For 50 pesos per person (about $2.25 U.S.) entrance fee, we received a helpful map showing many choices of walking trails. We started at the top of the canyon where the plants included a variety of cacti, headed across to the conservatory, and then down to the reservoir and wetlands, a habitat for birds and other wildlife.
Signs along the way described the plants, the historical water pipes, and the pools, both in English and Spanish. The rocky canyon with cacti growing on the side of the rocks was my favorite part. We saw a bright green, large iguana on the rocks, too, but he stayed far from the hiking paths.
A few wildflowers were blooming here and there and a few sculptures were displayed. I recommend the El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden for a good, fresh-air hike. We are fit enough to be able to descend to the reservoir and climb back up to the rim, though at over 6200 feet elevation, we got our aerobic exercise for the day. A less strenuous walk is available by staying on the rim, a nice place to have a picnic on benches in the shade and enjoy the views.
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Looks like a lovely hike. One thing we appreciated in Mexico and Belize was often having parks and hiking trails to ourselves. It can be hard to find those kinds of situations in the US. One National Park in Belize was so hard to get to, involving a very long taxi ride down an extremely bumpy, rutted entrance road, that we were the ONLY people there the whole day! Our taxi driver took a nap while waiting for us to explore the ruins and trails for hours. You don't forget experiences like that. Nice to be mask-free, too!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Emily. We have enjoyed quite a few parks and gardens in Mexico, mostly uncrowded. One of my favorites was Parque Nacional Barranca del Cupatitzio in Uruapan. And I can't wait to get back home so we can take a trip to Vallarta Botanical Garden in PV--still my favorite. I expect that it will be uncrowded, too--I hope so, anyway. It's so important to find hiking trails where we can walk without masks to be able to breath fresh air! Breathing through a mask, while necessary at times, seems to cause it's own health issues.
DeleteTake care!
Terry