Flying Information
Getting to the Bosque
Visas
Money
Language
Internet
Responsible Tourism
Books
Flying to Mexico
The closest airport to the Bosque Village is the Morelia Airport (MLM). Continental has direct flights from Houston. Mexicana and America fly direct from LA and Chicago, and Delta flies through Mexico City.
You can also often fly into Ixtapa/Zihuantanejo (ZIH), Guadalajara (GDL), or Mexico City (MEX). Zihuantanejo is about a 7.5 hour bus ride from the Bosque Village. Guadalajara and Mexico City are about 5.5 hours by bus. If you happen to be from San Diego, you can take a flight from Tijuana to Uruapan (UPN) to save some money. Uruapan is about 2 hours from the Bosque by bus.
Flying into Mexico City or Guadalajara can be cheaper than flying into Morelia. But with the added costs of bus transportation, hotels, and time, it may not be the best option, especially for visitors who do not speak Spanish. 
Getting to the Bosque
Your final destination is about 40 minutes outside of Pátzcuaro.
Bus travel is easy and comfortable in Mexico. First class tickets are inexpensive and offer movies and comfortable seating. If you decide to travel to us by bus you will transfer either in Morelia or Pátzcuaro to a bus to the village where we'll meet you. Bring along a map so you can plan a good route from wherever your journey begins.
Renting a car is another option for traveling to the Bosque. Because public transportation is so easy, we don't recommend renting a car. If you decide to rent a car or travel here in your own vehicle, we can send you a good map and directions. Be prepared for 5km of extremely bumpy road to get to the Bosque from the nearest large village.
Zihuantanejo is about a 7.5 hour bus ride from the Bosque Village. Guadalajara and Mexico City are about 6 hours by bus. Uruapan is about 2 hours from the Bosque by bus. This is a good webpage on bus travel in Mexico.
More detailed travel information is provided after visitor registration.
Passport and Visas
You will need a passport to enter Mexico, even if you are a US citizen.
Travelers are normally issued a visa for 180 days on arriving to Mexico. We highly recommend always carrying a copy of both your visa and your passport while traveling. We have a secure location to store passports while you are staying with us in the Bosque.
You will need to show your visa when you leave Mexico. Don't lose it!
Money
The currency in Mexico is the peso. We recommend using your debit card to withdraw money while you are traveling. This way you do not need to carry large sums of money. You can also exchange dollars and euros in nearby towns. Pick-pocketing is not a common problem in the villages near us, but while traveling you should be conscious of your money. Don't pull out large wads of cash when you buy small items, and keep most of your money in a secure location, such as a money belt.
You must stop at an ATM before traveling to the Bosque. The closest ATM to us is in Pátzcuaro (about 40 minutes drive). We accept cash payments (dollars or pesos) or online payment.
Language
Do not expect people in this part of Mexico to speak English. If you are not comfortable with Spanish, you should bring along a phrase book or Spanish-English dictionary so that you can communicate while exploring the lake area. At the Bosque we speak English and Spanish.
Mexican Spanish: Lonely Planet Phrase book
Internet
We provide free internet for basic email check-ins. We have a guest computer, or if you bring your own computer you can use wireless. We ask that you not use the computer for more than 30 minutes per day, and that you do not use our bandwidth to download or upload large files. If you are a writer or a telecommuter, we can talk about a possible exception.
Responsible Tourism
The Bosque Village is located near extremely rural communities. We try to be as sensitive as possible to our impact on these villages, and hope that ultimately our effect is very positive. We ask our visitors to have some sensitivity as well. Whether you are visiting from another country or you are a Mexican visiting from the city, you will find rural Mexico to be quite a bit different than what you are used to.
Be kind and smile when you pass people. Greet them and speak in Spanish, even if you are not very comfortable with the language.
Do not ask people to pose for a photograph unless you know them!
The towns are very conservative in their dress, so we try to be as well when we visit.
Be aware that any odd action you take in these towns will quickly become gossip - we try to keep gossip about the Bosque very positive!
Set a good example by not littering.
Buy local crafts and foods to support our local friends!
Bosque visitors and volunteers do not attend parties in the nearby villages. The villages are just too small. If you are interested in having a cultural experience with the local towns, let us know and we will set up a time for you to visit the towns to participate in a family comida (mid-day meal) or a class.
Books we recommend about Mexican Culture
The People's Guide to Mexico (Peoples Guide to Mexico)
There's a Word for It in Mexico
