Vallarta Botanical Garden Takes 4th Place In USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice 2018

Botanical Garden in Puerto Vallarta First Outside the U.S. to Place on Top 10 List Since 2016 The people have voted, and the Vallarta Botanical Garden (www.vbgardens.org) in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, placed fourth among all botanical gardens in the prestigious 10Best Readers’ Choice 2018 awards from newspaper “USA Today.” The list has been dominated by gardens in the U.S., and this achievement by Vallarta Botanical Garden marks only the second time an international garden has placed on the list. “We are proud of the unique offering the Vallarta Botanical Gardens has brought to Puerto Vallarta and its flora and fauna offerings,” said Javier Aranda Pedrero, director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board. “We congratulate them on being recognized as one of the best gardens in the Americas. “We invite our visitors to experience the many ecological adventures offered in Puerto Vallarta, including the Estero el Salado and Marino Los Arcos National Park,” Aranda Pedrero added. A panel of experts — including Cindy Brockway (The Trustees), Mommy Nearest, Kyle McCarthy (Family Travel Forum), Eileen Ogintz (Taking the Kids), Abby Meyer (Botanic Gardens Conservation International-U.S.), and Katy Moss Warner (American Horticultural Society) — voted on the top 20 botanical gardens, and then the final top 10 were determined by popular vote at the 10Best website. Vallarta Botanical Garden, in fourth place, was topped only by the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, in third; second-place garden Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, in Chaska, Minnesota; and top vote getter Longwood Gardens, in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. “It is truly an honor and privilege to be part of this distinction that could have only been possible with the support of our community,” said Bob Price, founder and curator of Vallarta Botanical Garden. “The Vallarta Botanical Garden is young and small, but it has a great and growing impact that will not be unnoticed. “Your votes in this contest show people near and far that Puerto Vallarta is a botanical and horticultural world-class destination, and it deserves your visit,” he added. For the complete list of 10Best botanical garden winners, visit https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-botanical-garden/.   About Vallarta Botanical Garden Vallarta Botanical Garden is a not-for-profit organization started in 2004 with the mission to propagate, study, discover, conserve and display native plants from Mexico and from around the world. The garden sits on 20 acres of land and is home to a vast diversity of Mexican plant species, including the most visited public collection of orchids in Mexico. There are four conservatories showcasing local and exotic flowers from all over the world, plus vanilla, chocolate and coffee plantations; a museum; a rock collection; and a population of hummingbirds and other wild birds. The Los Horcones River, offering breathtaking views, runs alongside the property, which is also home to award-winning restaurant Hacienda de Oro. For more information on Vallarta Botanical Garden, please visit https://www.vbgardens.org/.