Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (Jardim Botânico)

The Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro was founded on 13 June 1808 by the Portuguese prince regent, later King João VI, in the year the royal court arrived in Brazil. It opened to the public in 1822 and gave its name to the surrounding district in the city's South Zone. Today it is both a public garden and a scientific institution under Brazil's Ministry of the Environment.

The garden holds about 6,500 species of tropical and subtropical plants, some of them endangered. Its best-known feature is the Avenue of Royal Palms, a line of 134 palms about 750 metres long, all descended from a single tree known as the Palma Mater. Other highlights include the giant Victoria water lilies in the Frei Leandro lake, the Japanese Garden, the Fountain of the Muses, the remains of an old gunpowder factory and a meliponary for stingless bees, along with collections of bromeliads, orchids, carnivorous plants and cacti. About 140 species of bird have been recorded here.

The institution keeps a scientific library of more than 32,000 volumes. The garden is protected as national heritage, and in 1992 it became part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

According to the official visitor page, the arboretum is open from Thursday to Tuesday between 08:00 and 17:00, and on Wednesdays from 11:00 to 17:00. The garden's museum opens Thursday to Tuesday from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:00, and is closed on Wednesdays. The garden closes on 25 December and 1 January, and on 24 and 31 December it opens only from 08:00 to 14:00. Tickets can be bought in advance online, and the visitor centre answers on +55 21 3874-1808 and +55 21 3874-1214.

The garden asks visitors to keep children supervised, to stay off flowerbeds, not to climb trees or touch cacti and spiny plants, not to eat plants and not to approach wild animals. Running is allowed only between 08:00 and 09:00 and between 16:00 and 18:00. In strong winds the garden may be evacuated, and visitors are asked to leave calmly and without running.

The garden makes an easy outing for families, couples and anyone interested in plants or birds, and with so many sections it rewards an unhurried visit. Parque Lage is also in the Jardim Botânico district, and the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, whose old sugar estate supplied the land for the garden in 1808, lies close by.