Rancho El Fresno

Only 15 min by car from Zitácuaro & close to the most beautiful Butterfly Sanctuaries, our beloved rancho offers you enough space & possibilities to go sightseeing, to discover all the beautiful spots close by & to get to know the authentic Mexico. Our rancho employs up to five workers who take care of our avocado trees, strelitzias & peaches. Feel free to walk around the beautiful garden & taste some fruit, cook with friends or family, ponder about life & enjoy the beauty of the place. The Rancho offers accomodation for up to 8 people: one double room, one twin room, one 4-bedroom, 2 toilets with a shower each. From the fully-equipped kitchen you look straight onto beautiful countryside. A covered chilling-out area outside invites you to enjoy your Cuba Libre whilst watching the breath-taking sunsets. Our wooden grill is just waiting for a barbecue. During the rainy season there is a fireplace that can be lit in the pretty living room that will lift your spirits. Old volcanoes build the backdrop and resemble blue soft giants protecting the countryside. The beautifully renovated house is next door to our family home, which we visit occasionally. During each stay, we are in regular contact with Alicia, the soul of our Rancho, to make sure that everything goes smoothly and that your stay is a success. If you have questions or comments, you may contact her anytime, as she is our administrator of the Rancho and lives just around the corner. It is also her who will welcome you and show you around. It is important for you to know that Alicia speaks only Spanish, as do the employees who maintain the farm (as the Rancho faces a field of Birds of paradise, you might see them in action maintaining the farm). So go ahead- bring those spanish words! Among pinetree-covered mountains of the Sierra Mare Occidental lies Zitàcuaro, the 5th largest town of Michoacan with 80'000 inhabitants. Here you find craftsmen, businessmen, farmers and tradespeople offering their goods for sale - an ideal meeting point to see old friends, go shopping in the market or wander through the narrow streets. Thanks to the lack in mainstream tourism Zitacuaro is an insider’s tip in getting to know an authentic part of Mexico. Due to the Federal Highway No 15 - that leads through Zitacuaro and connects Mexico City with Morelia - trips to the surrounding area and other small towns are a great alternation to the idyllic and peaceful life at the rancho. Want an example? Above the small village of El Rosario in the most eastern part of Michoacan lies the Santuario de la Mariposa Monarca. Over a 100 million butterflies from the USA and Canada gather there to spend the winter during the months of November till the middle of April. Other attractions? Visit Tziranda caves or San Felipe Los Alzati Pyramid, Jungapeo hot spring or Aguas Azufres - make your choice! It takes about 15 min by car to reach the Rancho EL FRESNO from Zitacuaro (the road is bumpy at times). We advise you to come with your own car, as there is hardly any reliable public transport. As anywhere in Mexiko, it is always a good idea to ask the locals - in our case Alicia - about the do's and don't's in the area. The grounds of the rancho are about 7 acres wide and it takes about 20 min to walk around them. The path leads through bushy Avocado trees, peaches and apple groves or bushes full of the bird of paradise flowers which also are the main business of our small enterprise that employs six local workers. Sometimes you can hear gardening work, a radio playing or dogs bark (we have three adorable dogs living nearby) - welcome to Mexico's countryside! Information about covid-19: We attach great importance to cleanliness and adhere to the specifications of airbnb: - The rancho is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected - During cleaning we wear the prescribed cleaning equipment - We place special emphasis on door handles and frequently used surfaces. - We follow the airbnb manual Please note that there is little reception at the Rancho. We have installed Wifi - sometimes it works quite good, sometimes unfortunately not. Also remember that it can get quite fresh in the country in the evening and pack suitable clothes. Bring enough groceries for your first day or your stay in general if you want to avoid double driving. There is a little shop around the corner with some basics.