Angangueo
The Traditional Base For Visiting The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuaries, A Mining Town Of Tiled Roofs And Steep Streets That Has Relied On Tourism Since The Mines Closed. Hotels And Guides Fill From November To March When The Monarchs Roost In The Nearby Forests. Cold And Foggy At 2,900 M, With A Mining Museum And Local Mushroom Dishes · Angangueo, Michoacán
Angangueo is a Pueblo Magico in a narrow valley of the Sierra Chincua in eastern Michoacan, about 160 km north-west of Mexico City. For a century it lived from silver and lead mines, and the steep streets, tiled roofs and old mine buildings still show that past. When the mines closed the town turned to tourism, and today it is the traditional base for the monarch butterfly sanctuaries, which lie in the forests above. Hotels and guides fill from November to March, then the town goes quiet. At 2,900 m the air is cold and often foggy, so bring a coat. There is a small mining museum, a parish church and a mine tour, and the cooking leans on mushrooms, trout and fish dishes. Angangueo suits butterfly visitors who want a bed close to the reserve, and travellers who like small mountain towns. It is worth a night in season. It is not worth the trip outside the monarch months unless mining history interests you. Check current Michoacan travel advice before you go.
Angangueo, a Pueblo Magico and former silver-mining town in a narrow valley of the Sierra Chincua, about 160 km north-west of Mexico City; coordinates approximate, Angangueo, Michoacán, Mexico
The town is open all day and walking its streets and plaza is FREE. The mining museum and the mine tour keep short daytime hours, commonly from late morning to mid-afternoon, and the museum is often CLOSED on Mondays and on quiet low-season days, so ask at the plaza before you walk up. The church is open for services and daytime visits. Guides and hotel desks run busiest from November to March and many shut outside the monarch season. Confirm hours and prices in town, since they change.