9 Best Sights in Mexico

San Miguel's botanical garden has an extensive variety of Mexican cacti and succulents collected from different parts of the country. The area is protected from encroachment by an ecological reserve of 445 acres and was visited by the Dalai Lama, who declared El Charco one of the five "zones of peace" in Mexico. A garden area will introduce you to some of the 120 varieties of agaves that grow here.

The reserve is huge and has special pathways for walking, running, and mountain biking. If you don't have MX$40 (or are with your dog, which is not allowed in the garden), the adjacent Parque Landeta has nice walking paths as well.

Twice a month, during full and new moon phases, it opens the

, ritual herbal steam baths (MX$250). If you're driving up Salida a Querétaro from El Centro, turn left at the traffic circle and follow the signs to the main entrance. A taxi will cost about MX$45.

Since its opening in 2005, the Vallarta Botanical Gardens has become a landmark of Puerto Vallarta and with good reason. The place is spectacular, set in the middle of the Sierra Madre mountains, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. In its 64 acres of land you will find extraordinary biodiversity, a vanilla plantation, hiking trails, plant conservatories, a scenic restaurant, and even a river of crystal clear waters. Plan to spend at least two hours here; you can easily spend a whole day. You can buy a tour, or explore on your own by foot or bicycle. A small shop sells plants, souvenirs, and arts and crafts.

The last of the bastions to be built has been transformed into the Xmuch-Haltún Botanical Gardens with more than 200 plant species, including the enormous ceiba tree, which had spiritual importance to the Maya, symbolizing a link between heaven, Earth, and the underworld. The original bastion, erected in 1704, was demolished at the turn of the 20th century, then rebuilt in the 1950s.

Among the most popular sights in the state of Morelos, the Borda Gardens were designed in the late 18th century for Don Manuel de la Borda, son of Don José de la Borda, a wealthy miner who established the beautiful church of Santa Prisca in Taxco. The gardens were once so famous they attracted royalty. Maximilian and Carlotta visited frequently. Here the emperor reportedly dallied with the gardener's wife, called La India Bonita, who was immortalized in a famous portrait. Novelist Malcolm Lowry turned the formal gardens into a sinister symbol in his 1947 novel Under the Volcano. A pleasant café and a well-stocked bookstore sit just inside the gates, and there's a cultural center that shows rotating art exhibits as well.

On the west side of UNAM's campus, this sprawling 32-acre swatch of greenery is Mexico's oldest botanical garden. Created in 1959 to preserve and encourage the study of the nation's diverse flora that spans the tropical, high-desert, and forested mountain regions, a walk through this remarkable landscape and its many greenhouses truly showcase Mexico's incredible biodiversity. The garden consists of 15 different collections, and contains more than 1,600 specimens, with a particularly diverse and remarkable array of cacti. A critical aspect of the garden's mission is protecting endangered flora as well as developing methods for sustaining them.

This 150-acre botanical garden is the largest in Mexico. Named for a local botanist, it exhibits the peninsula's plants and flowers, which are labeled in English, Spanish, and Latin. The park features a 130-foot suspension bridge, three observation towers, and a library equipped with reading hammocks. There's also a tree nursery, a remarkable orchid and epiphyte garden, an authentic Maya house, and an archaeological site. A nature walk goes directly through the mangroves for some great birding; more than 220 species have been identified here (be sure to bring bug spray, though). Spider monkeys can usually be spotted in the afternoons, and a tree-house lookout offers a spectacular view—but the climb isn't for those afraid of heights.

This sprawling botanical garden inside the massive walls of the Ex-Convento de Santo Domingo was the first of its kind in the Americas. Many plants that are now known throughout the region were first cultivated here. Species found only in Oaxaca are on display, including many varieties of cactus. Two-hour-long English-language tours are conducted on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 11 am. There are daily Spanish-language tours. You must take a tour to gain admission, and tours fill up quickly, so sign up as early as you can. Afterward you can roam the grounds.

About a 40-minute drive south of Cuernavaca, just off toll Highway 95D, this sprawling 125-acre mashup between a theme park and a botanic garden is one of the region's leading attractions. The park claims to be the largest floral gardens in the world, and indeed, it takes two to three hours to walk the entire property, which is divided into a number of sections, each with its own theme and design: Italian, Japanese, cactus, tropical, labyrinth of senses, children's garden, and several more. A big focus of the owners are weddings and events, and there's also a large restaurant and gift shop---in other words, this experience is more commercial than a lot of traditional botanic gardens. That said, the whimsical animal-shape topiaries, thoughtfully designed paths, and sweeping views of the surrounding mountains make for a fun visit. Keep in mind that there isn't a lot of shade, so bring a hat and wear sunscreen.

On 20 acres of land 19 km (12 miles) south of town, the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens features more than 3,000 species of plants. Set within the tropical dry forest at 1,300 feet above sea level, its trails lead to a stream where you can swim. You can also see palm, agave, and rose gardens; a tree fern grotto; an orchid house; and displays of Mexican wildflowers and carnivorous plants. There is free parking and a free guided tour daily at 1 pm, from December through Easter. The lovely, open-sided Hacienda de Oro restaurant serves an array of starters as well as pizza and Mexican dishes. Beverages include wine and a full bar. Visit the website to arrange a four-hour birding (via ATV) or hiking tour with lunch, for $85 per person. A taxi here will cost about $20, but for less than a dollar, you can take the "El Tuito" bus from the corner of Aguacate and Venustiano Carranza streets. Slather on insect repellent before you go, and take some with you. This is the jungle, and jejenes (no-see-ums), mosquitoes, and other biting bugs will definitely attack.