Monarchs in Mexico

DATES: MARCH 3-8, 2024

Rare opportunity to experience one of the world’s most unique and phenomenal wildlife events in the world – the great Monarch Butterfly Migration. The North American Monarch is the only butterfly known that makes this 2-way migration as birds do. Hundreds of thousands of monarchs take to the sky each year, some traveling as far as 3,000 miles, and winter in large clusters in the fir trees in the forested highlands of Mexico.  Bring your camera gear and get ready to capture some of the most beautiful scenes of this rare phenomenon. In addition, you will have opportunities to shoot birds, waterfalls, landscapes, architecture, traditional villages, markets and local people.

This tour starts and ends in Mexico City and is guided by local experienced naturalist, Fernando Romo, who has a science background and is an expert in this migration. Limited to only 6 lucky travelers and exclusively designed for the Chicago Photography Classes’ community. Take this opportunity to immerse yourself in this wildlife wonder-of-nature while also experiencing the local culture, traditional villages and the beauty of the natural scenery it is surrounded in.

ITINERARY:

DAY 1: MEXICO CITY – Sunday, March 3, 2024

Mexico City is the vibrant capital of Mexico and sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet – famous for its pyramids, Aztec heritage, architecture and its rich art and food scene. You will be staying at the architecturally significant Camino Real Polanco, located in the exclusive Polanco area and right across from the beautiful Chapultepuc Park where you can find the Anthropology Museum, Museum of Modern Art and the Chapultepuc Castle. Here we will meet in the evening at the hotel and go out for a “Welcome Dinner” at the historic 100-yr old Mexican restaurant, Cafe de Tacuba, where you can sample some of Mexico’s most traditional dishes and meet your fellow travelers.

DAY 2: MEXICO CITY to EL ROSARIO SANCTUARY – Monday, March 4, 2024

After breakfast, you will be driven four hours to the mountains above Mexico City to the El Rosario Sanctuary, which sits at an elevation of 10,000 ft (nearly 2 miles above sea level) and is the prime location where you can witness the monarchs wintering in huge clusters in the Oyamel fir trees. Along the way, Fernando will provide you with an in-depth overview of the butterfly migration plus provide insights on the local culture, history and communities. Lunch will be at the reserve sampling the local menu and the fine treats the vendors offer. After lunch, you will be lead on horseback by guides who will control your horse (so no riding experience necessary) for a short lift to the top of the mountain and have plenty of time to experience this one-of-a-kind destination to capture amazing images of this unique phenomenon. You will be staying at a traditional hotel, Rancho Cumbre Monarca in Ocampo, where you will enjoy a meal prepared by this family-run inn that is known for its mole. Have the evening free to rest, sit by a campfire or work on your edits.

DAY 3: EL ROSARIO SANCTUARY to VALLE DE BRAVO – Tuesday, March 5, 2024

After breakfast, you will return to the El Rosario Sanctuary for the morning light. You will have lunch at the reserve at one of its many options of traditional food stalls. After lunch, you will head to the beautiful village of Valle de Bravo and check into the Hotel Mision Grande de Valle de Bravo that has its own private waterfall. You will enjoy the unique waterfall-side dining for dinner for more Mexican cuisine or to grab that burger you’ve been craving. Evening is free to rest, explore the area or work on edits.

DAY 4: VALLE DE BRAVO – Wednesday, March 6, 2024

After breakfast, you will be taken to Bridal Veil Falls and spend your morning on a nature hike to shoot this 105’ waterfall while birding and capturing the scenery along the way. After, you will head to the picturesque white adobe village of Valle de Bravo for lunch. After lunch, you will have free time to explore the village, visit an authentic handicraft market, main square, food markets and witness how ecotourism benefits the local community. In the afternoon, you will take a boat cruise on Lake Avandaro to enjoy the surrounding mountain landscape and birds from the water. Dinner will be at sunset along the lake to enjoy some freshly caught fish and/or locally sourced ingredients prepared in an authentic Mexican style. Evening is free to rest, explore the area or work on edits.

