Last updated on March 3, 2024.
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).
Jump To
Visiting the Quindío Botanical Garden
Admission to the Quindío Botanical Garden is COP$60,000 per adult and COP$30,000 per child aged three through 12 (as of May 2023). 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 with a café selling some snacks and coffee. Tours offered in Spanish and English leave roughly every 15 minutes and run about 2 ½ hours. Make sure you tip your guide!
The Grounds of the Quindío Botanical Garden
The grounds are stunning and very well maintained. Many of the trees and plants along the paths are labeled and the guide does a great job giving information about several plants along the way.
A couple highlights at the beginning of the tour include a huge topographical map of the department of Quindío and a topiary maze.
Suspension Bridge and Bird Watching
Crossing a suspension bridge takes you to a birdwatching area. Visitors quietly sit behind tinted glass to view some of the several colorful bird species that live in the gardens. The guide said that toucans are likely to be spotted in the morning.
Observation Tower
Next, climbing up the observation tower gives visitors a bird’s eye view of the Butterfly House, which was built in the shape of a butterfly.
Museums
The tour continues with a short break and a chance to visit some small museums. There’s a geological museum, an insect museum, and a museum about palms along with a cactus garden. Bathrooms and a small café with tables are located there as well.
Tunnel Museum
One of the more interesting museums is the Tunnel Museum (Museo del Túnel II Centenario). The entrance is a mock tunnel that leads to a large dimly lit open space. Once inside, the guide explains the methods of construction of the tunnel system built on the highway from Bogotá to Armenia, complete with scale models. It was quite a complicated project.
Butterfly House
The highlight of the Quindío Botanical Garden for most visitors is the Butterfly House. We were able to take our time to walk through and admire the colorful butterflies fluttering around. Many people even dipped their fingers into the lemons that were placed in boxes to feed the butterflies. This attracted the butterflies to come and feed off the fingers.
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. I can highly recommend taking the time to see it while visiting the Coffee Region.