↑ ↓ to move ↵ to open esc to close
    Planted beds, rocks and palms in the Vallarta Botanical Garden with forested hills behind, Jalisco

    Photo by Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    A path through the plant conservatory of the Vallarta Botanical Garden, Jalisco

    Photo by Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    The welcome center and Hacienda de Oro restaurant of the Vallarta Botanical Garden, Jalisco

    Photo by Media owned by Vallarta Botanical Gardens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Nature reserve Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco Municipality of Cabo Corrientes Banderas Bay

    A hillside botanical garden at km 24 south of Puerto Vallarta, famous for its orchids, jungle trails, birding and swims in the Horcones River.

    From Puerto Vallarta: 30 min by car (29 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Where to stay near Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Jardín Botánico de Vallarta.

    Hotels in Jardín Botánico de Vallarta Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Jardín Botánico de Vallarta; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Puerto Vallarta Winner 2026 Downtown Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours ★ 5.0 (3,971) · From US$59
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    • From Puerto Vallarta: about 30 min by road (~29 km)
    • Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
    Rent a car at PVR Flights to PVR

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Puerto Vallarta, near Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Winner 2026 Downtown Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours ★ 5.0 (3,971) 3 h 30 min From US$59
    Puerto Vallarta Extreme Adventure: Wildest Bridge, ATV & Ziplines ★ 4.9 (3,357) 6 h From US$69
    Puerto Vallarta Zipline, Rappel, Water Slide & Speedboat tour ★ 4.9 (2,144) 6 h 30 min From US$69
    Food & Mixology Tour:Tequila,Tacos, Mezcal and Agave Cocktails ★ 5.0 (1,949) 4 h From US$98
    Puerto Vallarta Rhythms of the Night, Dinner Cruise and Alma Show ★ 4.5 (2,093) 5 h From US$119

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    The Vallarta Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico de Vallarta) lies in the hills at kilometer 24 of Highway 200, about 24 kilometers south of Puerto Vallarta, past Boca de Tomatlán on the road to El Tuito, in the community of Las Juntas y Los Veranos in the municipality of Cabo Corrientes. It covers about 32 hectares at roughly 400 meters above sea level, most of it kept as a forest reserve, along the valley of the Horcones River. It was founded in 2004, opened to the public in 2005, and is run by a non-profit association with the support of a United States friends group, without government funding.

    The collections center on the tropical dry forest in which the garden sits, alongside exotic plants from around the world. Orchids are its specialty: the garden propagates and conserves them, and you see them growing on trees throughout the grounds and in the Holstein Orchid and Vanilla House. There are also notable collections of oaks, bromeliads, agaves, cacti and wild palms, an interfaith chapel, Our Lady of the Garden, at the heart of an International Peace Garden dedicated in 2017, and the Hacienda de Oro restaurant, whose terrace looks over the river valley. In 2022 it became the first botanical garden outside the United States to receive the American Public Gardens Association's Garden of Excellence award.

    Beyond the manicured gardens, trails lead into the native forest, and visitors are welcome to swim in the Horcones River, which runs through the property. Birdwatchers do best early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The garden holds a Festival of Flowers and the Garden in the last week of February, with tours, workshops and plant sellers, and celebrates the Day of the Dead on November 2. It makes an easy half-day trip from Puerto Vallarta by bus, taxi or tour.

    How to get to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 30 min, 29 km

    The garden is at km 24 of Highway 200 (Puerto Vallarta to Barra de Navidad), about 24 km south of Puerto Vallarta past Boca de Tomatlán. The blue El Tuito bus leaves from the corner of Carranza and Aguacate in the Zona Romántica every 30 minutes, on the hour and half hour, costs 50 pesos each way and takes about 45 minutes; ask the driver for the Jardín Botánico and it drops you at the front gate. Return buses also run every half hour. By car there is free parking on site. A taxi back from the garden costs roughly 600 pesos to the Zona Romántica; Uber cannot be called from the garden, but staff can arrange a return taxi.

    Directions to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Open 9 am to 6 pm. From December to March it opens every day; from April to November it is closed on Mondays. Vallarta Botanical Garden · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    Admission is 300 pesos for adults (over 10), 150 pesos for children 5 to 10, and free under 5. Pets on a leash pay 100 pesos. Vallarta Botanical Garden · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    For birdwatching, come early in the morning or late in the day, when the birds are most active. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    The Festival of Flowers and the Garden fills the last week of February with tours, classes, workshops and plant and craft sellers; on November 2 the garden marks the Day of the Dead. Wikipedia (es) · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    You can visit on your own; the garden also sells a guided tour package that includes round-trip transport from Puerto Vallarta. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Vallarta Botanical Garden · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, bug spray (also sold on site), bottled water, sunglasses, a hat, and a swimsuit if you plan to swim in the river. Vallarta Botanical Garden · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    No outside food or drink except bottled water, and no picnics. Pets must stay on a leash. Drone photography must be arranged in advance and has an extra fee. Vallarta Botanical Garden · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Jardín Botánico de Vallarta: what to see and do

    See orchids on the trees and in the Holstein Orchid and Vanilla House.
    Walk the trails through the native tropical dry forest.
    Swim in the Horcones River, which runs through the garden.
    Watch birds in the early morning or late afternoon.
    Visit the chapel of Our Lady of the Garden in the International Peace Garden.
    Have breakfast or lunch on the terrace of the Hacienda de Oro restaurant over the river valley.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Jardín Botánico de Vallarta.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Jardín Botánico de Vallarta; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 41 min by road to Sayulita, then 47 km more to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), about 41 min by road from Sayulita, the base for Jardín Botánico de Vallarta.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on hiking at Jardín Botánico de Vallarta, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Photos

    When to go to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta warm

    Jardín Botánico de Vallarta shares the climate of Sayulita, 47 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.

    See the month-by-month climate of Sayulita

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Sayulita

    Palm-shaded street of shops and stalls in the center of Sayulita, Nayarit warm
    Nayarit Sayulita

    Sayulita is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Near Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Nature Parks in Jalisco · 17 Nature Parks near Puerto Vallarta · 7 Nature Parks near Talpa de Allende · 5 Nature Parks near Mascota · 4

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.