finca los monos botanical garden

This multi-acre estate has been personally planted by the owner and it is meticulously maintained. The tour was delightful with animal and bird sightings and explanations of all the myriad plantings. The owner is very versed in botanical knowledge and is more than happy to answer questions and elaborate on the plants she has chosen for the acreage. We found it to be one of the highlights of our trip. Refreshments are served at the end of the tour. Be sure to make a reservation before you go.

A private 12 acre garden with monkeys, birds, all kind of flora. What a special experience. Plan to spend 2-3 hours with Lin, guide and owner. Take bug spraySince you are in the tropics.

Lin the garden creator and tour guide was a well informed person and shared her knowledge generously. Pointing out different flowering gingers, a variety of flowering and non flowering plants, a large variety of palms and where they were from. We discovered what was edible or medicinal. Taking time to allow us to enjoy the sloth, birds, frogs and other creatures in this relaxing garden. I did it midday I think evening or morning would be better.

very nice walk/tour. if you are a plant nut, this is right up your alley! we also saw night monkeys, sleeping in the bamboo, poison dart frogs and some interesting birds. do not wear nice shoes, wear old sneakers or better yet, hiking boots. it is muddy/soft in many places due to the rain.

We found Lin at Finca los Monos through TripAdvisor. We wanted a wedding on a secluded island beach, so we asked Lin if she would be willing to help, and we were so lucky that she was. Planning was simple via email. Lin connected us with everyone we would need for our big day: a boat captain, photographers, and the Buddhist monk who married us. She created a boutonniere for my husband and a flower crown and bouquet for me. The flowers are amazingly beautiful! She and her husband Dave also made food and packed a picnic lunch for us. I am vegan and avoid gluten, so I was so happy to hear that Lin and Dave knew all about preparing food this way. We reviewed menus and selected hummus and vegetables, eggplant and zucchini napoleons, stuffed tomatoes, salad, and almond, bean, and sun-dried tomato wraps made with amazing chickpea flatbread! Dessert was local organic chocolate, and we also had water, wine, and champagne. After we were married at Cayo Zapatilla, we had an amazing picnic lunch on the island, celebrating with our boat captain Paco, monk Thomas, and photographers Josh and Pam. Everyone raved about the food! Later in our honeymoon we went for a tour of the garden. Lin’s knowledge is extensive, and you’re sure to learn so much about the plants they grow and the local wildlife. We loved hearing about how Lin and Dave found the place and worked so hard to excavate it from the jungle, making it the gorgeous place it is now. My husband and I were excited to see the plants that made up our wedding day flowers. I loved the wide array of ginger plants, and never knew that they were so beautiful. We were able to see some Western Night Monkeys hanging out in a bamboo stand, and had one of our closest encounters ever with the group of howler monkeys that live there. We were mesmerized and didn’t want to walk away! Thanks again Lin and Dave for the best wedding we could dream up!

The half day retreat was a perfect day. It started with about a 2-hour guided tour through the gardens. So many different plants from all around the world - it was wonderful walking through with Lin, who knew so much about everything. She kept a careful eye out the whole time making sure we didn't miss sightings of animals: frogs, monkeys, sloths!After the tour, we had lunch by the pool. David cooked us a delicious feast and the pool was beautifully refreshing. A wonderful treat after our walk! My friends and I would strongly suggest this tour to all going to Bocas!!

This is a beautiful place! Impressive in its size as well as the variety of different plants and creatures living in Bocas del Toro. Lin is a great guide and an absolute wealth of knowledge. The more questions you ask the better the tour will be…probably also the longer ;-)This is a very nice tour on Isla Colon. Definitely enjoyable for all different kinds of people, not just for gardeners or people who enjoy botanical gardens. Thank you so much for this experience, Lin!Cheers,Cris, Lian and Justin

Lin is a great host and has a wonderful knowledge of the local flora and fauna. The garden is a short taxi ride from town and a must see when visiting this island.

It looks like a lot of hard work went into making this little jungle oasis what it is. There were so many cool flora with such an knowledgable host. The rainbow eucalyptus was super cool. And there were so many monkeys! Howler monkeys were hopping around everywhere with their babies as the males made their loud howls. We even saw night monkeys in their secret hiding spots. There was some great birding, neat fruits, and more variety of banana than I ever knew existed. For only $15 this is a deal that can neither be beat or passed up.

We took the tour and really enjoyed seeing all of the variations of palms and tropical plants. Really a beautiful setting and worth the time and small fee. Enjoy!

When I heard about a botanical garden in Bocas I was expecting a cute little flower garden with manicured lawns. I certainly was not expecting a 2 hour tour in the jungle with monkeys and exotic birds and some really unique and beautiful tropical plant life.This place is a fun little adventure on the island and a nice alternative to beach and water activities. Our guide was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and really passionate about the environment. At the end of the tour we lounged around a gorgeous pool and sipped on fresh coconut water.Highly recommend this place! Come prepared with a bottle of water and lots of bug spray!

My wife and I recently took the Friday morning tour. The tour lasts about 2 hours and was very enjoyable and informative. Highly recommended.

My daughter and I visited in the afternoon and had a lovely time. Lin is so full of botanical knowledge and makes the whole experience totally fascinating. Its not all about plants, there is an array of monkey, frog, insect and bird life as well as the fabulous plants and trees. Apparently they also host weddings and I really can't think of a more blissful and exotic setting for this. It was all a great experience finished off with fine home produced fruit juices and a cuddle with the dogs.

This garden is actually part of Lynn's house. Her tour is about 2 hours long and extremely interesting. At the end she provides homemade lemon grass tea and coconut water from her garden. Worth the money and time.

We had a lovely tour with Lin during our stay in the Bocas area---she worked with us ahead of time to give us an early morning walk on a day not on her regular schedule. This is a medium easy hike through the jungle with a self-taught expert in all things jungly including local sloths, birds, butterflies, flowers and fruits, howlers (which unfortunately we did not see on our visit) and more. Bring a hat, sunscreen, bug spray and a camera and you will have a wonderful time with Lin.She serves a lovely lemon grass tea cold at the end....