Jardim Botanical Gardens

Rio de Janeiro's best gardens were planted by Portuguese Prince Regent Dom Joao VI in 1808 and opened to the public in 1822. The gardens cover a huge area with over 235,000 plants and trees representing nearly 8,000 species. The Avenue of Royal Palms at the entrance is impressive with a double row of 134 royal palms more than 170 years old. These King palms were all grown from the seeds of a single tree known as the Palma Mater. It's said the royal family would burn the seeds of this tree so only royality would receive them. Tradition says that slaves working in the gardens would smuggle the seeds out and use the money from the sales of seeds to purchase their freedom. Grab a park map and circle all the places you want to visit, the Jardim Botanical Gardens are so large you could easily miss something. There are also plenty of birds with over 140 species and other wildlife like monkeys. Jardim Botanico has become one of the greatest tropical botanical gardens in the world. Other than all the gardens on the grounds you'll find ponds, sculptures, fountains, water features, greenhouses, hiking trails, the largest library in Brazil specializing in Botany, an old gunpowder factory, a tree nursery, a gift shop and a small cafe. Only about 40% of the land is actually cultivated so look for the hiking trails on the hillside that is not developed. Important attractions are the Victoria Regis floating on the Lago Frei Leandro pond, the Japanese Garden and the senorial. The central fountain is surrounded by royal palms, placed in the park in 1905, brought from England. Other statues were also brought to the park from downtown Rio.

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