Rancho Cumbre Monarca

This hotel will not be to everybody's liking, but it was to mine. I'll be as detailed as I can to let you make your own choice. Note as well the hotel did NOT accept credit cards onsite. I booked the stay online with a credit card, but for the extra meals I needed cash. They were very good in communicating this clearly ahead of time with me in email, so there were no surprises. This is a very remote and very rustic lodge, with a bit of a working farm around it. First, it's best if you have your own car to come here, and they do have secured, on-site parking for free. If you don't, you need to take a colectivo from Ocampo which is easy enough. Getting a colectivo back, or to the butterfly sanctuary, can be very difficult as they run infrequently. In terms of walking to El Rosario, unless you are in great shape, don't. It's 3km dead uphill (and this is before the uphill walking inside the sanctuary to get to the butterflies). The rooms are solid adobe walls, and can be dark. Windows and doors don't seal tightly, and there is no central heating or air con. The furniture is very thick, handmade wood. For the cold nights, they provide a lot of heavy blankets and will light a fire in the fireplace for you. We thought this was very charming and romantic, and a nice change from more upscale hotels. There are no restaurants in the immediate vicinity, but the hotel offers 3 meals from their kitchen. Meals I think are a flat per person charge for each meal of around 135 pesos. Breakfast was a fairly simple menu (eggs, chilaquiles, etc.) and nothing all that great, except for the fresh papaya. Dinner we had a choice of 5 or 6 dishes. I enjoyed their pozole (perfect for the cold nights). If you have spare time at the Rancho, they have a little hiking trail out back that is nice. Plus a grilling area, a tree house, and a play area for kids. There is also a field with a couple of sheep. The staff are very friendly and go out of their way to help you, but their English is pretty limited.