, the base for Santuario de las Luciérnagas.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on hiking at Santuario de las Luciérnagas, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Otumba: download a map of the way to Santuario de las Luciérnagas before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Santuario de las Luciérnagas cool

    Santuario de las Luciérnagas shares the climate of Otumba, 32 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Otumba

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Otumba

    Stone walls and bell tower of the convent of Oxtotipac, in Otumba municipality, Estado de México cool
    Estado de México Otumba

    Otumba is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Santuario de las Luciérnagas, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Closest to Santuario de las Luciérnagas

    Near Santuario de las Luciérnagas

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Santuario de las Luciérnagas

    Nature Parks near San Martín Texmelucan · 7 Nature Parks near Otumba · 14 Nature Parks near Teotihuacán · 16 Nature Parks near Chiautempan · 5 Nature Parks near Tlaxco · 3 Nature Parks near Zempoala · 13 Nature Parks near Cholula · 6

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.