Honestly it is not a particularly interesting botanical garden as these things go - all the exhibits kind of look the same, because the plants are not carefully manicured like in an American botanical garden, and there's not much in the way of landscaping... so the Africa section and the Chiapan jungle section both feel like you're walking thru a nicely thinned out patch of jungle.

However what makes it still worth exploring is the fact that Tuxtla has an equatorial climate with both a rainy season and dry season, so it's possible to grow a great diversity of plants here with minimal effort. What I'm trying to say is, the San Francisco botanical garden (my favorite so far) spends millions of dollars keeping their plants alive, and part of that involves carefully curated landscapes that mimic the natural environment. Whereas in Tuxtla, there's no need for such disturbance to the natural environment - as long as you water the plants in the dry season, and consider which plants need sun vs shade, maybe trim back the odd branch, you're good to go.

So when you go here, don't go expecting a true botanical garden - think of it as a walk through a tropical version of Central Park, and enjoy the jungle vibe without the insects, mud, and general discomfort involved with exploring the real Chiapan jungle a few hours drive from here. I didn't see any mammals, but the birds are really cool - the river is home to these white cranes, and there are lovely green parrots that hang out in the trees.

Please note: admission is not free (it was in the past but after covid they needed the extra money in order to keep the place open). The price as of Feb 2024 is 10 pesos... which is very reasonable. It's possible to sneak in but please be respectful and just pay for a ticket - it's only about 65 cents USD. Also, the suspension bridge / aerial park section of the gardens are closed for maintenance at this time...