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The small town of Calarcá, just outside of Armenia, hosts the Quindío Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico del Quindío). It’s one of the best botanical gardens in all of Colombia and a must-see when visiting the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
Other than the diverse plant life and bird species that can be found in the garden, it’s mostly known for its Butterfly House (Mariposario).
Visiting the Quindío Botanical Garden
Admission to the Quindío Botanical Garden is COP$75,000 per adult and COP$30,000 per child aged 3 through 12 (as of May 2024). The garden is open from 8am to 4pm but it’s best to go earlier in the morning. If you’re staying in Armenia, the Quindío Botanical Garden can be reached via buses marked “Mariposario” leaving from Constitution Park (Parque de la Constitución), or via taxi.
The entrance to the garden is through a small building. There’s a café selling some snacks and coffee as well as a gift shop and educational area. Tours offered in Spanish and English leave roughly every 15 minutes and last about 2 ½ hours. Make sure you tip your guide!
Trail Through the Quindío Botanical Garden
Visitors are led through the grounds along a loop trail. About half of the trail is concrete while the other half is dirt. It’s good to wear long pants and sturdy shoes. The grounds are stunning and very well maintained. Many of the trees and plants along the paths are labeled and the guides do a great job giving information along the way.
Palm Collection at the Quindío Botanical Garden
The first part of the trail takes visitors through the palm collection, featuring many of the over 200 palms found in Colombia. The country boasts the third highest number in palms in the entire world.
The guide stops and gives explanations about some of the more interesting species, including their features and uses. The corozo, with its edible fruit and spiky trunk, and the wine palm, which has a sap used to make wine, are just a couple.
While crossing a bridge, the guide stops to show groups the garden’s fern collection. They’re included along the route through the palm collection.
Topographical Map
One of the highlights after the palm collection is a huge topographical map of the department of Quindío. It displays every settlement in the department as well as the Cordillera Central (central range) of the Colombian Andes that passes through the department.
Labyrinth
Further along is a topiary labyrinth that’s a favorite for many visitors. It was designed by the founder of the garden, Alberto Gómez Mejía, in 1999. It’s inspired by labyrinths at the Garden of Moratalla in Spain, made in 1907 by French landscape architect Jean-Claude Forestier (1861-1930), and the Garden of Saint Denis in France, made in 1998 by German artist Olaf Nicolai. Mejía used the boxwood shrub to construct it.
Bird Watching at the Quindío Botanical Garden
Next, visitors follow the guide across a long suspension bridge. It crosses a deep ravine and leads to a short loop trail used for birdwatching. There are over 90 species of birds living in the Quindío Botanical Garden. Many are native to Colombia while others are migratory. Some are threatened with extinction.
In the middle of the loop is a structure with a large picture window inside. Visitors quietly sit behind tinted glass to view some of the several colorful bird species that live in the garden. Birds are more likely to come out if the weather is sunny. The guide said that toucans are likely to be spotted in the morning.
Observation Tower
After completing the short loop and crossing the suspension bridge again, the trail leads to an observation tower. Visitors can climb up the observation tower for a bird’s eye view of the Butterfly House, which was built in the shape of a butterfly.
Café
Next, visitors have a chance to take a short break. There’s a small plaza with a café with picnic tables. Bathrooms are located there as well. Under one structure is a collection of bamboo roots that some guests pointed out looked like aliens.
Museums at the Quindío Botanical Garden
After the break, the tour continues with a collection of small museums.
Ethnobotanic Palm Museum
First is the Ethnobotanic Palm Museum. It features several items produced using different palms found in Colombia. They include furniture, instruments, food products, kitchen utensils, storage items, transport items, and more.
Geological Museum
Next is the Geological Museum, which covers the geology of the Quindío department and how it helped develop the flora and fauna of the region.
Tunnel Museum
Attached to the Geological Museum is the Tunnel Museum (Museo del Túnel II Centenario), which is one of the most interesting museums at the Quindío Botanical Garden. It covers the tunnel system built on the highway from Bogotá to Armenia, complete with scale models. It was quite a complicated project and took over 14 years to complete. Outside the museum is a topographical model of the mountain range where the tunnel was built.
The entrance to the museum is a mock tunnel with examples of the three stages of construction. They are excavation, reinforcement, and finishing.
At the end of the tunnel is a large open space. Once inside, the guide explains the details of the construction of the tunnel. There are photos of machinery and equipment used during construction, a topographical model of the entire tunnel system, and a working mechanical model of the tunnel itself.
The fun thing about the model is that it opens up to reveal cars and trucks running on a track inside the mountain. It’s one of the most memorable things at the Quindío Botanical Garden.
Pergola
After the Tunnel Museum, the path takes you through a pergola. It was built with twisted iron from buildings in Calarcá destroyed by an earthquake on January 25, 1999. It was designed by Alberto Gómez Mejía and completed in 2000. The vines represent the process of reconstruction of life since the tragedy.
Insectarium
The final museum at the Quindío Botanical Garden is the Insectarium and Insect Zoo. It was designed in a traditional Antioquian style by Carlos Eduardo Agudelo based on a drawing by Alberto Gómez Mejía and completed in 2001.
The Insectarium features showcases created Alejandro Cardenas and entomological work done by the biologist Eduardo Amat. Material was donated by the Humboldt Institute, the Natural Sciences Institute of the National University of Colombia, and private collectors and donors.
One section contains a collection of insects from Colombia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia. They were seized from an illegall trafficking ring and sent to the Quindío Botanical Garden.
Another section contains live specimens, such as a beehive, chrysalises, spiders, centipedes, and other insects from the region.
The second room of the Insectarium is dedicated to butterflies. Several species of butterflies found in Colombia are displayed in cases. There’s also an impressive case covering the complete life cycle of a butterfly as well as a case featuring moths.
Butterfly House at the Quindío Botanical Garden
The highlight of the Quindío Botanical Garden for most visitors is the Butterfly House. It was the brainchild of the garden’s founder, Alberto Gómez Mejía, who discussed it with British scientist Miriam Rothschild (1908-2005) in London in 1991. Entomologist Richard Hesterberg provided scientific and technical assessment, and the structure was designed by Luis Fernando Gaviria. It was completed in 2000 and all butterflies were developed by the Quindío Botanical Garden.
Visitors are able to take their time to walk through and admire the colorful butterflies fluttering around. You can even dip your fingers into the lemons placed on butterfly feeders. This attracts the butterflies to come and sit on your fingers.
The guides are happy to show you features you may not notice, like butterfly eggs. A photographer is on hand taking photos you can purchase at the gift shop on your way out. Also, watch out for the tortoises walking around the paths!
Our Thoughts on the Quindío Botanical Garden
The Quindío Botanical Garden is a very enjoyable time and definitely better than any other botanical garden I’ve visited in Colombia. It’s great for visitors of all ages. I can highly recommend taking the time to see it while visiting the Coffee Region.
