Xilitla - The Enchanted Gardens

One of the structures blended into the jungle

Replica of the hands of Edward's favorite mason

Four tourists taking the guided tour

The stairs to nowhere

After a brief stay in Jalpan, we journeyed on to Xilitla, our final destination, to view the “Enchanted Gardens” built by Edward James at an expense of $5,000,000 USD. Edward James was an eccentric billionaire from Sussex, England. He built the gardens as a hobby. As soon as it was built, he grew tired of it and moved on. We had read that it was really an unusual garden, no one structure was ever finished and it was a natural blend of manmade structures and nature. One standout was the stairs to nowhere. I have attached a few of the 45 photos that I took, but none capture the true beauty of this place.

It was really a sight to behold. Homer commented that probably only a handful of people would ever view these gardens because of the remoteness of the area. I agree, and it is sad that more could not enjoy this place.

We booked two nights in Downtown Xilitla at the Hotel Guzman in their upstairs suites. The suites featured a sitting room, bedroom with a frig, and a bath with a Jacuzzi tub. Our room A/C was not working and it was like a sauna. Both Cindy and I sweat all through the night. Homer and Nancy’s A/C worked fine and they reported they had a good night’s sleep. We were soooo glad for them. The next day Cindy and I moved to another room, one with a working A/C.