La Laguna Botanical Garden

Staying in San Salvador? Escape from the hustle and bustle of the city with a visit to La Laguna Botanical Gardens. The gardens provide a relaxing alternative to shopping and museum visits. While not actually in the city, it is a short taxi ride to the gardens.

Located at the bottom of an extinct volcano, the focal point of the gardens is a lake. There are 3,500 species of plants, divided into 32 zones including orchids, medicinal plants, bromeliads, begonias, desert plants, and aquatic plants. Numerous birds and small woodland animals are present in the park. The agoutis scamper all over the place, especially in and around the seed and nut bearing trees. If you are an orchid fan, orchids tend to bloom March through April although there are some that bloom earlier or later.

Paved sidewalks make it relatively easy to navigate through the park. Seating areas alongside pools allow for rest stops. Alongside the central lake, a small restaurant serves typical El Salvadoran foods as well as snacks and soft drinks. Seating is outdoors and birdlife is quite visible in the trees surrounding the aquatic plant zone next to the restaurant.

Although not open to the public, the gardens contain a scientific research center for the study of tropical plants. Part of the center and nursery is visible while walking the garden paths. The technical center maintains contacts with botanical gardens throughout the world. It also maintains a literature exchange with various institutions. The garden also publishes books in Spanish for the public and the scientific community and conducts environmental education programs. La Laguna is active in inventorying the flora of the El Salvadoran national park system.

A small gift shop at the entrance sells books in Spanish, T-shirts and other small souvenir items. Get a map of the gardens at the gift shop before you enter.

The gardens are open Tuesday through Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on holidays. Admission to the gardens was $2.00. It may have changed due to inflation. The isolated location of the gardens puts it off the main taxi routes. If you take a taxi, make sure you get a business card with a phone number. Park staff will call a cab for your return trip.

Location:
San Salvador, El Salvador

City Park

Getting There
Located a Km 8 of the Pan American Highway, Industrial Zone of La Laguna, south of Antiguo Cuscatlán.

The easiest way to get there is by taxi. Get a call back number for the cab company and have the park staff call a cab for your return trip. The gard

Travel Tips: Insect repellant, comfrotable shoes, hat for sun protection, camera.

Price Description: About $2 but his may change due to inflation or other economic factors.

Relative price: Mid-Range

Open Hours from:09:00

Open Hours to:17:00

Days Closed:Mondays

Travel Skills: None

MetroCentro Mall, the largest in Central America.

David J. Guzman national Museum of Anthropology

Contact Information:
URL: www.bgbm.org/lagu/JardinBotanico.htm