DAY 5: VALLE DE BRAVO to MEXICO CITY & FLOATING GARDENS OF XOCHIMILCO – Thursday, March 7, 2024

After breakfast, you will take a short nature hike along the riverbed adjacent to the hotel to shoot the waterfall, birds and more nature. After, you will be driven back to Mexico City and have lunch along the way and check back into the Camino Real Polanco. For dinner and an amazing Mexican experience, you will be taken to the famous Floating Gardens of Xochimilco for a “Farewell Dinner Party” on our own group’s private gondola. Xochimilco is a network of ancient canals created by the Aztecs that is now known for its colorful gondolas that take visitors alongside the boats of food vendors, artisans and of course, mariachi bands! Have your camera ready for a colorful and lively experience.

DAY 6: DEPART MEXICO CITY, Friday, March 8, 2024

Depart Mexico City

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

• Naturalist guide & translator

• 2 Nights Hotel in Mexico City

• 1 Night Hotel in Ocampo

• 2 Nights Hotel in Valle de Bravo

• All ground transportation (except airport transfers)

• All Breakfasts

• Welcome Dinner at Cafe Tacuba (includes food, beer, wine & soft drinks)

• All entrance fees and horseback rides at Rosario Butterfly Reserve

• Boat cruise on Lake Avandaro

• Gondola Floating Farewell Dinner Party at Xochimilco (includes food, beer, wine & soft drinks)

 WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:

• Airfare to and from Mexico City

• Airport transfers

• Travel Insurance

• Meals (4 lunches & 3 dinners)

• Additional food, snacks, drinks from boat vendors at Floating Gardens of Xochimilco

• Photography Instruction – this is not a class but an opportunity to experience this unique environment and to better hone your skills

• Tips for Guides

COST OF TRIP: The cost for this entire trip is $3,000 (single occupancy) and includes everything listed above.

PAYMENT: 50% upon registration. Remaining 50% due on or before December 15, 2023.

IMPORTANT STUFF TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

• Upon registration, you will be sent a complete list of necessities and more details of what to expect so you can plan on what to bring and what not to bring

• This trip was specifically planned during the week so you will have the option to come in earlier and/or stay later to explore some of Mexico City on the weekends.

• If you would like to, you can add a Mexico City Add-On day at the end of the trip where Fernando will guide you to places such as the Pyramids, Place des Bellas Arts and Postal Museum.  The $500 additional fee includes extra night at hotel, transportation, breakfast and entrance fees to the sites.  More information is available upon request.

• Travel itinerary and accommodations may be subject to change – we will try our best to stick to it but sometimes adjustments are needed that are beyond our control (ie. traffic delays, hotel closing, etc.)

• Travel Insurance is highly recommended – again, we will make every effort to make this tour go as planned but sometimes things happen that are beyond our control and if the tour gets canceled, we cannot guarantee full refunds (ie. pandemics, Acts of God, etc.)

MEET YOUR GUIDE, FERNANDO ROMO:

Fernando has been introducing people to the wonders of nature on guided ecotours for the past 18 years. His passion for nature conservation and photography has taken him all over Mexico, Columbia, Ecuador, Panama, Galapagos Islands, Argentina, Chile and Alaska, to name a few. He loves to share this passion with fellow travelers, family and friends, and support local communities in order to conserve and protect the different habitats and species through their sustainable use.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Fernando currently resides in beautiful Puerto Vallarta where he stayed after his studies in Marine Biology. He has been involved in various research projects including the photo identification of Humpback Whales & Bottlenose Dolphins, the conservation of the Blue Footed Boobies on the Marietas Islands and studies on the Sea Turtle Nesting Camps. He has been a member of the Mexican Society for the Study of Marine Mammals since 2000.

He has led numerous expeditions to the annual Monarch Butterfly migration up the trans-volcanic belt in the mountains of Mexico. He is an expert birder and is highly sought after for his birding tours as he has an extreme talent for spotting the rarest birds and being able to photograph them. With his marine biology background, he is high in demand for his whale watching photo expeditions as well.

Fernando is extremely passionate about what he does and it rubs off on all those who travel with him. Whether you are a beginner or novice eco-traveler, Fernando makes sure that you are comfortable every step of the way. His goal is to provide his travelers with “the time of their life” as they experience these unique occurrences in nature and to have them walk away with some of his passion and knowledge for these amazing creatures so that they and their habitats can stay protected.