Vallarta Botanical Gardens

A highlight of our trip to Mexico was a visit to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens.  It was easy to catch a bus for less than $2 and travel the the 14 miles from the sea to the Botanical Gardens located in a dry tropical forest 1300 feet above sea level. Our guide told us that one of the garden’s goals is to have this garden have the largest collection of Mexican orchids.  It was beautiful to see orchids growing in their habit on trees throughout the garden and in the Vanilla Orchid Conservatory.

This a vanilla orchid. Notice the 2 golden vanilla beans.

The vanilla orchid is quite a vine.  Of course, I brought some vanilla home

Yes, this is blue! Philippine Jade Vine, Strongylodon macrobotrys. It didn’t look real but it is.

A close up of Thunbergia mysorensis a relative of the Black Eyed Susan Vine.

How cool is this! The vines hung along the edge of the patio like a curtain.

I couldn’t resist  standing in the curtain of vines. Yup, me with socks in my sandals. Insect repellent is advised when visiting the tropics.  We didn’t get stung by anything.

We sat on the upstairs balcony of the wonderful restaurant in the gardens. Yum!
Later I’ll show pictures of some of the wonderful orchids.