| | |  News from Around Banderas Bay | July 2008 
Vallarta Botanical Gardens: The Crown Jewel of Vallarta
 Bob Price - PVNN
| Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am-6 pm, the Vallarta Botanical Gardens are beautiful this time of the year.
Visit the website at VallartaBotanicalGardensAC.org
(Paco Ojeda) | | |
If you’d like to see a different side of Puerto Vallarta and one of the genuine treasures of the city, then head out to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens, located on coastal route 200, just 30 minutes south of town.
Vallarta Botanical Gardens opened its gates on November 15th, 2005. Since then it has grown to become one of Puerto Vallarta’s most fabulous "must see" tourist attractions. The gardens are located in the mountains at an elevation of 1,500 feet above sea level where you will find a rejuvenating and much cooler micro-climate that is always a delightful surprise to Garden visitors.
The Gardens are a living museum showcasing some exceptional examples of the abundant natural diversity found in the Puerto Vallarta area. As you enter the Gardens, look for a sign that directs you to the swinging bridge. Follow the iron handrail and lead yourself through a pristine swath of original tropical forest in its full exuberant splendor.
Along this trail one will encounter the Chocolate, Coffee and Vanilla garden where living examples of each of these plants can be viewed growing in the shadows of giant forest trees.
After climbing up through the forest, one begins to descend into the Tree Fern Grotto. The Tree Fern Grotto is an important nesting area of the endemic Mexican Hermit Hummingbird. Ask at the information desk in the hacienda if you wish to observe a hummingbird nest in action!
After your visit to the Tree Fern Grotto, head off to the Holstien Conservatory of Mexican Orchids. In this remarkable conservatory, one can see many examples of native Mexican orchids in bloom, plus collections of carnivorous plants, rare ferns, and other native curiosities. The Orchid Conservatory was a charitable gift to Vallarta Botanical Gardens which opened to the public in early 2008.
Just outside the conservatory you will find the restroom area that doubles as a small natural history museum with butterfly, insect and seashell collections. From the vantage point of the restroom steps, one can take into perspective the stunning mountain vistas that envelope the grounds of this lovely natural oasis. To the right of the restrooms are nursery-grown blooming orchids and other exotic plants that can be purchased and taken home.
The mountains are a birdwatcher’s delight with many species of native birds easily seen from the pathways. In the morning and again in the evening, squawking groups of Lilac-Crowned Amazon parrots are active, wheeling through the skies above.
Kingfishers ply the waters for tadpoles and minnows in the sparkling Los Horcones River that creates the Gardens’ western boundary. At night the eerie hooting of the Mottled Owl adds a spooky note to the cacophony of forest sounds.
The centerpiece of the Botanical Gardens is the hacienda that serves as the visitors’ center and is also the location of the Gardens’ celebrated restaurant known as The Plantation House. Created in the style of a tropical 18th century plantation manor, the Plantation House sits on a jungle ridge overlooking the river and surrounded by the majesty of the soaring Sierra Madres in all directions.
The Plantation House serves Ranch Style Mexican food and makes homemade gourmet pizzas in a wood burning brick oven. Don’t leave without trying the homemade vanilla ice cream made with real Mexican beans splashed with Kahlua.
The Vallarta Botanical Gardens receives no funding from the government and is maintained by its members and donors and by visitor purchases in the restaurant and gift shop. Yearly memberships can be purchased at the visitors’ center and entitle members to unlimited admission to the gardens plus discounts and other privileges.
Volunteers are always welcomed as greeters and garden docents. The Vallarta Botanical Gardens are a registered 501c3 not-for-profit organization whose main goals are creating environmental awareness and appreciation of plants, especially Mexican plants. These gardens are also the backdrop to some of the area's most lavish weddings and events.
The Vallarta Botanical Gardens now offer guided off-road birding and botanical tours on brand new fully automatic ATVs or on horseback at the equestrian center, Rancho Botanico. To reserve a tour, or get more information on these magical Gardens, call 223-6182 or email info(at)vallartabotanicalgardensac.org. |
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