Botanic Garden, Santo Domingo

Visit one of the best botanic gardens in the world and contemplate the beauty of its green areas.

Botanic Garden
© Turismo RD

The Dr. Rafael María Moscoso Botanic Garden is the largest one in the Caribbean, with 2000000 m². It is named like this in honor of the first Dominican botanist who wrote a catalog concerning the flora of La Española Island in 1943.

Inaugurated in 1976 with the purpose of preserving and investigating the varied flora of the island, you’ll have the chance to contemplate more than 69000 botanically classified species; which are distributed into the eight more important ecosystems of the country. Apart from the gardens, this place houses the departments of Environmental Education, Botanics and Horticulture.

Among the different areas of the Botanic, we could find the Central Square where visitors are welcomed. This spot is formed by a large number of ponds where you’ll find aquatic plants and colorful fishes. You can also do a tour in the train that goes all along this area.

In this garden, it also stands out the flower clock. It is one of the biggest floral clocks in the world, with a diameter of 20 meters wide, 3,5 metres high and 5-meters-long hands. Around the clock, there is a circular pond full of aquatic plants.

The Japanese Garden offers a wonderful view full of bambooes, araucarias, Junipers and many other Asiatic plants and flowers. There are also lakes and a “torii” bridge, which in Japanese means “the hallway to heaven”. All of this transmits quiet and relaxing sensations.

Another important site is the Herbarium, where aromatic, medicinal, toxic and poisonous plants are gathered and all the process is accompanied by explanations about their properties; or the Ecological Museum, where you could learn about the different ecosystems of the island.

It is worth mentioning the area of Endemic Plants, where you’ll see the autochthonous flora of the island and specimens like Tree Lily, Olive Tree, Red Camellia or Opuntia Auberi among many others.

On the exterior of the garden it is located the area known as Arboretum, where there are more than 1500 trees species preserved, both endemic and foreign.

The palmas is another area where, like in guanito, you’ll discover other interesting specimens like Triangle Palm, Clustering Fishtail Palm and many other. Additionally, it is curious to know that 40% of the whole area has been devoted to a natural reserve.

Another interesting place is the Gran Cañada, which is easy to identify due to a constant water flow that provides the place with an special atmosphere. It has over 1.6 kilometers of extension, crossing the Natural Reserve and flowing into the Isabela River, around the National Zoological Park of Santo Domingo. Here, several plants grow up: Ginger, Costus, platanito cimarrón, Waxflower and many other exotic ones.

It is also possible to find different pavilions. The first one is focused on aquatic plants like loto, bullrush, Potamogeton, etc. Others are specialized in ferns, bromeliads exotic plants and baskets while the last one is concerned with the orchids that spread on the walls and dry trunks and which are protected by metal nets for organic cultivation. Here, you’ll find autochthonous orchids like the Cyrtopodium punctatum, Angelito or Easter Orchid, and other 300 kinds of different orchids.

Finally, throughout the year there are also organized activities like workshops, speeches about the cultivation of orchids, bonsais’ elaboration and the annual event known as the National Festival of Plants and Flowers, which is attended by florists, horticulturists, and botanists, among many others.

Moreover, this place is member of the “Botanic Gardens Conservation International” (BGCI), which is a guarantee of its quality.

Don’t miss the chance to visit one of the most beautiful, colorful and varied gardens in the Caribbean.

More information:

Location:

At the corner between República de Colombia and Los Próceres avenues, Northern Gardens, Altos de Galá sector. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Opening hours:

From 9:00am to 5:00pm

Telephone:

(809) 385 2611 ext. 221

Email:

jardinbotanico@jbn.gob.do

Website: