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    Satellite view of the area of the Mariposario Jardín Mágico, Jalisco

    Photo by EOX IT Services, Copernicus Sentinel data 2016, CC BY 4.0, via EOxCloudless

    Mariposario Jardín Mágico

    Landmark Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Municipality of Puerto Vallarta Banderas Bay

    Banderas Bay's only butterfly sanctuary, a shaded garden in Campo Verde where guides explain the life cycle and visitors release a butterfly.

    From Puerto Vallarta: 15 min by car (8 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to Mariposario Jardín Mágico

    Look for tours of the area around Sayulita that stop at Mariposario Jardín Mágico.

    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 Mariposario Jardín Mágico

    • From Puerto Vallarta: about 15 min by road (~8 km)
    • Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
    Rent a car at PVR Flights to PVR

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Puerto Vallarta, near Mariposario Jardín Mágico

    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 Mariposario Jardín Mágico

    Mariposario Jardín Mágico is a butterfly sanctuary and garden in the green hills on the inland side of Puerto Vallarta, in the Campo Verde neighbourhood north of the city centre and not far from the airport. Opened in 2019, it calls itself the only butterfly sanctuary on Banderas Bay, and it works as a small conservation project: it raises native butterflies and pollinators, grows the native plants they depend on, and runs educational visits about local biodiversity, pesticides and habitat loss.

    The garden is compact and shaded, with narrow paths between flowering plants under a fabric roof that filters the sun. Butterflies drift between the blossoms, among them blue morphos, which flash bright blue in flight and look dull brown when they close their wings, monarchs and zebra longwings. Staff point out host plants, eggs, feeding caterpillars and chrysalises hanging in the shade, so you see the whole life cycle in one place. A separate pollinator museum shows butterflies, insects and other pollinators through exhibits and natural history displays.

    Most visits are guided group tours of about 45 minutes, leaving on the hour and ending with a butterfly release; private tours and packages with transport from the hotel zones are also sold. It is an easy outing for families, about 10 minutes by taxi from Nuevo Vallarta, and a change from the beach on a hot day. The sanctuary recommends booking ahead in the busy winter season.

    How to get to Mariposario Jardín Mágico

    Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 15 min, 8 km

    The sanctuary is at Calle Golondrina 60 in Fraccionamiento Campo Verde. By taxi, Uber or InDrive it is about 10 minutes from Nuevo Vallarta. From the Zona Romántica, city buses C12 (Portales), C24 (Mojoneras) and C36 (Banus) stop at the second entrance to Campo Verde on the main avenue; from there it is a 7-minute walk along the dead-end road beside the cemetery, following the signs. Parking is free.

    Directions to Mariposario Jardín Mágico on Google Maps

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

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

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    From the nearest cities to Mariposario Jardín Mágico

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

    Before you go to Mariposario Jardín Mágico: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Open every day; the butterfly garden from 9:00 to 16:00 in summer and 10:00 to 16:00 in winter, the pollinator museum 9:00 to 15:30. Closed 25 December and 1 January. Mariposario Jardín Mágico · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    About US$20 for admission with the group guided tour and butterfly release; private guided visits about US$36 per person (minimum two). Mariposario Jardín Mágico · checked Oct 2026
    Time needed
    The group tour lasts about 45 minutes; packages with transport from the hotel zones take 2.5 to 3 hours. Mariposario Jardín Mágico · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    Book ahead in the winter season, when tours often fill up. Mariposario Jardín Mágico · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    Group tours with a guide leave every hour and are included with admission; private guides can be booked. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Mariposario Jardín Mágico · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Sunscreen, plant-based insect repellent, a hat, sunglasses, comfortable shoes and some cash for tips. Mariposario Jardín Mágico · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Food and drinks only at the tables outside the sanctuary; leashed pets are allowed. Walkways are wheelchair accessible, the restrooms are not. Mariposario Jardín Mágico · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Mariposario Jardín Mágico: what to see and do

    Join a guided group tour through the shaded butterfly garden, which ends with releasing a butterfly.
    Look for blue morphos, monarchs and zebra longwings among the flowers.
    See caterpillars on their host plants and chrysalises hanging in the shade.
    Visit the pollinator museum, with displays on butterflies, insects and other pollinators.

    Plan your trip

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    Tours & activities

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    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 41 min by road to Sayulita, then 31 km more to Mariposario Jardín Mágico, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

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

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    When to go to Mariposario Jardín Mágico warm

    Mariposario Jardín Mágico shares the climate of Sayulita, 31 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 Mariposario Jardín Mágico, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.