Jardín Botánico de Medellín — Attraction in Medellín

This place is utterly amazing! Before coming to Colombia, I spent three weeks, traveling across Costa Rica, paying a fortune to enter national parks and this place has more incredible plants, flowers, trees and wildlife than a few places that cost more than $30 to enter... and it's completely free to enter! Well done Medellin! I can't rate this place highly enough. It's not very big, yet I spent hours here, wandering slowly, being amazed everywhere I went. It's a real work of art and I'd like to congratulate all involved in it's production and upkeep. There are plans and flowers here that I didn't see in a number of primary and secondary rainforests and beautiful tropical gardens in Costa Rica. And then there are many types of butterflies and small birds here too. And enormous iguanas, slowly waddling around, enjoying snacking on the grass and fallen mangos under the mango trees. There are also tortoises, turtles, squirrels, and a range of ducks and ducklings. It's a really peaceful place to be and many people sit around under the trees, or on the many provided benches, relaxing, or eating lunch. It's hard to believe that it's in the middle of a really busy city, although the traffic can still be heard from time to time. It's a great place to spend a quiet morning or afternoon. Again, a really great job, Medellin. There's also a butterfly enclosure, which you have to buy a ticket to enter. I didn't have time, so I can't tell you the price, but I'm sure it's not too much. It seems as though the sessions are 20 minutes each, so you have to be patient and wait until the previous one is over before you can enter. You can buy your tickets at the main entrance. There's also a restaurant and a separate cafe there too, or you can just bring your own food and drinks. I also saw a number of smaller vendors, selling overpriced (luxury) ice cream (whatever that is), so you won't go hungry if you have some cash. One thing that I noticed when I left is that I had been bitten several times by some mysterious insect(s), so I would recommend that you wear some insect repellent when you visit. And the final tip is to make sure you have plenty of space on your camera or smart phone, because you'll most likely want to take loads of photos when you're there, as you can see I did... and I've only shared some of the photos and videos that...

The Jardín Botánico might feel like a surprising excursion, given all of the natural fauna all over Medellin. However, this is your place if you want to get a slice of all the region has to offer, along with a few fantastic birds.

We came here in the morning and didn't realize you needed to show an ID to get access. I had my passport, but my wife only had a photo of her driver's license on her phone, but that was enough for the guard. Admission was free, and the park was relatively empty since it was early on a Friday.

Situated in the northern part of the city, we took a cab as we were not near the Metro, but we did take it back to our hotel, and it was by far the more accessible (faster) of the two options.

Once in the park, you are likely to avoid getting lost as avenues on all sides flank the park; sometimes, the city noise creeps in, sometimes not, depending on the time of day and which side of the park you are on.

The trees, shrubs, and flowers are amazing, and the garden as a whole is super clean. There is an upscale restaurant, a small cafe, and clean public bathrooms if you get hungry.

While there, we saw several fantastic birds, including a Crimson-backed Tanager and a Broad-winged Hawk, and numerous others I could not capture with my camera phone, but they were there. Next time, I will...

This is a really well-done botanical garden that I enjoyed walking around for 2-3 hours; it is large enough that you could even stay the whole day. If you have a favorite plant, they probably have it somewhere as they have so many different areas. The space is unique, with various animals (ducks and other birds, turtles, iguanas!), some seriously old plants and trees, and a pond in the middle. Be sure to make it to the walk through the forest with orchids; the biodiversity of orchids in Colombia is incredible!

At the time I visited, there was no cost to enter (be sure to have either your passport/ID or a photo). It is handicap-accessible and there are a virtually infinite amount of routes one could take based on their energy, abilities, or interest. It is also easily-accessible from the metro and central to Medellin, with other attractions (more for kids, it seemed) nearby.

The only constructive criticism I have is that the concrete circular entryway, with its lack of plants and extreme heat, is really off-putting when entering; I think that if you all could make that space more comfortable or inviting, it would give the space a better...