The country's tropical climate, rich soil and intense efforts have made Costa Rica one of the regions prime locations for those interested in visiting botanical gardens. The gardens below provide research facilities for international scientists, educational courses for local students, and countless hours of pleasant viewing for those visiting the facilities. Visit the home pages of each of the following botanical gardens for more information concerning their services, facilities and educational programs.
Lancaster Gardens
Located just outside of San Jose, near the
country's old capital city of Cartago. Founded
in the 1950's by the British naturalist Charles
H. Lankaster, Lancaster Gardens are internationally
recognized for its collection of epiphytes(plants
which live on other plants), of particular
interest are the the orchids. Approximately
11 hectares of land, countless numbers of
other species are also found on the premesis,
including insects and other animals. The web
site is in both English and Spanish.
How to get to Lancaster Gardens:
Follow the directions above, and when you come alongside the right side of the Basilica there will be a sign for Lancaster Gardens, at which point you will turn right. After two blocks, turn left and continue straight until you see the sign for Lancaster Gardens on the right side. Make a right along this gravel road and then your first right, which leads you to the entrance of the gardens. When returning to San Jose follow the same road back until you see a sign for San Jose, which leads to the right. Make your first left, following the signs, and continue until you reach the end of the road; there is a large Plaza clearly visible in front of you. Make a right and after two blocks a left. This road takes you along the auto pista back to San Jose.
Wilson's Botanical Gardens
Just outside the southern pacific town of
San Vito, Wilson's Botanical Gardens are part
of the Las Cruces Biological Reserve, which
is maintained by the OTS (Organization for
Tropical Studies). The gardens were began
in 1962 by Mr. Robert Wilson and have since
become a tremendous facility used for research,
teaching, and to help preserve numerous threatened
species of local and international plant species.
More than 1,000 genera in 212 plants families
can be seen along trails that wind around
palm-covered hillsides, through agave and
lily beds, under rain forest canopy, through
banana and heliconia groves, or to strategic
overlooks on the rolling grounds.
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