Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - On November 15, Vallarta Botanical Gardens will celebrate it´s sixth birthday! When we opened our gates to the public for the first time in November 2005, it was a time of great hope, excitement and uncertainty.

As we at VBG look back on the important milestones of our early years, we reflect on past accomplishments and the many challenges that still lie ahead. To all of you who believed in the dream of this botanical garden, I wish to say, "Thank You!"

I would especially like to thank my mother, Betty Price, the cofounder of these Gardens, who believed as I did that Puerto Vallarta should have a special place where the biodiversity of Mexico could be preserved and showcased. Thanks, Mom! As it was in 2005, 2011 is a time of hope, excitement and big dreams for the future.

The importance and relevance of our botanical garden to the visitor experience in Puerto Vallarta is increasing, as the Gardens come to be regarded by many as one of Vallarta’s "hidden jewels" and an important tourism generator for the area.

The Gardens were recently ranked by TripAdvisor as number 6 out of 80 Puerto Vallarta–area attractions. We invite you to come out and see what´s new! Please consider helping the Gardens attract new visitors by writing a review of your visit on Trip Advisor.

We are now in the planning stage for our annual gala celebration, Noche de las Luminarias. You wont want to miss this special evening that celebrates our garden’s family of members. Noche de las Luminarias will be held the evening of Tuesday, February 7th. Please visit our new website, vbgardens.org to renew or purchase a new membership and join us at this year's Noche de las Luminarias on Feb. 7th from 6 'til 10 pm.

The temperatures have begun to freshen, and excitement is in the air as we look forward to greeting returning members and seeing the new faces of the 2011/2012 winter season, many of whom have already started to arrive in town.

November Events at VBG

Sunday, November 20 - "Medicines from the Jungle" workshop with Dr Leslie Korn.
English 2 pm, Spanish 3 pm

Thursday, November 24 - Thanksgiving Feast at Hacienda de Oro Restaurant
Traditional American dinner with all the trimmings, $260 pesos. Call (322) 223-6182 for reservations.

Sunday, November 27 - Orchid Society meeting
Orchid discussion by TJ Hartung at 2 pm

Starting November 28th, the Gardens will commence with its winter season schedule, being open 9 am until 6 pm 7 days a week until the end of April.

Despite sensationalist media reports to the contrary, Mexico remains a very safe and beautiful country to visit. To those of you in Puerto Vallarta, please come up and visit us soon; to those of you in other places, keep Mexico in your hearts.

From the Gardens,
Bob Price
Curator and Founder