Mexico's Monarchs, Humpbacks & Birds

The variety of experiences: pyramids, butterflies, whales and birds. Not too much of any one topic. More specifically: Vermillion Flycatchers, the first Monarch site, whale-watching and alfresco breakfast birding on day 8 overlooking the Pacific!

So many bucket list ticks! The first Monarch reserve was spectacular and the Humpback whales were awesome.

Good varied content to see a range of species, in different landscapes and habitats. The travel also enabled us to see towns and villages, for an overview of the country. The Whale-watching trips were superb and memorable, also visiting the Monarch butterfly sites and learning about their incredible life-cycles. Lastly the amazing boat trip through the mangrove swamps at San Blas was also a highlight, an incredible experience! Martin was expert on bird identification and good company. Michael was also very knowledgeable and helpful, and he gave us very good background information on the whale-watching trips. Karel was enthusiastic and informative and took us to the best places to see wildlife and to have excellent meals! 

A most enjoyable guided group trip to Mexico. We visited ancient pyramids, trekked up to see amazing Monarch butterfly sites, used boats to find singing Humpback Whales and got up early to find beautiful birds. Great organisation in advance, excellent choice of venues, and expert and caring leaders and local guides. Transport during the trip included aircraft, minibuses, jeeps, boats and even horses - and they adapted very well when local protests closed roads in one of our resorts.

Such a wide variety of flora and fauna seen in a diverse selection of habitats. Always lots to see. I loved the places we were taken, and we were given plenty of time to look around and spot wildlife. Martin met us at Heathrow and I instantly felt safe and secure with him guiding us. Martin, Michael and Karel were all patient, knowledgeable and approachable. They shared their enthusiasm for the birds and wildlife, and also kept us safe, well fed and watered throughout the trip. Martins anecdotes kept us laughing and we gelled as a group very well as a result. The two highlights were watching whales breach next to our boat, and watching the thousands of Monarch butterflies flying around us. I also loved the boat ride into the mangroves.

Wildlife tour with Naturetrek to see Monarch Butterflies, Humpback Whales, birds and ancient pyramids. Dazzling programme with full days, superb guiding, good hotels and local freshly cooked food. Friendly group with a mixture of interests. In fact a really fantastic experience. Thorough pre-travel service, good updates and good advice and helpful and efficient service throughout. Excellent guides made sure that we saw absolutely everything and had such detailed knowledge of the birds and whales in particular.

Non-stop pleasure from start to finish. This is a 'MUST DO' for anyone interested in wildlife. I have always wanted to see a Hummingbird, dream fulfilled! The breaching Humpbacks are incredible and will always stay in mind too. From first booking until sadly saying farewell back at Heathrow, the experience was a perfect example of how a much longed for trip should flow. The pre-departure document covered every detail I needed to know about, the itinerary was thoughtfully compiled and carried out by leaders who clearly know their stuff. The accommodation was always just where you would have chosen yourself. Seriously cannot fault any aspect of the holiday, it'll stay with me forever. Naturetrek is a small company with a big reputation for delivering outstanding holidays. This is my forth trip with them and as always the brochure summary is just what you get. Long may they continue!

I’d always wanted to see the Monarch migration to the forests of Mexico and couldn’t believe my luck when I found a tour which not only took in the Monarchs but also Humpback Whales, one of my other passions. The whole trip fulfilled all my hopes and expectations in seeing not only the Monarchs and Humpbacks but also lots of other butterflies as well as birds. Everything was dealt with promptly and thoroughly and all my questions answered. Everyone was extremely helpful and I can highly recommend Naturetrek.

We chose this holiday because of its mix of seeing a range of wildlife, as well as its archaeological interest. We were not disappointed. We got a sense of what a vast and varied country Mexico is. We experienced high plateau, forested mountains, the Pacific coast, mangrove waterways and coastal and mountain villages.

We saw the phenomenon of the Monarch butterflies. Our first sightings of breaching Humpbacks, & heard them singing through microphones. Released Olive Ridgeback Turtle hatchlings into the sea. Viewed lots of birds & other butterflies in forests, & in the Mangroves. Also visited the archaeological ruins at Teotihuacan.

My husband and I love nature, and to be able to go on this Naturtrek holiday to Mexico was a dream come true. My husband loves butterflies so we were in awe of the annual migration of Monarch butterflies. To see humpback whales has always been on my bucket list, and our boat trips out fulfilled all my dreams. I can now die happy. These two were the highlights of our holiday, but interspersed with these there was ample opportunities to appreciate the huge variety of birds, a trip into the mangroves to see crocodiles etc. It is a holiday neither of us will forget.

The holiday was targeted at seeing the Monarch butterflies in their winter roost in Mexico - up at over 10,000 feet above sea level. It was quite an expedition to get there, but the sight was phenomenal. We will never forget the sight of so many butterflies, perched on branches in such numbers that the branches bent down under the weight of so many insects. Then it was off to the Pacific where the Humpback Whales were giving birth in the warmer waters there. A totally different scale, from tiny insects to huge whales. Then it was on to another site, and a trip into a Mangrove swamp in late afternoon with so many interesting birds beginning to roost up for the night, and a few crocodiles to be seen, followed by a trip back after dusk. Another memorable event. Lastly there were a few days for birdwatching or butterfly spotting with an expert with us to help find the unusual. We have lots of photos and lots of memories of a wonderful holiday, and will be travelling with Naturetrek again in the near future, as we have found their holidays reliably full of wonderful wildlife, and we are always escorted by experts who add so much value to the trips.

Cultural visit to Teotihuacan, fantastic experiences with the overwintering Monarch butterflies in Michoacan, various excellent sightings of Humpback whales off Puerto Vallarta and San Blas plus varied birding opportunities throughout, especially with the varied habitats around San Blas.

The visits to the Monarch reserves were a lifetime highlight – spending two days there was marvellous.