I’ve lived in many places around the world where I never found time to visit the beautiful destinations nearby. So I’m really trying to make an effort to get out and see what’s near my home.
Among the many things around is Lankaster Gardens. Here I’ve included a few pictures I took there yesterday.
They were founded in the 1950’s by the British naturalist Charles H. Lankaster and are internationally recognized for its collection of epiphytes (plants which live on other plants), of particular interest are the orchids – more than 800 species actually. Approximately 11 hectares of land (over 27 acres), countless numbers of other species are also found on the premises, including insects and other animals.
The garden is run by the School of Biology of the University of Costa Rica and is located in my town, Paraiso, in the Cartago Province. It is open to the public from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm.
One of the most interesting things I observed was the way that so many different collections were able to survive in the same climate. Lankaster maintains huge sections of orchids, bromeliads, cactus, palms and a tropical forest. I doubt many other areas of the planet would allow all these to grow seemingly effortlessly side-by-side.
As they are less than 5 miles away from me, I’m really glad I stopped by. I will certainly be going back again many times. It’s a great place to walk around, enjoy the beautiful day and all the flowers, plants and animals.
How to get to Lancaster Gardens:
From the right (east) side of the Basilica in Cartago there will be a sign for Lancaster Gardens, at which point you will turn right. After two blocks, turn left and continue straight until you see the sign for Lancaster Gardens on the right side. Make a right along this gravel road and then your first right, which leads you to the entrance of the gardens. When returning to San Jose follow the same road back until you see a sign for San Jose, which leads to the right. Make your first left, following the signs, and continue until you reach the end of the road; there is a large Plaza clearly visible in front of you. Make a right and after two blocks a left. This road takes you along the auto pista back to San Jose.