Botanical Gardens

Botanists and orchid-lovers from all over the world marvel at the virtual garden that is Costa Rica. A wonderful introduction to the country’s diverse plants, botanical gardens offer interesting facts on tropical ecology and informative guided walking tours.

An hour and a half from San Jose, Turu Ba Ri Tropical Park has more than 300 species of plants and flowers, including bamboo, heliconias, orchids and bromeliads. Visitors can walk along the park's 8 miles of handicapped accessible nature trails.

Lankester Botanical Gardens near Cartago in the Central Valley has an exceptional orchid exhibit on its 27 acres of trails and gardens. Home to more than a thousand species of plants, Wilson Botanical Garden, in southern Costa Rica, also doubles as a research center for threatened species. Numerous trails wind through the gardens and visitors have the opportunity to interact with local scientists on guided walks.