Bucket List Tour: Follow the Monarchs from CA to Mexico’s Pyramids

Among the many miracles of nature, it’s difficult to match the marvelous and mystifying migration of the monarch butterfly. Recognized by their vivid, orange-and-black wings, these slight insects (weighing less than a dime) are better known for an instinctive internal compass that guides them on an ancestral migration from the shores of Pacific Grove, CA to central Mexico and back.

To honor this well-traveled butterfly, appropriately called “wanderer,” the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History in Central California invites a select number of tour-goers to follow this remarkable path on a six-day trip to Mexico from Feb. 8-13, 2020.

Stand amid the fir-covered mountains and witness an awe-inspiring spectacle firsthand as the well-traveled monarchs flutter, dip and swoop overhead. Participants will see countless millions on the roost in the early morning, as well as in flight at midday, feeding on wildflowers and watering at streams.

Hike or ride horseback to two monarch sanctuaries, where the butterflies finish their 2,000-mile journey, flying up to 100 miles a day at heights of 10,000 feet.

Spend time exploring the colonial town of Angangueo in far eastern Mexican state of Michoacán, home of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

Tour Highlights                                                                                                                    

Explore the pyramids of Teotihuacaìn, one of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican sites of pre- Columbian times.

Visit Mexico City’s Zoìcalo, the heartbeat of the city and one of the largest squares in the world, along with the historic Metropolitan Cathedral.

This interactive experience includes: expert naturalist guide; accommodations; activities and entrance fees; in-country transportation; meals and beverages; carbon offsetting; donation to Pacific Grove Museum; and departure tax. Cost for this once-in-a-lifetime trip is $2,065 (does not include international airfare, gratuities or items of a personal nature). For information or reservations, visit here.

Photos courtesy of unsplash.com