Are you ready to escape the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires and immerse yourself in a green oasis? Discover everything you need to know before your visit to the Botanical Garden in Buenos Aires with this comprehensive guide from ExpatPathways.
Whether you’re a digital nomad, a traveler, or an expat, the “Carlos Thays” Botanical Garden offers a serene retreat filled with diverse plant species, stunning artworks, and peaceful pathways.
Nestled in the heart of Palermo, this National Historic Monument is the perfect place to relax, explore nature, and enjoy the tranquility amidst one of the city’s busiest neighborhoods.
Botanical Garden (Buenos Aires): everything you need to know before your visit
What is the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden?
The Buenos Aires Botanical Garden, officially named “Carlos Thays,” is a public botanical garden and park located in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
It was inaugurated on September 7, 1898, and named after its designer, architect, and landscape artist Carlos Thays, on August 31, 1937. The garden covers an area of 77,649 square meters and is home to approximately 1,500 plant and fungi species, along with various animal species such as birds, arthropods, and insects.
The garden features five greenhouses, two libraries, a vegetable garden, an herbarium, numerous pathways to explore the biodiversity, and over thirty artworks including sculptures, monuments, busts, and fountains.
Since 2020, its maintenance has been overseen by the Secretariat of Environment of the Buenos Aires City Government.
Gardens
Carlos Thays designed the Botanical Garden with six phytogeographic sectors: five containing species from each continent and one dedicated exclusively to native Argentine species. Plants are systematically arranged according to taxonomic classification.
Visitors can find areas where plants are grouped by origin, emphasizing Argentine flora. Species from Asia (such as ginkgo, loquat, sugi, and sophora), Oceania (acacia, eucalyptus, and casuarina), Europe (oak, hazelnut, and elm), Africa (ferns, palms, and rubber trees), and the Americas (sequoias, araucarias, and cacao trees) are showcased.
The garden also features various landscaping styles, including symmetrical, mixed, and picturesque.
Notably, the French garden is symmetrically designed and inspired by the Gardens of Versailles, while the Roman garden replicates the plants found in Pliny the Younger’s villa in the Apennines, such as cypress, poplar, and laurel.
Artworks
The Botanical Garden houses over thirty artworks, including sculptures, monuments, busts, and fountains. Highlights include “Los primeros fríos,” a marble piece by Miguel Blay y Fábrega; “L’Aquaiolo,” a bronze fountain-statue by Vincenzo Gemito; a bronze replica of “Saturnalia” by Ernesto Biondi; and a bronze reproduction of the famous “Luperca” (Capitoline Wolf), donated by Vittorio Emmanuelle III.
Other notable works include a marble copy of Phidias’ “Amazon,” a replica of Aphrodite of Knidos called Venus, and “La Flora,” a slate reproduction of René Frémin’s original work. The garden also features “Ondina del Plata” by Lucio Correa Morales, centered in a fountain called “La Primavera,” and “El mensaje de Mercurio,” a replacement copy of the original sculpture destroyed by a fallen tree.
Additionally, there is a sculptural ensemble by Leone Tommasi representing the movements of Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony” and the Meteorological Column, an obelisk-like monument with an armillary sphere donated by the Austro-Hungarian Empire for the Centenary of the May Revolution in 1910.
Main Building
Near the main entrance of the Botanical Garden stands an English-style mansion with exposed red bricks, designed by military engineer Jordan Wysocki and built by Pedro Serechetti in 1881.
This building served as the headquarters of the National Department of Agriculture from 1882 to 1894, and temporarily housed the National Historical Museum from 1894 until 1896.
Carlos Thays lived there during his tenure as the head of the Parks and Walks Directorate. Currently, it serves as the visitor center and administrative headquarters of the Botanical Garden.
Greenhouses
One of the attractions of the Botanical Garden is its five greenhouses, where species with specific environmental needs, such as bulbous plants, cacti, and succulents, are kept.
The largest greenhouse, measuring 35 meters long and 8 meters wide, was built in Art Nouveau style, exhibited and awarded at the 1889 Universal Exhibition in Paris.
This greenhouse, the only one open to the public, was acquired in 1897 and houses tropical and subtropical species, mainly bromeliads, ferns, and some monocotyledons.
The Botanical Garden offers seven hectares and 1,580 plant species, blending nature, art, education, and history in the heart of the city.
Visitors can explore five self-guided trails: the “Artworks Trail,” the “Garden Kings Trail,” the “Native Flora Trail,” the “City Trees Trail,” and the “Ethnobotanical Trail.” Other features include a botanical library, three styled gardens (French, Roman, and Oriental), an herbarium, five greenhouses (including the notable Art Nouveau greenhouse from 1897), a butterfly garden, and a collection of sculptures.
The main building, designed by Jordan Wysocki, also hosts temporary art exhibitions and workshops and serves as the headquarters of the City Government’s Gardening School.
