Nature reserve Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo Municipality of Puerto Morelos Riviera Maya
Puerto Morelos' 65-hectare jungle botanical garden, with labelled trails, a chiclero camp, a small Maya ruin, a lookout tower and spider monkeys.
From Playa del Carmen: 35 min by car (33 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Tours to Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín
Day trips and guided outings from Cozumel often include Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tours from Playa del Carmen
Chichen Itza, Cenote, and Valladolid Tour
★ 4.7 (25,652) · From US$49
How to get to Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín
- From Playa del Carmen: about 35 min by road (~33 km)
- Nearest airport: Cozumel (CZM), 7 min by car to Cozumel
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Tours from Playa del Carmen, near Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín
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About Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín
The Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín, also called Yaax Ché, covers about 65 hectares of semi-evergreen forest and mangrove on Highway 307 at km 320, roughly 2 km south of the Puerto Morelos turn-off. It opened in 1982 to protect the plants of the region and is named after Alfredo Barrera Marín, a scientist who studied the Yucatán's natural history and Maya plant knowledge. It is run by the research centre El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) and is often described as the largest botanical garden in Mexico.
Groomed trails wind through the forest, with plants labelled in Spanish, English and Latin, and themed sections for palms, cacti, ornamental and medicinal plants. Along the way are a re-created chiclero camp, where the sap of the chicozapote tree was boiled into blocks of chicle; a traditional Maya house; a small Maya structure known as El Altar; a suspension bridge about 40 m long; and a lookout tower over the mangroves toward the sea. Spider monkeys, coatis, iguanas and many birds live in the reserve, and the garden is a known stop for birdwatchers.
A full loop takes about an hour at an easy pace. The forest is shady but humid, and the mosquitoes are serious, so repellent and water are essential. The garden's weekday hours make it a good morning stop on the way to Puerto Morelos or before heading inland on the Ruta de los Cenotes, whose arch stands just across the highway.
How to get to Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín
Drive from Playa del Carmen: 35 min, 33 km
The garden is on the west side of Highway 307 at km 320, about 2 km south of the Puerto Morelos junction and roughly 36 km south of Cancún. Colectivo vans running between Cancún and Playa del Carmen can drop you at the gate; ask for the Jardín Botánico. By car there is parking at the entrance.
Directions to Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín
- Playa del Carmen · 33 km by road, 35 min
- Cancún · 37 km by road, 40 min
- Valladolid · 169 km by road, 2 h 10 min
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 Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- Monday to Friday 08:00–16:00; closed at weekends (some guides list Saturday openings, so check before going). Wikivoyage Puerto Morelos (2025); Zona Turística · checked Oct 2026
- Entry
- M$120 for foreign visitors; Quintana Roo residents with ID about M$50. Wikivoyage Puerto Morelos (2025); Zona Turística · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Water, insect repellent and comfortable shoes; mosquitoes are plentiful. Wikivoyage Puerto Morelos (2025); Loco Gringo · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín: what to see and do
The re-created chiclero camp and the chicozapote trees scarred by tapping
The lookout tower over the mangroves toward the Caribbean
The suspension bridge and the small Maya structure known as El Altar
The traditional Maya house and the medicinal-plant garden
Spider monkeys and birds along the forest trails
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Cozumel often include Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at CZM (Cozumel): about 7 min by road to Cozumel, then 40 km more to Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Cozumel (CZM), about 7 min by road from Cozumel, the base for Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín.
Travel insurance
If you plan on hiking at Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Cozumel: download a map of the way to Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín warm
Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín shares the climate of Cozumel, 40 km away. The best months to visit are February, March, April, and May.
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Weather in Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín now and the next 7 days
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The closest Pueblo Mágico: Cozumel
Cozumel is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Isla Mujeres · Quintana Roo · 47 km away
Closest to Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín
-
Ruta de los Cenotes · Nature reserve · 1 km away
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Puerto Morelos · Town · 3 km away
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Croco Cun · Nature reserve · 4 km away
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Punta Nizuc · Nature reserve · 25 km away
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Punta Esmeralda · Beach · 27 km away
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Playa del Carmen · City · 30 km away
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Quinta Avenida · Landmark · 30 km away
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Laguna Nichupté · Lagoon · 31 km away
Near Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Jardín Botánico Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marín
Nature Parks in Quintana Roo · 12 Nature Parks near Playa del Carmen · 10 Nature Parks near Cancún · 5 Nature Parks near Cozumel · 9Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.