The conquest of Mexico by the monarch butterflies

MEXICO CITY
A megacity of more than 27 million inhabitants, built in the bed of a former lake drained by the Aztecs, at 2,250m altitude. Pre-Columbian, colonial and modern, Mexico City leaves no one indifferent. You will discover the site of Teotihuacan and the Pyramids of the Moon and the Sun.

MICHOACÁN AND TAXCO
A true distillation of Mexico in the state of Michoacán: Morelia, colonial, and Pátzcuaro, indigenous. Discover Janitzio Island and Tzintzuntzan, former capital of the Tarascan Kingdom.
Taxco, a former mining town that built the region’s wealth.

XOCHICALCO
A particularly well-preserved example of a fortified political, religious and commercial centre from the turbulent period between 650 and 900 that followed the collapse of the great Mesoamerican states such as Teotihuacan, Monte Albán, Palenque and Tikal. This remarkably uncrowded site is well worth the visit. The various cultures – Toltec, Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Aztec – that established their presence here are all represented. You will discover the beautifully decorated Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl.

MONARCH BUTTERFLIES
The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve lies in a mountain range about 100 km northwest of Mexico City. Across its 56,259 hectares, every autumn, millions — sometimes as many as a billion — butterflies arriving from across North America gather on small patches of forest within the reserve, turning the trees orange and bending branches under their collective weight. In spring, the butterflies set off again on an 8-month migration to eastern Canada before returning to Mexico. During this period, four successive generations will be born and die. To this day, it remains unknown how they manage to find their way back to the same overwintering site.

Summary:
– 2 nights in Mexico City
– 2 nights in Morelia
– 1 night in Toluca
– 1 night in Cuernavaca
– 1 night in Mexico City