Vallarta Botanical Gardens: a PV must-see
There’s nothing more energizing, yet serene, than meandering through a beautiful botanical garden. The Vallarta Botanical Gardens in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, are no exception.
I really loved the lily pond at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens.
The Vallarta Botanical Gardens have repeatedly been named to the “Top 10 North American Gardens Worth Travelling For” list and I can see why. I was impressed with the natural layout and variety of flora that the PV Gardens offer. “We really love being able to preserve and conserve the puzzle of local ecology here,” says Neil Gerlowski, executive director of the Vallarta Botanical Garden.
Executive Director Neil Gerlowski (right) receives a delivery of confiscated illegal orchid trees from the Secretariat of Natural Resources for Mexico during our visit. The Garden will rehabilitate the plants and return them to the wild when they are ready. Only one third are likely to survive.
“We’re the stewards and caretakers of these plants and will return these illegally acquired plants back to the wild when they are ready. People think it’s alright to plant them in their home gardens, but it definitely is not,” says Gerlowski.
The Vallarta Botanical Garden is located in a tropical dry semi-deciduous forest, so you can expect quite a variety of trees, plants and flowers to please and educate you.
The amazing view from the Visitor Centre and gift shop at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens.
I was thrilled to see a sampling of cacao trees in the garden and to be asked to be a speaker at the first annual Cacao and Chocolate Festival. In addition to learning from a terrific lineup of speakers, take a tour of the garden’s own cacao trees, sample a great selection of local chocolate on hand to purchase, and have a look at the interesting variety of books featuring chocolate including copies of volume I of Chocolatour. (There will be a robust chapter on Mexico in volume II of Chocolatour.)
The Vallarta Botanical Gardens offer a good variety of Mexican-grown organic chocolate and have cacao trees on site as well.
Have you been to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens? Do you enjoy visiting botanical gardens when you visit different places?
What a beautifully written post! Your vivid descriptions and stunning photos truly bring the Vallarta Botanical Gardens to life. I love how you captured the vibrant colors, diverse flora, and serene atmosphere of this must-see destination. Your tips and personal experiences make it even more enticing for anyone planning a visit to Puerto Vallarta. Thank you for sharing such a detailed and heartfelt account—it feels like a virtual escape to paradise!
The Botanical Garden you have visited seems to be an amazing place to visit! Being a Biotechnologist I have had a lot of chances to visit such amazing places before changing my career path and have always loved it myself too 🙂
I loved the amazing view of the lily pond and the one from the visitor and gift shop area you have shared 😀
If you ever make it to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Sushmita, I know you will enjoy a visit to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens.
We just came from a visit to the Phipps Conservatory and the orchid room is my favorite, so I’m sad to hear they get stolen! The gardens are lovely.
Hi Rose: I truly love orchid gardens. I am waiting for Neil from the Vallarta Botanical Garden to write me and explain why people cannot grow orchids in their yards in Jalisco, MX. I will research this topic further. Cheers, and I hope that I soon get to visit the Phipps Conservatory. I recall you posting about it, and it sounds lovely. Happy weekend! 🙂
I love going to botanical gardens. Not only can they house local plants, some can include plants from other countries that would not grow in your local climate. I would love to see a cacao tree somewhere near me in one.
It must of been wonderful to be given the honor of speaking at this festival.
Hi William: I can’t remember which state you live in, but there are now cacao trees growing in south Florida in Patch of Heaven Gardens near Miami. I’m waiting for them to send me a sample of the chocolate made from the beans of those trees. Very exciting1
Hi Doreen,
amazing photos & nice post.
I just wonder how you manage to find enough time for traveling in all these amazing places 🙂
Hi Kristina and thx for your comment. All of my trips are super quick. That’s how I manage to fit several in within the year.
I don’t often visit botanical garden but this looks stunning, but I’m curious about the comment concerning illegally obtained plants. Anyway, if I ever make it back to Puerto Vallarta I will definitely include a visit here!
Hi Marty and thx for your comment. If you read the caption on the photo with the 2 men, you will see that the director of the VBG was receiving a load of orchids from a fellow with the Natural Resources Dept who obtained the plants from people who planted them in their own yards. In Mexico, orchids are a protected species that are only permitted to be grown in state-run gardens. I have not investigated to see whether this policy is common outside of Mexico.
