Mexico opens monarch butterfly sanctuaries for the 2025 season

The State of Mexico and Michoacán will open their monarch butterfly sanctuaries to the public starting November 20.

Roberto Enrique Monroy García, the head of the state's Secretariat of Tourism, announced that this year marks the opening ceremony for the Estado de México sanctuaries, though all sites will be accessible to travelers at the same time. The sanctuaries in Michoacán include El Rosario, Sierra Chincua, and Senguio, while the Estado de México sites consist of Piedra Herrada and La Mesa.

These locations host the monarch butterflies, which travel approximately 4,000 kilometers from Canada to Mexico each year. Authorities reported seeing the first butterflies in the northern part of the country in early October. Officials expect the butterfly colonies to cover more surface area this season than in the previous period. During the 2025 to 2026 season, nine colonies occupied 2.93 hectares, which represents a 64 percent increase over the 1.79 hectares observed during the 2024 to 2025 season.

To protect the butterflies, authorities and local guides issued a code of conduct for visitors. This includes following local guides, staying on established paths, and remaining silent. Visitors are instructed not to smoke, light fires, or use flash photography. The rules also prohibit taking butterflies and suggest that people spend no more than 18 minutes inside the sanctuary to avoid disturbing the insects during their hibernation.