Penny Jarrett will lead a group on an exploration of archeology, birds and butterflies in Mexico February 6th through the 15th. The trip, being offered through the Mound House International Travel Program and Holbrook Travel, starts in the Yucatán.
Jarrett tells beach Talk Radio News, “The Mexico – Archaeology, Birds, and Butterflies trip offers the comfort of traveling with a small group of like-minded travelers and 24/7 support of Holbrook Travel. If you enjoy both archaeology and nature, this is the trip for you.”
Yucatán, which is the capital of Mérida, is a city that’s culturally rich with both Mayan and colonial heritage. While in the Yucatán, the group will visit the Mayan sites of Uxmal, a UNESCO Heritage Site, and Mayapán, an important city during the final centuries of the Maya civilization. The geology of the Yucatán is unique and a visit to the Geohidrológica Anillo de Cenotes will provide an opportunity to see sinkholes created from a meteor impact 65 million years ago and take a refreshing swim.
Also in the Yucatán will be a visit to the Celestún Biosphere Reserve, which encompasses 146,000 acres and is home to 304 bird species, including thousands of flamingos. Boat rides and walking trails will offer splendid views at various times of the day.
From Mérida, the group will fly to Mexico City and spend a couple of days visiting the archaeological sites of Teotihuacán and Tenochtitlán, National Museum of Anthropology, and UNAM Botanical Garden while staying in the popular district of Zócalo.
Traveling west into the central highlands of Michoacán, the group will have the opportunity to witness one of nature’s amazing wonders – the wintering grounds of the monarch butterfly where millions of these butterflies arrive from across the eastern US and Canada.
There are 12 available spots for the trip to Mexico. This journey is for fit and active travelers. Daily activities may last for 5 or more hours. These may involve both steep uphill and downhill hikes of 30 minutes or more (hiking at your own pace), with optional horseback riding available for part of the way; please note there is a maximum weight limit of approximately 260 lbs to ride the horses. Restrooms are only available at the base of the mountain. Weather in the Central Highlands during the migration is typically cool and dry with average temperatures in the 50s. Though days are typically sunny, there can be some windy conditions. At the Teotihuacán archaeological site, you can choose to climb two pyramids: the largest is over 200 feet high with 248 steep steps.
Get all the information about the trip including the cost HERE.
Photos courtesy Penny Jarrett.