Amazing Monarch butterflies - This was an absolutely amazing experience. February seemed to be a wonderful time to be at these sanctuaries. We went to 2 sanctuaries both used horses to get us up the Mountain. The first day was great, horses were well behaved unlike other trail horses I have ridden. The second day was a bit harder, horses were great but saddles were very uncomfortable and trail was much longer as well as steeper. Tour description did not clearly state this. Padded bike shorts as well as bike gloves would help. We had a fabulous extremely knowledgeable guide, not only about the butterflies but also about the history of Mexico, Clemente, that went above and beyond our expectations. On our free day he took us to a farm outside of town where a local has planted milkweed to entice Monarchs, then to the lake where he arranged a boat ride for our group. When we returned to Mexico City he gave us a walking tour to Plaza Mayor archeological site, the National Palace to see the murals, the Cathedral, and finally a Mexican Art Museum. The hotel in Valley de Bravo was very quaint and picturesque. They had some issues with leaking plumbing but were very attentive to our needs. The hotel in Mexico City was great! It has the best location for walking and seeing the sites. Both hotels served an amazing breakfast. I would definitely recommend the Monarch Butterfly Tour with EcoColors Tours. I will be looking for other tours with them.

7 Day-Monarch Butterfly Ecofriendly Tour in Mexico - What a great trip! Our tour was in January 2020 with Clemente and Laura as our guides. I recommend this tour because to see these butterflies in Mexico, where they spend their winters, is just something you have to see in person. My words alone cannot do it justice. Even though their numbers are dangerously low. these beautiful butterflies hang from the trees by the thousands...and when the sun comes out, they dance in the light. Breathtaking! Clemente and Laura were the perfect guides. They cared deeply for the environment and for the butterflies, they were so knowledgeable and helped us learn so much more about Monarchs then we knew before we arrived. You are in great hands on this tour. Every part of it including the accommodations, the driver, the shopping, museums, and the food were outstanding! Don't miss out on the opportunity to enjoy nature up close like this and stay longer if you can, there is so much to enjoy in this part of Mexico.

Wonderful adventure - A must thing to do for those who enjoy nature trips! Hiking and horseback riding are involved. Must be moderately fit. I found the horseback riding extremely uncomfortable and preferred to walk when I could. Beautiful pine forests! Who would have thought we were in Mexico. I can’t say enough about our guides. Clemente was attentive to all our needs. I appreciate the cultural education he gave us: telling us about local customs, eating at local restaurants, and he was a wealth of information at the anthropology museum. Unfortunately, we were a little early (January) for the butterflies, as it was cool, and together with cloudy conditions we did not have many flying about. However it was very impressive to see them on the trees. I was glad we brought our hiking boots as it was muddy and rocky in places. Also be sure to bring a warm jacket such as a light weight down or heavy fleece. You eat outside sometimes, even when it’s chilly.

Clemente could not have been more... - <p>Clemente could not have been more helpful, fun, knowledgeable, easy to understand and all in all was the highlight of our trip making this adventure so enjoyable!<br/> The Majestic hotel location was great but the rooms and food was disappointing .. clean but dated, english by hotel folks was marginal, service people friendly and prompt, room at end of the trip was more comfortable then room at beginning on the 6th floor.<br/> Claudio, the driver did a wonderful job making the drive safe, and he was an added plus.<br/> The hotel in Valle de Bravo was charming and the indigenous people made it even more enjoyable. Cladia, the manager, and her assistant, Evelyn, was wonderful and helpful to all participants. Both spoke excellent english and were always looking to make everyone comfortable. Even the chef, who also spoke excellent english was always looking to please.</p>

This was truly an outstanding trip... - <p>This was truly an outstanding trip. EcoColors Tours did an amazing job. Our Monarch Butterfly tour was March 11th through March 17, 2017. I cannot say enough good about our guide Clemente! Clemente was an exceptional guide for our Monarch Butterfly tour. Seeing tens of thousands of monarch butterflies was the highlight of our time in Mexico. We toured the National Museum of Anthropology and Valle de Bravo. We visited Piedra Herrada Sanctuary the first day and Capulin Sanctuary the second day, both in the mountains on horseback. He drove very safely and frequently paused to help us take the best photos. In addition, Clemente was our guide for the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, National Palace in Mexico City to see Deigo Rivera's collection of murals The History of Mexico, and to watch Mexican soldiers take down the Mexican flag in the Zocalo square. Our guide, Clemente, was knowledgeable spoke excellent English, patient, and always accommodating. On our flight home, Clemente helped us through the airport. We highly recommend EcoColors and Clemente! Thank you</p>

This was truly an outstanding trip... - <p>This was truly an outstanding trip. EcoColors Tours did an amazing job. Our driver Alberto did a great job. I cannot say enough good about our guide Clemente! He added things onto the trip. We visited extra museums and toured Mexico City and Valle de Bravo. The first day I was not prepared for the altitude 10,800 feet and had to stop part way on the hike with butterflies there. Before the hike the horse ride was about 30 to 45 minutes. The second day at Capulin Sanctuary, the trip was much more difficult. Much more aggressive climbing up and down the mountain with the horses. The trips up and down, were each two hours. We had some seasoned horse people who agreed that it was not an easy trip. But it was only a short hike up to the butterfly sanctuary once we arrived. Spectacular! Thousands/millions of butterflies. On our free day I asked Clemente if we could go parasailing. Monte Alto, near Valle de Bravo, is the best parasailing in Mexico and one of the top places in the world. He had not organized it before, but he did it for four of us. It was really incredible. Fairly inexpensive - US 80- pp including a selfie stick where they give you a micro SD card with both audio/video and photos. Out flight home was at 8:00 AM which meant Clemente had to pick us up at 4:45 AM and help us through the airport. Highly recommend EcoColors and Clemente!</p>

A great ecoexperience - Pros: excellent lodging with full breakfasts; wonderful guide; plenty of free time with an excellent itinerary; very few American tourists; a small town mexican experience with Mexico City bookends; comfortable travel by van; only 11 people on tour; great adventure to reach incredible monarch butterfly colonies. Cons: very limited pre-trip communications from tour company; no brochure, no active confirmation of trip, online information and email only; horseback riding and hiking were strenuous and at least half of fellow travelers were over 80 years old, many indicated they did not expect the level of difficulty but...all said it was worth it and it was a life-changing accomplishment. I highly recommend this trip!