jardin botanico santa cruz

This was one of our first stops in our birding excursion in Bolivia, and there were lots of beautiful birds, some of which we did not see elsewhere. Other tourists have mentioned disappointment at there not being names posted for trees and flowers, but of course, we are not expecting that for birds, which was our special interest. The trees and flowers are beautiful and the park was certainly not overcrowded on a weekday afternoon. As there are just a few photos posted on Tripadvisor, I am posting photos of some of the birds that we saw at the Botanical Gardens in Santa Cruz.

It has been an awfully wet year in Eastern Bolivia, so many of the National Parks are inaccessible due to flooding. This led us to the Botanic Gardens of Santa Cruz, which purports to have extensive examples of the different types of forested areas in the region. We asked the lady selling us the ticket if the whole area was dry and accessible...."Oh yes, definitely!" she responded. Needless to say, we got to the river which runs through the park, and it was totally flooded - impassable. We wasted hours trying to find a way around it. That left pretty much the whole park unseeable, and so we went to ask for our money back. Inevitably, the Bolivian lady had left for her daily 3 hour lunch, so we left in disgust. It was not the money, but the fact that she had so blatantly lied when she told us it was accessible, thereby wasting our whole morning.

This is a park that it nice for picnics and family walks. If you have traveled in south america for some time, this will not blow your mind. It does not offer much information of the vegetation, however in the park area there are some names. The trail that runs through the forest is without a single label and not overly exciting. It would have been better if there were arrows one could follow or if we could get a map, but there were no maps to be found anywhere. If you've had a walk in a rain forest/jungle before, this will most likely bore you.

Had a lovely walk around but NO guides or MAPS available. Only seen some birds & that was it. Don't understand how people have seen so many Monkeys & other animals here ?

On the road from SC to Cotoca just before the toll station. Lovely forest walks but really no flowers. An interesting Mirador where you climb to the tree tops and view the jungle canopy from above. Very few tourist amities - no restaurant, no shops but if you are a butterfly or tree freak, this is the pace for you.

If you are a nature lover, there are few places in the planet which offer an experience as rich, as peaceful, and well-cared as Santa Cruz's Jardin Botanico Municipal, about 8 Kms on the road to the town of Cotoca. I hesitate to share this with you, only because it is a real treasure and it would be shame to see it ruined. A world treasure, and I know what I am talking about, this place is clean, well-run, with employees who show a real love for what they do and take their job seriously. This is honestly a place with the most caring, proud and professional staff, from the gal who sells you the tickets (3 Bs a person, about $us 45cents a person) to the gal who came running to explain the different paths and the layout of the gardens one can sense a serious commitment to doing it right. The pathways are well maintained, and clean, there is no trash to be found, and the variety of plant and animal species is astounding. There are patches along the way where one may find himself batting through hundreds of butterflies of all range of radiant colors, shapes and sizes, squadrons of dragon flies, monkeys, sloths, red-tailed squirrels, wet, dry and tropical forest areas, all in a clean, orderly maze of plants and wonderful scenery, you will think you are in the set of a Disney forest cartoon it is so beautiful. In more than 3 hours, we did not run into another human being. There are lookouts and picnic areas, including bbq areas, but no restaurants, so pack a picnic and make a day of it, then be glad you have had one of life's most serene experiences in touch with nature in a way you thought was possible only in the movies. A 50Bs taxi ride from Santa Cruz, and you can save yourself all the other hype about other places that are more geared to charging you than insuring your experience. You might see toucans, butterflies the size of your palm, colorful birds, inch-size ants, vines the size of a human torso, hanging vines, termite mounds, tall grasses, bogs, marshes, palms, and an interminable variety of plant species. Then you might thank your lucky star I found this place and decided to share it you. This isn't a money-grabbing attraction, so don't expect restaurants or other services, it is nature cared for in a loving way, leaving much of it untouched for you to see. What a treasure.

Realmente muy lindo parque. Tiene una torre de vigilancia que da una vista del océano verde por sobre la copas de los árboles. La flora es rica y densa. La fauna es realmente hermosa y variada, desde ciempiés, milpiés, una gran cantidad de mariposas, diminutas y enormes, escarabajos y cigarras hasta lagartos y sapos. El repelente para mosquitos es indispensable y a veces el camino se corta por charcos (grandes) después de la lluvia.

Es un lugarazo. Tiene unos senderos llenos de árboles preciosos. Un mirador que permite apreciar una vista única y amazónica y una laguna perfecta para tomarse lindas fotos allí.La gente del lugar fue muy amable, preguntamos si podían enseñarnos el sitio y accedieron a contarnos un poco sobre los bosques y los tipos de plantas que hay.El único punto negativo y que se puede mejorar fácilmente es que falta orientación al ingresar. No sabíamos dónde encontrar un mapa, pero al preguntar en una oficina, pudimos ubicarnos bien. Infaltable, aunque mi hermano de 14 años se aburrió, yo lo encontré máximo! (llevar repelente de mosquitos sí o sí)La entrada es de solo 3 bs

La diversidad esta en su punto hay que cuidarlo lo están dejando pasar es la cuarta ves que la veo muy sucia o quizá no la limpian como debe ser eso puede ocasionar perdida.

O lugar não é grande, mas tem plantas de toda a Bolívia e às histórias de como os indígenas as usavam para curar doenças. É um passeio interessante se você se interessa pela área.

Sta Cruz não tem nada. Essa é a verdade.Não vale um dia sequer de hospedagem.FOmos ao jardim botânico em busca de alguma coisinha minima.É bonito, alas e alas de plantas diversas, mas para quem conhece o jardim botânico do RJ, por exemplo, fica muuuuito pra trás.E tem muito lixo no chão. Não vi uma lixeira sequer ali.

Neem de tijd als je dit gaat bezoeken. Met de taxi vanuit de stad is het behoorlijk prijzig, neem terug een local busje voor 4 bolivianos (2 personen). De paden zijn duidelijk, alleen er is niet echt een looproute aangegeven. Alleen bezoeken indien je tijd over hebt, niet overdreven boeiend.

es un lugar tranquilo, espécial para darse un descanso, solo hay un acceso.hay gran variedad de plantas, flores dependiendo de la epoca.muchos insectos, despues de la cinco de la tarde mejor si llevan repelente por que hay muchos mosquitos.es un interesante lugar de esparcimiento familiar. el problema es que debes llevar alimentos por que alli no hay nada interesante para comer.

Lugar um pouco distante do centro de Santa Cruz de La Sierra, mas é super válido o passeio para relaxar durante algumas horas.Nada espetacular, mas prá quem tiver tempo disponível na cidade....

Ideal para uma caminhada tranquila e uma boa reflexão,um verdadeiro encontro com a natureza,vale a pena conhecer.