Where is the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden Located?
The Buenos Aires Botanical Garden is located at Santa Fe Avenue 3951, in the Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
Its hours are as follows: Tuesday to Friday from 8 AM to 7 PM, and Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from 9:30 AM to 6 PM. The last entry is at 6:30 PM, and the garden is closed on Mondays.
The garden is adjacent to Plaza Italia, La Rural, and the Buenos Aires Eco-park. It is also near the Japanese Garden, various museums, and major avenues that lead to both the city center and the northern suburbs.
How to Get to the Botanical Garden of Buenos Aires
The Buenos Aires Botanical Garden is located in a well-connected area of Palermo, accessible by various means of transportation:
- Bus: Numerous bus lines stop near the Botanical Garden, including lines 37, 41, 59, 60, 95, 108, 118, and 160.
- Train: The Botanical Garden is conveniently accessible by train, with lines Belgrano Norte, Mitre, San Martín, and Sarmiento all stopping nearby.
- Subway: If you’re coming from central Buenos Aires neighborhoods (San Telmo, San Nicolas, Monserrat, Retiro, Congreso), the subway is an ideal option. The D line has a station at Plaza Italia, just a short walk from the garden.
- Bicycle: You can also reach the garden by bike, using the city’s bike lanes that lead to Plaza Italia. You can rent a bike, buy one, or use the city’s bike-sharing system (Ecobici) with stations throughout the city.
- Taxi/Rideshare: While taxis and rideshare apps are available, the area around the Botanical Garden is often congested with traffic, making this option less convenient.
Here you can find the Botanical Garden Map with all the zones and areas correctly identified.
Why Do You Have to Visit the Botanical Garden of Buenos Aires?
- The Buenos Aires Botanical Garden, known as “Carlos Thays,” is one of the city’s most important green spaces, home to a diverse array of plant species.
- With over 1,000 species on display, the garden is a living repository of biodiversity and environmental education for all educational levels.
- Declared a National Monument in 1996 for its cultural and natural significance, the garden serves as a vital urban sanctuary. Its team conducts teacher training, applied flora research, environmental management, and biodiversity conservation.
- The garden’s collections include unique specimens, some of which are exclusive to the city and even the country.
- Visitors to the Botanical Garden can immerse themselves in nature, observing butterflies, birds, cacti, fungi, palms, native plants, and expansive green spaces featuring greenhouses, pathways, gardens, and fountains.
- The garden offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with nature and appreciate the rich diversity of plant life, making it a must-visit destination in Buenos Aires.
Activities to Do in the Botanical Garden of Buenos Aires
Take Photos and Videos
If there’s one green space in Buenos Aires where you should have your camera ready, it’s the Botanical Garden. With over 1,000 species of flora, trees, flowers, and plants, it would be a missed opportunity not to capture the beauty of your visit.
Every angle and position offers a natural beauty worth preserving in a photo or video, ensuring you leave with a cherished memory of your stroll.
Isolate Yourself from the City for a Moment
Entering the Botanical Garden feels like stepping into a realm of silence and peace. Paradoxically, despite being situated in one of the most populous and active neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, the garden’s vast space and variety of plants, flowers, and trees create a natural barrier that insulates it from the city’s noise and bustle.
If you want to relax surrounded by nature without leaving the city, the Botanical Garden is your perfect retreat in Buenos Aires.
Enjoy Nature
Visiting the Botanical Garden offers an immersive experience with nature. Here, we are guests in the natural world and must respect and contemplate it. You can move freely, sit and read a book, but always respect the plant, flower, and tree species.
Enjoy the garden with all your senses: smell, sight, hearing, and touch. This multi-sensory experience, combined with your imagination, elevates your visit to a higher level of enjoyment.
Sit on a Bench and Relax
Sometimes, you may wish to teleport to a forest or park somewhere in the world and simply relax. This need often arises when living in a bustling city like Buenos Aires. Green spaces like the Botanical Garden provide an escape from the city’s intensity and hustle.
While it may not be the same as being in a forest outside Buenos Aires, the Botanical Garden offers a momentary retreat from noise and environmental pollution, allowing you to find tranquility amidst the urban landscape.
Last Considerations
The Botanical Garden in Buenos Aires is a must-visit for anyone looking to escape the city’s hustle and bustle. This guide from ExpatPathways provides everything you need to know before your visit.
Enjoy the lush landscapes, beautiful artworks, and peaceful pathways without spending a dime, as admission is free. Keep in mind that the garden is closed on certain holidays and during bad weather.
Restrooms and a security booth are available to ensure your comfort and safety. Make sure to take a map to navigate the garden and discover all its hidden gems. Embrace this opportunity to connect with nature right in the heart of Buenos Aires.
(Featured Image Source: Scott Weir/flickr.com)
