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    Paths and cloud-forest plants at the Jardín Botánico Clavijero, Xalapa, Veracruz

    Photo by Erikire, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Gardens of the Jardín Botánico Francisco Javier Clavijero, Xalapa, Jardín Botánico Clavijero, Veracruz

    Photo by WendyAvilesR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Jardín Botánico Clavijero

    Nature reserve Coatepec, Veracruz Municipality of Coatepec Xalapa and the coffee hills

    A large botanical garden and cloud-forest sanctuary run by INECOL on the old road between Coatepec and Xalapa.

    From Xalapa: 10 min by car (6 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Jardín Botánico Clavijero

    Where to stay near Jardín Botánico Clavijero

    Hotel Clara Luna Hotel · ★★★ · 2.1 km from the center Prices Hotel Misión Express Xalapa Centro Hotel · ★★★ · 2.2 km from the center Prices
    Hotels in Coatepec Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Jardín Botánico Clavijero

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

    Tours from Veracruz Private Sunrise Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi By Car -All inclusive ★ 5.0 (546) · From US$14
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide Tours from Coatepec

    How to get to Jardín Botánico Clavijero

    • From Xalapa: about 10 min by road (~6 km)
    • 7 km north of Coatepec
    • Nearest airport: Veracruz (VER), 1 h 37 min by car to Coatepec
    Rent a car at VER Flights to VER

    Route, map and directions ↓

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

    Tours from Veracruz, near Jardín Botánico Clavijero

    Private Sunrise Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi By Car -All inclusive ★ 5.0 (546) 12 h From US$14
    Aquatico Inbursa Waterpark: Veracruz - Ticket ★ 4.1 (49) 8 h From US$25
    Full Day Tour to Catemaco and Los Tuxtlas with Transportation ★ 4.6 (29) 12 h 30 min From US$92
    Tajín and Papantla Tour from Veracruz or Boca del Río by Highway ★ 5.0 (23) 12 h 30 min From US$112
    6-Day Private Tour of Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, and Varanasi from Delhi ★ 5.0 (20) 6 days From US$802

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

    About Jardín Botánico Clavijero

    The Jardín Botánico Francisco Javier Clavijero sits on the old road from Coatepec to Xalapa, on the southern edge of the city, and is run by INECOL, Mexico's Institute of Ecology. It is named after the 18th-century Jesuit historian from Veracruz and is one of the best-regarded botanical gardens in the country, with roughly a thousand plant species.

    The garden is divided into sections that you can walk in an hour or two: a formal garden, an arboretum, a pond and pine collection, palms, useful plants, and acahual, the regrowth that appears when farmland is left to go back to forest. The highlight is the patch of mountain cloud forest, the same kind of forest that once covered the hills around Coatepec and Xico and is now one of Mexico's most threatened ecosystems.

    It is a calm, shady place, good for birdwatching and for understanding the landscape you see on the coffee route.

    How to get to Jardín Botánico Clavijero

    Drive from Xalapa: 10 min, 6 km

    The garden is at km 2.5 of the old Xalapa–Coatepec road (carretera antigua a Coatepec), about 15 minutes by car or taxi from Coatepec. It has usually opened daily from 9 am to 5 pm with a small entry fee; check before you go.

    7 km north of Coatepec

    Directions from Coatepec on Google Maps

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

    Best with a guide Tours to Jardín Botánico Clavijero 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 Clavijero

    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 Clavijero: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Daily, 9 am to 5 pm. México Desconocido Escapadas · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    40 pesos for adults; 30 with a teacher, student or INAPAM card; 20 for children under 12. Cards accepted. INECOL · checked Oct 2026
    Time needed
    About an hour for the garden; allow 1.5–2 hours if you also walk the cloud-forest sanctuary. INECOL · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    You can walk it on your own. Guided visits are for groups of 10 or more, by appointment (228 842 1827): 100 pesos per person plus admission. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide INECOL · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Jardín Botánico Clavijero: what to see and do

    Walk the trail through the cloud-forest sanctuary.
    See the arboretum, the palm collection, and the pond with its pines.
    Learn about useful plants and how farmland returns to forest in the acahual section.
    Bring binoculars: the garden is a good spot for birds.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Jardín Botánico Clavijero

    Hotel Clara Luna Hotel · ★★★ · 2.1 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Misión Express Xalapa Centro Hotel · ★★★ · 2.2 km from the center Find on Expedia Suites Meson del Cid Hotel · ★★★ · 2.2 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Boutique San Antonio Hotel · ★★★ · 2.3 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Posada Santiago Hotel · 2.0 km from the center Find on Expedia Posada del Parque Hotel · 2.1 km from the center Find on Expedia
    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

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

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at VER (Veracruz): about 1 h 37 min by road to Coatepec, then 7 km more to Jardín Botánico Clavijero, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Veracruz (VER), about 1 h 37 min by road from Coatepec, the base for Jardín Botánico Clavijero.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

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

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Coatepec: download a map of the way to Jardín Botánico Clavijero 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. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.

    Photos

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    When to go to Jardín Botánico Clavijero mild

    Jardín Botánico Clavijero shares the climate of Coatepec, 7 km away. The best months to visit are February, March, April, and May.

    See the month-by-month climate of Coatepec

    Make Coatepec your base

    Colorful facades with balconies along a street in Coatepec, Veracruz mild
    Veracruz Coatepec

    Jardín Botánico Clavijero is an easy trip from Coatepec, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Jardín Botánico Clavijero

    All 8 towns and sights around Coatepec →

    Near Jardín Botánico Clavijero

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

    Lists with Jardín Botánico Clavijero

    Nature Parks in Veracruz · 6 Nature Parks near Xalapa · 5 Nature Parks near Xico · 4 Nature Parks near Coscomatepec · 4

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    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.