Hello, and welcome to OnVallartaTime! El Jardín Botánico, or Botanical Garden of Puerto Vallarta, is a must-see attraction when visiting this city. It’s a little way out of town, so it’s a bit of a hassle to get there, but it is truly worth it. I have some pictures of the gardens to share with you, but first, a short note about what we’ve been doing since the last post.

We are back on our own now on our adventure. Our friend Liep has been and gone (until next year, Liep!), and Eve left yesterday after staying here for three months. We are already missing her. It’s amazing how fast three months goes…

We took a trip (bus, then water taxi) to Las Animas Beach, a less-developed and largely pristine beach south of the city, with a whole group of folks, organized by our friends Vic and Pat. We had a great time sitting around in a beachside palapa restaurant, talking, eating and putting away the cervezas. On the way back, we had a close encounter with a mama whale and her baby, who breached about 200 feet away from the boat! A photo op for sure but because I was sitting in a middle seat I wasn’t able to get a clear shot. You’ll just have to imagine that magnificent tail all the way out of the water as she dove.

Other than that, we haven’t done much of note, just taking it easy, hanging out at the beach, taking advantage (especially with visitors) of the vibrant Vallarta restaurant scene, and generally enjoying life here in paradise.

Now to the Botanical Garden. About ten years ago our friend Bob Price had a vision of a world-class botanical garden here, showcasing local, Mexican, and general tropical plants. He bought a piece of property south of town, and with volunteer help, grants, and hard work was able to build his dream, now managed by a non-profit. The large grounds are located on a hillside above a mountain stream, a few kilometers south of town, up in the hills just off the highway to El Tuito. To get there, you take the El Tuito bus for about 12 pesos,  82 cents US, or you can take a taxi for considerably more. It’s a regular bus stop, easy to find. Peggy and I are members, and we go to the garden at least once a year.

For the visit I’m about to show you, we went with Eve and Liep. We had a great lunch in the garden’s restaurant and then spent the afternoon wandering the grounds. We were especially interested in seeing the new orchid pavilion, built since we last visited.

Peggy, me and Eve at the entrance to the gardens, immediately after slathering ourselves with insect repellent, pretty much a necessity. Liep took the pic.

Approaching the main visitor center/lodge, home to the restaurant, a gift shop, and lots of areas just to hang out and take in the scenery. (Pic by Liep)

Inside the lodge.

The restaurant’s wood-fired oven (thanks for the picture, Eve!).

Peggy, Liep and Eve at lunch.

Part of the view from the restaurant.

Looking down into the river canyon. You can see the steps down to the river in the foreground. There are walking/hiking trails all over the property.

The paths around the grounds are nicely landscaped. with exemplars of lots of different plants, many of them labeled.

Epiphytes (air plants) are everywhere.

Beautiful hanging orchids, which the restaurant uses to garnish the drinks.

Orchid as garnish

The garden is noted for its orchids, and some are for sale.

The new orchid pavilion.

The decorative pillars of the pavilion.

There are lots of orchids here — here are some of them.

Orchids and more orchids!

A particularly beautiful one.

This is vanilla. Did you know it was an orchid?

The beautiful paths wind around the various buildings and exhibits.

Chocolate, anyone?

 A view back towards the lodge.

There are aquatic plants, too.

Peggy by one of the ponds.

You can buy fish food for the koi.

Beautiful hanging flowers near the lodge.

Well, that’s it for the Botanical Garden! I was only able to show you a fraction of what is there. If you get a chance to visit, I suggest you do so. It’s a special place.

I do have a couple of parting shots for you…

 Me checking out a new friend, at Las Animas Beach.

Finally, Peggy and I out to dinner!

Tomorrow, Peggy and I leave for a side trip to Oaxaca for a week, a place I love and haven’t been back to in years. The plane leaves Puerto Vallarta via Mexico City early in the morning. So, next time, Oaxaca!

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