Monarch Butterfly - the winter guest of a Reserve near Valle de Bravo

Mexico is amazing country! It has everything: the azure waters of the oceans and tropical forests, and snow-capped volcanoes. Landscapes of Mexico amaze with its beauty and are fascinating.

Valle de Bravo is one of the most picturesque places in Mexico, despite the fact that there is no ocean or lush vegetation. It is a small town on the eastern shore of an artificial lake surrounded by wooded mountains, and eventually turned into a out-of-town residence of the wealthy Mexicans.

It is quiet and calm – no fuss. You can walk through the forest, breathe with fresh air, which is lacking in the capital, you can ride a bicycle, exploring the local area – small but charming waterfalls, cozy Catholic churches and a fabulously beautiful Avandaro, where the luxury hotels and a golf club are.

It is a pity that it is not accepted to swim in the lake – the water is too cold! And it is not quite a lake, but the reservoir created by the flooding of the intermountain plain in the 40s of last century, when a hydroelectric system was built on a mountain river Pungarancho to supply electricity to Mexico City. But here you can indulge in other pleasure and enjoyment: to take a walk on the boat, enjoying the natural beauty, to fish and even to windsurf!

There is a nature reserve not far from Valle de Bravo, it is famous for the fact that every winter monarch butterflies arrive here from the United States and Canada. Yes, the monarchs are able to make migratory flights for thousands of miles! Migrating from Nova Scotia (Canada) to Mexico, they travel about 5,000 km and always arrive at the same place that their ancestors did.

Unbelievable, but it is true: the speed of the monarch butterfly in still air can reach 50 km per hour. It is known that these butterflies can fly over 600 km over the water without stopping for only 16 hours. The flight for a distance of 5,000 km takes them from eight to ten weeks, and they travel only during daylight hours.

Monarchs annually in December go from the U.S. to Mexico, Cuba and the Bahamas for the wintering, and there already have familiar spots. There they sleep off and reproduce. The reserve, located on the road to Valle de Bravo from Toluca, is one of those places. But do not think that it is simple to see butterflies. You will need some physical training, because you'll have to climb up the hill. But it's worth it! The tourists, which are wishful to join the beautiful but can't overcome the laziness or do not wish to climb up for 2 km for some reason, can get groomed and good-natured horses at the entrance to the reserve. They will take to the place even the most well-fed guest.

That's where you will see the trees with gnawed leaves and dry gray stems. So what's so surprising? Where is the wonder? The fact is that there are the pupas on the trees, and they are ready to turn into a butterfly with gaudy wings. And the caterpillars of monarch eat the leaves, as they need vitamins.

There are also the trees studded with adult butterflies, so much so that the lumen is not visible. In the shade butterflies asleep, but as soon as the sun touches their black and orange wings, they soar up into the sky, hoping to find another tree and then hibernate again.

By the way, the monarch butterflies are not inedible. They get the substances which are toxic to the most vertebrates at the step of being caterpillars with food. These amazing insects live to 8-9 months, spending the half of their days in flights.

And could you be so? No? Then don't be lazy and look in the Monarch Butterfly Reserve – this miracle of nature – on the way to the beautiful valley of Valle de Bravo!