Name: Wildlife Wonders of Mexico - Birds, Butterflies & More
Start: 2025-01-19T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2025-01-26T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico

Reefs to Rockies

Email address verified

55 reviews

Jan 19 - 26, 2025

Group size: 7 - 11

Wildlife Wonders of Mexico - Birds, Butterflies & More

Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico

Select

Ask A Question

Reefs to Rockies

Email address verified

55 reviews

Jan 19 - 26, 2025

Group size: 7 - 11

Every winter, montane cloud forests in central Mexico host millions of over-wintering monarch butterflies. This aggregation of monarchs in Mexico’s central highlands ranks as one of the most impressive wildlife spectacles on the planet. It’s a must see for nature lovers!

The monarch sanctuaries aren’t the only highlights during our wildlife expedition to Mexico. In addition to two days at the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve west of Mexico City, we’ll explore wildlife hotspots in Oaxaca, a coastal state that has the highest biological diversity in Mexico. Oaxaca is home to almost 800 species of birds with close to 100 of them endemics. The butterfly list in Oaxaca is even longer. In case the birds and butterflies aren’t enough, we’ll even explore some of Oaxaca’s beaches famous for nesting sea turtles.We’ve timed this trip to maximize our chances for incredible wildlife sightings throughout.

Join Reefs to Rockies and Denver Audubon for this 8-day wildlife expedition highlighting Mexico’s natural and cultural wonders.

Reefs to Rockies Co-Founder Sheridan Samano is thrilled to host this small group wildlife expedition to Mexico. If you’ve ever had the chance to hear Sheridan talk about Mexico, you’ve likely heard her refer to it as “the most underrated wildlife destination on the planet.”

During this trip, her love for her father’s home country will be unmistakable as she takes you into the heart of the region’s best biodiversity hotspots. Local expert guides will join us throughout making this immersive wildlife experience unforgettable.

Accommodations
Double occupancy. Standard Room at Circulo Condesa; Grand Luxury at Misión Grand; Deluxe at Casa Bocana.
Airport transfers
On arrival and departure days
In-country transport
Expedition Leader
Sheridan Samano, Co-founder of Reefs to Rockies
Local guides
From community-based tourism projects
Actives
Entrance fees
Meals as listed
Gratuities
For guides and drivers, and at restaurants for included meals
Horse rental
if applicable at monarch sanctuaries
Purified drinking water
Available throughout
Conservation donation

Day 1
Day 1
Sun, Jan 19: Arrival to Mexico City
Upon arrival to Mexico City, we’ll be met by our local guide and transferred to our hotel conveniently located close to neighborhood parks and markets. Get to know fellow travelers this evening during our Welcome Dinner.
Accommodations: Circulo Condesa
Meals: Dinner
Read more
Day 2
Day 2
Mon, Jan 20: Mexico City, Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary
After a bird walk close to our hotel, we’ll head west to Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, the closest reserve to Mexico City. It’s possible we’ll be greeted by masses of monarchs in flight down the hillsides even before hitting the trail.
We’ll travel by horseback and on foot uphill to the heart of the sanctuary to witness massive aggregations of monarchs. Standing in the forests of the reserve as millions of orange and black monarch butterflies swarm overhead is a magical sight. Today, we’ll experience it first-hand. There’s also time for birding at Piedra Herrada before continuing to Valle de Bravo, one of Mexico’s Pueblos Magicos and our home for the next three nights. Our hotel offers excellent birding on site, too.
Accommodations: Hotel Misión Grand Valle de Bravo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Read more
Day 3
Day 3
Tues, Jan 21: Valle de Bravo and Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
No two days at the monarch sanctuaries are alike so we’ll enjoy a second visit today. In addition to time with the monarchs, we’ll explore on foot in search of birds. Exact locations today will be determined based on current monarch aggregation behavior and locations, weather, and recent sightings.
Accommodations: Hotel Misión Grand Valle de Bravo
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Read more
Day 4
Day 4
Wed, Jan 22: Valle de Bravo, Mexico City and Huatulco
After a final bird walk and breakfast at our hotel, we’ll make our way back to Mexico City in time for our early afternoon flight to Huatulco. There’s time to settle into our hotel before our turtle walk at nearby Playa La Bocana tonight.
Accommodations: Casa Bocana
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Read more
Day 5
Day 5
Thurs, Jan 23: Huatulco Pelagic Boat Trip
Today, we’ll explore Huatulco National Park and Biosphere Reserve by boat. In January, it’s possible to observe a variety of pelagic birds including Jaegers, Storm-Petrels and Shearwaters relatively close to shore. In addition to pelagics, we’ll also be looking for marine mammals and sea turtles. Huatulco’s beautiful bays and rocky coastline set the stage for a memorable day on the water.
Accommodations: Casa Bocana
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Read more
Day 6
Day 6
Fri, Jan 24: Huatulco
Our day begins with a birding tour at Sendero El Candelabro Copalita where we’ll be hosted by Cornelio, well known in Huatulco for his bird-guiding prowess. This is his property so he knows exactly where to go to find the birds. With any luck, we’ll catch a glimpse of local highlights including Northern Potoo, owls, trogons, and more. This evening, we’ll embark on a night hike and turtle walk at Huatulco National Park.
Accommodations: Casa Bocana
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Read more
Day 7
Day 7
Sat, Jan 25: Huatulco
This morning, we’ll embark on an enchanting jungle experience at Hagia Sofia, an agro-ecotourism farm. A warm welcome breakfast of freshly harvested seasonal fruits and traditional Oaxacan quesadillas awaits us. After breakfast, we’ll explore Hagia Sofia’s network of forest, garden and riverside trails that showcase an array of exotic flowers and fruit trees teeming with butterflies and birds. For those interested, we can enjoy a refreshing swim and natural hydro-massage at “La Compana” Waterfall. Relive trip highlights this evening during our Farewell Dinner.
Accommodations: Casa Bocana
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Read more
Day 8
Day 8
Sun, Jan 26: Departure
Transfer to Huatulco International Airport (HUX) in time for our flights home. Afternoon departure recommended.
Meals: Breakfast
Read more

