'Mexico is a traveller's paradise, crammed with a multitude of opposing identities: desert landscapes, snow-capped volcanoes, ancient ruins, teeming industrialised cities, time-warped colonial towns, glitzy resorts, lonely beaches and a world-beating collection of flora and fauna'. Lonely Planet

Responsible Tourism


In Mexico our charity walks and expeditions have contributed a great deal to both the local community and impacted positively on the conservation of the fragile eco-system. The area is under strong pressure from farmers to be ploughed up and planted with crops. The activities of Across the Divide, its partnership with local people and its charity challenges have helped to alleviate this pressure by proving that, even in an area as remote as this, tourism can pay and provide an alternative sustainable source of income. It is a fact that the benefits of your charity trek, walk or challenge are far more widely reaching than you can ever imagine. To see more of our responsible tourism policy in action click 'About ATD' in the menu.

See Mexico's Monarch butterflies
Whales aren't the only creatures who head south for the winter. Mexico's most famous protected winter residents are a bit more delicate. The sanctuaries that protect the winter home of the Monarch butterfly are the most famous in Mexico. This species leaves its Canadian and American homes to take up residence in only a few areas of Central Mexico each winter. The most visited sanctuary is El Rosario, and the best place to base yourself is the town of Angangueo, an old mining town.

Swim the desert
Olympic trainees take note - you can practice your butterfly just about anywhere, even when surrounded by desert sands. Of course, that's only if you're in Mexico's Cuatro Ciinegas Reserve. Declared a protected area in 1995, the reserve's labyrinth of underground rivers has produced a large number of aquatic pools (many more than the "four lagoons" that give the town its name). After your swim, climb up the limestone sierras for a spectacular view of the valley.