Jardin Botanico Lankester
Jardin Botanico Lankester
4.5
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
About
The Lankester Botanical Garden is a research center of the University of costa Rica, created in 1973 due to the international efforts of scientists and conservationists. Our mission is the research of orchids and other epiphytes to preserve our plante's biological diversity and to inspire and improve people's quiality of life
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
420 reviews
Excellent
214
Very good
134
Average
59
Poor
10
Terrible
3
JamesFFC
Maidenhead, UK611 contributions
Nov 2020
This is a small garden on the outskirts of Cartago. The history of the gardens is, somewhat, interesting and the University of Costa Rica clearly do some valuable research. Despite that, this is a small garden and there isn't a whole lot to see. Possibly it is better at other times of year however.
If I was back in the area I would possibly go again, but I wouldn't rush back. The nature around Paraiso/Orosi is far more impressive - go there!
If I was back in the area I would possibly go again, but I wouldn't rush back. The nature around Paraiso/Orosi is far more impressive - go there!
Written 16 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sharon B
Alta Loma, CA65 contributions
Dec 2019
With over 1000 species of orchids from different parts of the world grown at the botanical garden, there are some blooming at any time of the year. That said, Feb. - May is probably the best time to visit. We went in December, and there was plenty to see. Besides the beautiful/interesting orchids species, there is a Japanese garden (probably best when the azaleas are blooming...nice pond with water lilies, a cactus garden, a fern garden, and areas of ginger family, bromeliads, palms, and a naturally regenerated forest full of native plants and animals. It is a research center for the University of Costa Rica, and worth the trip from San Jose.
Written 27 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cch003mb
Costa Rica187 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
A quick definition of a botanical garden from Wikipedia is “a garden dedicated to the collection, cultivation and display of a wide range of plants labeled with their botanical names”.
So base on the previous definition of a botanical garden and after visiting the Lankester Botanical Garden, it definitely fits better as a garden and not a botanical garden in my opinion.
To be honest we were disappointed to see so much beauty and great collection of plants in this place and not able to know more about their physiology o anatomy or even their names and families that they belong to, no label at all, and for this reason I’m giving just 03 stars evaluation to this place.
Later we realized that this garden is somehow run by the University of Costa Rica which disappointed us more than ever. It’s hard to believe that for a such prestigious University as the University of Costa Rica, no one have taken the lead to initiate a project of classifying all the especies of plants they have in the garden.
I want to believe that in this University they have great botanicals or at least botany students that could have done the classification and labeling for this garde.
I also strongly believe this could be a great opportunity of a great thesis for a botany student, hopefully this will encourage the management to take actions about the labeling and classification of all the plants.
Besides the above inconvenience, this is definitely a nice garden to stop by, got a really nice Japanese garden with great scenes and great varieties of plants: bamboos, cactuses and succulents, bromeliads, huge prehistoric ferns and the most popular ones of this garden, the orchids, lots of them were in bloom so it was amazing and very colorful experience.
No matter if you’re plant lover o not, for sure you‘ll find this garden interesting to visit and to spend quality outdoor time.
So base on the previous definition of a botanical garden and after visiting the Lankester Botanical Garden, it definitely fits better as a garden and not a botanical garden in my opinion.
To be honest we were disappointed to see so much beauty and great collection of plants in this place and not able to know more about their physiology o anatomy or even their names and families that they belong to, no label at all, and for this reason I’m giving just 03 stars evaluation to this place.
Later we realized that this garden is somehow run by the University of Costa Rica which disappointed us more than ever. It’s hard to believe that for a such prestigious University as the University of Costa Rica, no one have taken the lead to initiate a project of classifying all the especies of plants they have in the garden.
I want to believe that in this University they have great botanicals or at least botany students that could have done the classification and labeling for this garde.
I also strongly believe this could be a great opportunity of a great thesis for a botany student, hopefully this will encourage the management to take actions about the labeling and classification of all the plants.
Besides the above inconvenience, this is definitely a nice garden to stop by, got a really nice Japanese garden with great scenes and great varieties of plants: bamboos, cactuses and succulents, bromeliads, huge prehistoric ferns and the most popular ones of this garden, the orchids, lots of them were in bloom so it was amazing and very colorful experience.
No matter if you’re plant lover o not, for sure you‘ll find this garden interesting to visit and to spend quality outdoor time.
Written 29 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jose M
Lancaster, TX16 contributions
July 2017 • Family
I don't understand why they are charging people $10 if your are not from here. It's not like anything here in Costa Rica is cheap. Their belief is that everybody coming from other countries to visit this country are rich. I've experienced this with other companies or events here. I spoke with the guy at the front and he would not change to the other price which is roughly $5. I know it's not that big of difference, it's just the principal. It does add up though when you have more people
Written 12 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nldogbert
Eindhoven, The Netherlands3,540 contributions
June 2017 • Friends
This is another attraction that charges foreigners twice that what is charged for local visitors. Charging 10USD is not cheap for a botanical garden where you might not be able to see the orchids in bloom. I don't understand why foreigners should pay twice the fees when even for 5 USD the fees are on the high side. The complex itself from outside looks nice, but due to the high entrance fees and the double standard, I did not enter.
Written 20 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
northernneckinn
Tappahannock, VA4,568 contributions
Feb 2016 • Couples
A real treat for the orchid specialist or lover! With over 1,400 varieties of the Orchid species there at least a dozen on view in this delightful off the beaten track botanical garden. Well worth a detour as Mr Michelin Guide says! Walk into the back of the garden where under cover is a entire display in their habitat of over a dozen varieties! Splendid!!
