Jardín Botánico

Description

The Botanic Garden in Medellín is a place brimming with diverse flora and fauna, lakes, museums, shops and restaurants. You won't get to know much about Colombian history or culture there, as it's more designed as somewhere to spend a quiet day, getting to know a bit more about the city and what it has to offer.

How do you get there?

When I went, we had actually ended up taking a tourist bus, so the trip to the gardens came included. However, it is located very close to the 'Universidad' metro station. If you want to see the Parque de los Pies Descalzos, Parque Explora science museum, or the University of Antioquia, you can get to all of these on foot by walking for less than a block.

How much does it cost to visit?

Due to the fact that the gardens are subsidised and managed by the government, entrance to the Botanic Garden is free!

When is it best to go there?

The gardens are open every day.

What can you do there?

The place itself is enormous. Upon entering the gardens, you will be able to see the gift shop, as well as the café. The souvenirs are original and environmentally-friendly, and their respective prices are very reasonable. There is also a restaurant called In Situ, which is very elegant, but quite pricey - it's definitely more oriented towards special occasions.

The gardens also have a nursery, a theatre, a scientific building and a lake.

The best way of getting around the park is by taking the little land train that travels through all of the important areas.

You can appreciate the diversity of the plants, trees and architecture here. Something that caught my attention was how well taken care of the gardens are - they are very clean.

Any recommendations when visiting?

Wear a hat, trainers, sun cream and lightweight clothing.

Would I go back again?

Of course I would! It's a very cheap outing and you can walk around for hours on end. It's a place where you can relax and people watch. However, I don't consider it to be a main attraction to visit; there are other places that are much more worth seeing for their cultural richness.