First of all, congratulations on being asked to be a speaker at the Cacao and Chocolate Festival, let alone the very first one. What an achievement and a great opportunity.
The gardens seem so beautiful. I love the idea behind it, to help preserve local ecology and flora, and to rehabilitate the plants. Though I am surprised that orchids can be planted illegally!
Hi Emily and thanks for your comment. Yes, I was truly honoured to be invited by the Vallarta Botanical Gardens to participate in their Chocolate Fest and they were also selling my book. Not sure if they have any copies left! I will be featuring them in volume II of Chocolatour.
I’ve never visited a botanical garden while travelling (but to my defense, I rarely ever travel.) But I do enjoy them in my own hometown. And living in an urban area, there are quite a few. One of the most amazing ones is a free one right off of the UCLA college campus. You can just walk right in. And I bet a lot of people living in Los Angeles don’t even know it is there.
Thx for sharing that tip, Erica! The next time I am in LA, I shall visit that Botanical Garden at UCLA!
I have not visited a botanical garden. Judging by your photographs I am missing out! I love beautiful gardens and yearn to explore the outside once the sun rears its head.
Phoenicia, if you love flowers and plants, you will love visiting a botanical garden. I have been to a number of them now, and each is so different, depending on the location and its local plants. I truly was impressed and inspired by the lovely setting of the Vallarta Botanical Gardens and the amazing collection of plants they have in their collection.
My friend has just told me how decent the Van Botanical Gardens are, never something on my radar when I travel but looks as if they are pretty special around the world!
Yes, you’d be surprised what you can learn about the flora and fauna about a place by visiting its botanical gardens. I do that to get a handle on the natural scene of a place, and visit the local markets to get a sense of what kind of agricultural crops and fish are local to the region. Cheers!
Great post! You have an amazing blog:)
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Interesting read, Doreen and what a beautiful place. Congratulations on being asked to speak at the festival! 🙂
I’ve still not visited Puerto Vallarta despite being here for nearly 4 years! I do love botanical gardens (there’s an amazing one in Oaxaca) so I’ll definitely visit as and when we get to PV!
Hi Katja. I’ve not yet been to Oaxaca, but it’s certainly on my list. Am currently in Uxmal and then off to Merida. Both new locations for me. Loving Mexico.
I love botanical gardens! That one looks amazing.
Hi, Marta. Yes, there’s certainly something very wonderful about strolling thru a botanical garden. Today, we enjoyed exploring the eco garden at Uxmal.
The Vallarta botanical garden looks fantastic from you pictures. If I go there I will definitely pay a visit. Love the fact that there’s chocolate as well:-)
Hi Catarina. Yes, there’s a surprisingly good assortment of Mexican chocolate at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens. We had a wonderful tasting event at the Chocolate Festival.
i always enjoy botanical gardens – you’re posts on PV are definitely making me want to go back there!!! Thanks for another good one Doreen:-)
Thx, Kathy. I’m glad I’m enticing you to revisit Puerto Vallarta. I really enjoyed my second visit the of 2015,
I had no idea that it was illegal for individuals to plant orchid trees. I enjoy visiting tropical gardens because they are so completely foreign to what I’m used to seeing in my semi desert region.
Hi, Linda. I, too, as surprised to learn that it is illegal to possess wild orchids. Having commercially grown ones from a nursery is a different story.
Botantic Gardens are a great place to learn about the local flora. Fascinating places really. And congratulations on being asked to speak at the Cacoa and Chocolate Festival! That will be fun and a perfect match for you!
Thx, Elizabeth. It was a great event.
Yes we did!
I visited Vallarta Botanical Gardens while at the NATJA conference and loved it!
Hi Cindy. We certainly had a lot of amazing opportunities during the NATJA conference in PV, didn’t we? I feel really grateful to have been part of it.
I like visiting botanical gardens when I travel, especially if they focus on local ecosystems. I like that the Valhalla Botanical Gardens works to return illegally acquired plants back to the wild. I hope all goes well at the Cacao and Chocolate Festival. Enjoy.
Thx, Donna! I’m looking forward to it.
Yes, I enjoy botanical gardens almost as much as the local markets. Both give you insight into the local attributes of any given destination.