The Vallarta Botanical Gardens are an educational research center and pleasure garden high in the glorious Sierra Madre Mountains. Located on 20 acres of land, its botanical collections feature hundreds of different species of plants.
The Gardens are home to a unique tropical dry forest ecosystem at 1,300 feet above sea level. Against the breathtaking backdrop of soaring mountain peaks, there is much to experience: Palm Gardens, Rose Garden, Tree Fern Grotto, Orchid House, Jungle Trails, Tropical Bird Watching, Agave Gardens, displays of Mexican Wildflowers and the Carnivorous Plant Collection. The gardens offer a number of trails from a gentle stroll through the Tropical Fruit Orchards and butterfly garden to an adventure along the precipitous Jaguar Trail. Bring a swimsuit to cool off afterwards with a refreshing dip in the crystal clear Rio Los Horcones.
Visitors can learn about the featured plants by the interpretive signage placed throughout the grounds or may join staff or volunteers for the daily 1:00 pm tour. The Gardens keep a full calendar of events throughout the year from botanical classes, lectures, and workshops to traditional Mexican festivities and celebrations.
The Hacienda de Oro Restaurant in the Garden’s Visitor Center offers delightful views of the gardens, traditional Mexican cuisine, brick oven pizza, and courteous service.
The Gardens were founded in 2004 with a dream of becoming a resource for conservation and botanical education in western Mexico. Within a few years the Garden’s have made great strides in their mission: to create Mexico’s foremost botanical garden for the propagation, study, discovery, conservation, and display of Mexican native plants for the enjoyment of Puerto Vallarta’s residents and our visitors.
The Vallarta Botanical Gardens are members of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the Asociacion Mexicana de Orquideologia and the American Public Garden Association. The Vallarta Botanical Gardens have recently been designated an Unidad de Manejo Ambiental or Wildlife Management Unit through Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. The Gardens have established themselves as a 501(c)(3) non-profit and gratefully accept tax deductible donations towards maintaining the Garden’s collections and working toward new projects. The next project of the Gardens is to develop a new conservatory to host the National Collection of Mexican Orchids. There is always something new growing at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens.
These Gardens are easily accessible, just 12 miles south of Puerto Vallarta. No trip to the area is complete without visiting the Vallarta Botanical Gardens!
Mexico is a beautiful country with a warm and generous population, an exciting and exotic cultural heritage and one of the richest concentrations of wildlife diversity. Puerto Vallarta prides itself in the safety and service it provides to its visitors.
For information please contact Executive Director. Neil Gerlowski :
Teléfono: 322-223-6182 (To call from the US, dial 011-52 first)
Director Neil Gerlowski - Guiding a Tour
Vanilla Inodora
Entrance to the Cactus Garden
Hall of Flowers in the Hacienda de Oro Visitor Center
Phillipine Jade Vine
Lily- Gloriosa Superba 'Rothschildiana'
Vanilla Pompona