Written 6 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luc V
Philadelphia, PA79 contributions
Dec 2014 • Couples
Very nice and rich collection of plants, in an overall nice setting. I particularly liked the collection of tropical Asian bamboos. But why wasn't there a single bamboo from central America in the entire garden? If there was, it wasn't labeled as such...
Also, the garden could use a little more labor to keep it in a better condition. I guess this is a funding issue. Another thing I missed: I would guess that only 10% of the plants are identified/labeled. This is a very low rate in my opinion for a botanic garden.
Also, the garden could use a little more labor to keep it in a better condition. I guess this is a funding issue. Another thing I missed: I would guess that only 10% of the plants are identified/labeled. This is a very low rate in my opinion for a botanic garden.
Written 28 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diego S.P.
4 contributions
The Lankester Botanical Gardens are located in the city of Cartago (named after Ancient Carthage, this was the former capital of the Costa Rican colony). The grounds are divided into various thematic gardens, linked together by a paved promenade. The whole facility is handicapped-accessible, which was ideal for my 93-year-old grandmother, who can no longer walk such long distances, but got to enjoy the park from the comfort of a wheelchair, occasionally getting up to walk around at each garden.
Among my favorite gardens were:
The Orchid Greenhouses (being a botanical garden, the University of Costa Rica has a world-renowned research institute devoted to orchids in the park), where visitors could marvel at the hundreds of different species that are grown and studied there.
The Japanese Garden, modeled after traditional Shinto gardens, with a beautiful pond full of Koi fish, Lotus plants and Shinto statues. The whole garden is surrounded by bamboo trees (some which form a tunnel, both in the entrance and the exit), making it into a beautiful Nippon enclave hidden inside the Gardens, waiting to be discovered!
The Cacti and Succulents Garden, where visitors can appreciate the many species of these plants. From the most typical desert cacti to the less well-known jungle cacti, the vast diversity of this garden makes for a great discovery!
There are five other gardens to visit, but explaining them all would be too long. All I can say with certainty is that these gardens are really worth the visit, for the whole family!
If there was one thing I would say wasn't the best it could have been, it would be the lack of better signs and information panels around the parks and plant species, as it would have made the trip all the more educational.
All-in-all, it was a great discovery, and a very ideal place to spend a few hours simply admiring nature (or having a romantic picnic, as we some some couples do!).
Written 7 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Norma S
Deddington, UK112 contributions
Mar 2013 • Solo
A beautiful botanical garden less than 25 miles from San Jose. Take a bus to Cartago, and then a bus to Paraiso and ask to be let off at the gardens. It is then half a mile up the road on the right.
Laid out in sections of the different varieties of plants and trees - most of them local varieties, except for the Japanese garden. Well maintained, and the possibility of seeing large numbers of orchids. One quibble - there is almost nowhere to sit and contemplate the surroundings. A few benches strategically placed would make this spot ideal.
Laid out in sections of the different varieties of plants and trees - most of them local varieties, except for the Japanese garden. Well maintained, and the possibility of seeing large numbers of orchids. One quibble - there is almost nowhere to sit and contemplate the surroundings. A few benches strategically placed would make this spot ideal.
Written 2 April 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gemsays
Miller Lake, Canada56 contributions
One of the main reasons we decided to visit the gardens was the write up we read about the orchids. They grow a very large selection. As well there were other varieties of plants, such as cacti, ferns, bromeliads, zingiberales and palms. The gardens are well laid out with well maintained walking paths.
We were very disappointed that very few of the orchids were in bloom. It was not until after we visited that we learned that the orchids bloom time is in March and April. If you can visit then, do so. I am sure it would be well worth it.
We were very disappointed that very few of the orchids were in bloom. It was not until after we visited that we learned that the orchids bloom time is in March and April. If you can visit then, do so. I am sure it would be well worth it.
Written 16 February 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Si en el parque hay muchas personas que llevan sus mascotaas, claro hay que estar pendientes de recoger sus deposiciones y todo lo acordado con los animales en este tipo de atraccion, como es las correas.
Written 16 July 2022
When is the best time to visit the orchid garden? We went twice and one year it was phenomenal and the next year drab, but I don't know the dates.
Written 24 October 2018
We saw many orchids in the first of July this year.
Written 24 October 2018
Se debe de tomar el bus que va a Paraíso de Cartago, y bajarse en la calle de entrada al Jardín Lankester (es mejor preguntarle al chofer del bus), luego de ahí se debe caminar como un kilómetro hasta la entrada al Jardín. Sugiero hacer el paseo temprano por la mañana, ya que cuando llueve cuesta un poco hacer el recorrido dentro del Jardín y la caminata hasta donde se puede tomar el bus.
Written 13 July 2016
How do we get there from San Jose and how long will it take ??
Bo Nielsen
Written 7 December 2015
The distance is 40 to 50 miles. The trip would not normally take very long but it depends on the traffic. If you're in a rental car street signs and traffic signs do not exist. You will need to rent a road mate or similar directional device. If you travel on Saturday or Sunday travel time will be much quicker. Trying to get through San Jose Monday through Friday is very difficult. There are a lot of buses and the traffic is very congested and the streets are very narrow.
Written 9 December 2015
bonjour,
la visite dure combien de temps et le billet d'entrée coute combien?
Written 19 November 2015
I would like to know what you thought was a web site or a URL which I did NOT include in my answer but which you rejected because you said it did. So I erased most of the good info until I got down to the words you accepted. Annoying.
Written 29 June 2015
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