Day 1

Sun, Jan 19: Arrival to Mexico City

Upon arrival to Mexico City, we’ll be met by our local guide and transferred to our hotel conveniently located close to neighborhood parks and markets. Get to know fellow travelers this evening during our Welcome Dinner.

Accommodations: Circulo Condesa

Meals: Dinner

taina B.

We had such an outstanding trip! I know I am echoing all of the voices from our part of six when I say that it could not have gone any better. The three guides we had were all excellent. They knew their subject matter and they conveyed it professionally. However, José Ugalde Ajú is a keeper! Having been a tour guide myself for five years when I was young (The House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA), I can say with confidence that you will find no better guide. It was a pleasure being with him. His English is so good that he laughed along with our (very) lame jokes, treated every person with whom he interacted (native English speakers and non-native English speakers) with great care, and always had an eye out for making sure that we were both learning and enjoying ourselves. He went above and beyond: ensuring one of us had ice for her medicine, taking care that another of our party was not allergic to (and survived!) the scorpion bites, gauging terrain difficulty for those of us using walking sticks, and answering all questions (sometimes three and four times and in two languages) with grace and honesty--indicating when he was unsure or did not know. José was more than a guide; our relationship with him was not simply transactional, but rather one based on a foundation he built of respect, interest, and friendship. The itinerary that Sheridan Samano at Reef to Rockies designed was delightful. It was an extraordinary mix of learning, experiencing, and enjoyment. the leader of our group of six asked all of us which activity we enjoyed the most. I was struck by the question because I could not come up with just one answer. How do you pick between visiting the Maleku community (an anthropologist's dream) and experiencing Arenal on a clear day? Can you easily differentiate between the lunch we had in Cinchona with birds (repeatedly) zooming by us as we ate, or cooking our lunch over an open fire under the watchful eye of Chela? Waterfalls, craters, artesanías, one-day orchids, puentes colgantes, along with friendship cemented this trip as one of my best ever! Thank you and your colleagues for making our eco-tourism experience so memorable.

By Elizabeth B for Costa Rica Explorer on May 02, 2024

Reefs to Rockies put together a great trip for us. The accommodations were excellent, the excursions were very well done and a good mix of things we like to do, the logistics went smoothly. Belize was a good choice for our family, an interesting place to visit that combines beach/rainforest/culture. Thanks to Reefs to Rockies for suggestions, guidance and flawless execution!

By Steve R for Belize: Rainforest and Reef on Apr 18, 2024

Terrific guide—knowledgeable, funny, caring, great bird spotter. Greater Prairie chickens and Sandhill Cranes on Platte River amazing. Fun and memorable five days.

By Christina C for Spring Magic in Nebraska 2024 on Mar 30, 2024

What a great trip! We saw (and heard) tens, no, hundreds of thousands of Sandhill Cranes! Chip drove us around the North Platte area in the Roaming Bison to find Cranes in nearby fields, as well as many other species - songbirds and water fowl. We joined a local tour provider for more daytime Crane viewing and for a magical night in a Crane blind along the Platte River. Let's not forget the Prairie Chickens - who are now on my top ten list of favorite birds! We visited two leks, or Prairie Chicken stomping grounds, to watch the males practice their dances, vocalize, and strut their stuff. Though Cranes and Prairie Chickens were the stars of this trip, Chip was committed to ensuring that we had ample opportunities to visit a number of birding hotspots so that we could see a wide variety of other species. Some that come to mind include Wild Turkey, Osprey, Horned Lark, and many, many others. Chip is an enthusiastic instructor who offered tidbits related to bird identification - markings, behavior, migration patterns, etc. He also shared stories and information about pioneer history, which helped to make the area come alive in another way. Chip worked hard to ensure that we were comfortable (and safe) road warriors. Good food provided by local businesses, snacks, and an occasional coffee stop from local coffee vendors! This is definitely a trip to consider!!

By Janet P for Spring Magic in Nebraska 2024 on Mar 29, 2024

Tornados of sandhill cranes surrounding us near North Platte. The magic of dawn on a Greater Prairie Chicken Lek full of booming, foot stomping and sparring. The best of nature experienced with great traveling companions. Comfortable riding and viewing on the Roaming Bison Safari Vehicle. Every detail taken care of- Sheridan you are amazing.