Vallarta Botanical Gardens -

Started with chips and salsa at the restaurant, then an avocado salad. Explored the gardens, took a multitude of photos. Ended with a swim in the river pools. Breezy and cooler on the restaurant balcony, gets warm on the trails. No bugs though they really push insect spray. Bus is caught at Carranza and Aguacate for 30p each way. Schedule is roughly every 30 minutes, trip takes about 30-40 minutes. Departures are best from little roadside palapa just past the park entrance on opposite side of the road.

Mike Monteleone

16:09 13 Mar 18

Very beautiful words cannot describe it. We took the bus there . The cost one way was 8 pesos our regular bus to the stop and 25 pesos from the bus stop to the gardens. Its about an hour out of the city and costs for admission is 200 pesos per person. There is a lovely gift shop, sitting areas., Restaurant, clean bathrooms and lots of trails. Located by a river . Lots of birds to see. Admission is free the next day if you choose to go see it again. Perfect for a weddings.

Harpreet Grewal

15:16 10 Mar 18

I'd say it's beautiful, but words aren't going to do it justice and pictures just give a glimpse. There's so much to see and experience with all of the trails, the different covered structures, etc. The only thing that left me feeling disappointed was that I didn't think ahead and make a point to spend more time here. I proposed to my girlfriend here (it was the perfect setting to pop the question so of course she said "yes"), so I can at least take comfort knowing that we'll be back to see it again.

Alec Carstens

17:20 14 Feb 18

This is one of the best botanical gardens we ever visited (having lived in 9 countries in the past 38 years). An earlier absolute winner we reported on is Kings Garden in Perth, Australia. The flower and tree diversity in the Vallarta Botanical Gardens is immense; in a space of one square meter 5 species may occur, many with brilliant flower or leaf colors, or bark characteristics. Some you may think to recognize from elsewhere, but often they have striking differences, leaves and flowers may vary in shape and colors, indicating variation within a species or even a different species. There is a separate cactus section. A covered section, open on the sides, houses orchids. The designer gardens are surrounded by hectares of natural jungle, with pathways winding up and down through the landscape (some pathways are quite narrow with challenging ledges), and a river runs through it where you can actually swim near a natural rapids. We spent three hours walking through the gardens, and still didn't see all. In addition, the bird life is astonishing. The grounds are mitaculously kept and clearly management has everything very well "bajo control". We would have liked some more signage on what the plants and trees are called. But then again we are biologists, and others may not experience it as missing. Highly recommended.

Maarten van Ginkel

01:11 11 Feb 18

Such a wonderful getaway from the crowded town. This place is the perfect place to relax, hike, observe the nature. We admired the countless types of orchids, cactuses, cocoa & coffee trees, among colorful butterflies and delicate hummingbirds. The entire experience was paired perfectly with the delicious food of the restaurant, served by friendly staff. Even my moody teenager got to enjoy it!

Roxana Cocariu

02:15 31 Dec 17

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