ORCHID GARDEN - La Garita, Costa Rica
BOTANICAL ORCHID GARDEN
http://OrchidGardenCR.com / 2-487-8095 / http://facebook.com/profile.php?id=1787494264 / info@OrchidGardenCR.com )
This is SOOOOO MUCH MORE than “just” an orchid garden! I’d first started seeing their ad on Facebook & thought “Interesting” but I’m not big on touristy type of things. Then the Newcomer’s Photography Group was going – but I ended up being on a Visa Run then so I couldn’t go. But some dear old buddies from my Puerto Vallarta, Mexico business days came into town and I got a whole day with them and they loved flowers so we decided to go here (along with ZooAve which is just down the road!!). You walk in and there is a little animal resque área where they have some BEAUTIFUL birds,
COST: $12 (kids 5-12 - $6).
HOURS: Tues.-Sun. 8:30am-4:30am.
LOCATION: La Garita-1 km. sureste del Restaurante "La Fiesta del Maiz". Coming from the highway - as you get off, turn Left & follow the signs.
BUS: Catch the Alajuela bus at the beginning of Avenida 2nd – the building east of the gas station which is on the East side of Hospital San Juan de Dios (I think it was around 480-colones). Take it to Downtown Alajuela (I forgot to get the stop location – just tell the driver you want to catch a bus to LaGarita). Catch the LaGarita bus (I think it was 145-colones or so) to the stop where the Orceadia Jardin is & walk back (it’s a bit of a walk but worth it).
More incentive to come to this AMAZING property is there is more to do/see in LaGarita!!
It is THE área for growing TROPICAL PLANTS hence there are MANY vivero’s/gardens here!! Gabriel said Vivero CENTRAL is the BEST in CR (we even drove around in our car through i ton a Friday & no one stopped us – though I don’t think it was kosher!).
It's also home to:
ZooAve (pronounced Zoo Ah-vay)
http://ZooAvenidaCostaRica.org (unfortunately their website is one of those flash sites which looks pretty but isn’t easy to maneuver & takes time to do that & only in Spanish) / http://Facebook.com/ZooAve / 2-433-8989 / ZooAve@hotmail.com)
ZooAve is a MUST SEE wonderful WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER for injured and confiscated wildlife located at Dulce Nombre. The fantastic bird collection is the largest in Central America with everything from the beautiful tropical toucans, parrots, cranes, curassows and LOTS more!! They have at least 100 Costa Rican bird species. They are only one of 2 zoos in the world to carry Resplendent Quetzals. Macaws fly free on the 59 hectares of landscaped grounds! You'll also see crocodile, deer, turtles, ostrich, tapirs, peccaries, pumas, and all 4 species of indigenous monkeys in large enclosures. The goal is to breed national species for reintroduction into the wild. The zoo has successfully bred the scarlet macaw, green macaw, curassow, guan, and about 50 other native bird species with the help of a human-infant incubator (sorry - the breeding center is off-limits).
They now have a little ZIPLINE/CANOPY TOUR that takes you over the park!!! I think it’s a great little intro for someone that’s never taken a canopy tour & a bit afraid of doing it & it’s just 9,000-c/$18.
COST: Tourists - $15. Citizens of other Latin American countries – 5,000-c. Tourists-Students with school card – 6,500-c/$13. Kids under 10-$4/2,000-c (tourists & nationals). Nationals-3,900-c/$7.80. Locals with Gold Card – 3,000-c (thanx Nora!)
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Read Morehttp://OrchidGardenCR.com / 2-487-8095 / http://facebook.com/profile.php?id=1787494264 / info@OrchidGardenCR.com )
This is SOOOOO MUCH MORE than “just” an orchid garden! I’d first started seeing their ad on Facebook & thought “Interesting” but I’m not big on touristy type of things. Then the Newcomer’s Photography Group was going – but I ended up being on a Visa Run then so I couldn’t go. But some dear old buddies from my Puerto Vallarta, Mexico business days came into town and I got a whole day with them and they loved flowers so we decided to go here (along with ZooAve which is just down the road!!). You walk in and there is a little animal resque área where they have some BEAUTIFUL birds,
COST: $12 (kids 5-12 - $6).
HOURS: Tues.-Sun. 8:30am-4:30am.
LOCATION: La Garita-1 km. sureste del Restaurante "La Fiesta del Maiz". Coming from the highway - as you get off, turn Left & follow the signs.
BUS: Catch the Alajuela bus at the beginning of Avenida 2nd – the building east of the gas station which is on the East side of Hospital San Juan de Dios (I think it was around 480-colones). Take it to Downtown Alajuela (I forgot to get the stop location – just tell the driver you want to catch a bus to LaGarita). Catch the LaGarita bus (I think it was 145-colones or so) to the stop where the Orceadia Jardin is & walk back (it’s a bit of a walk but worth it).
More incentive to come to this AMAZING property is there is more to do/see in LaGarita!!
It is THE área for growing TROPICAL PLANTS hence there are MANY vivero’s/gardens here!! Gabriel said Vivero CENTRAL is the BEST in CR (we even drove around in our car through i ton a Friday & no one stopped us – though I don’t think it was kosher!).
It's also home to:
ZooAve (pronounced Zoo Ah-vay)
http://ZooAvenidaCostaRica.org (unfortunately their website is one of those flash sites which looks pretty but isn’t easy to maneuver & takes time to do that & only in Spanish) / http://Facebook.com/ZooAve / 2-433-8989 / ZooAve@hotmail.com)
ZooAve is a MUST SEE wonderful WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER for injured and confiscated wildlife located at Dulce Nombre. The fantastic bird collection is the largest in Central America with everything from the beautiful tropical toucans, parrots, cranes, curassows and LOTS more!! They have at least 100 Costa Rican bird species. They are only one of 2 zoos in the world to carry Resplendent Quetzals. Macaws fly free on the 59 hectares of landscaped grounds! You'll also see crocodile, deer, turtles, ostrich, tapirs, peccaries, pumas, and all 4 species of indigenous monkeys in large enclosures. The goal is to breed national species for reintroduction into the wild. The zoo has successfully bred the scarlet macaw, green macaw, curassow, guan, and about 50 other native bird species with the help of a human-infant incubator (sorry - the breeding center is off-limits).
They now have a little ZIPLINE/CANOPY TOUR that takes you over the park!!! I think it’s a great little intro for someone that’s never taken a canopy tour & a bit afraid of doing it & it’s just 9,000-c/$18.
COST: Tourists - $15. Citizens of other Latin American countries – 5,000-c. Tourists-Students with school card – 6,500-c/$13. Kids under 10-$4/2,000-c (tourists & nationals). Nationals-3,900-c/$7.80. Locals with Gold Card – 3,000-c (thanx Nora!)
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