The plant beds
Big leaves and sharp colours.
Photo by David J. Stang — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo by David J. Stang — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo by David J. Stang — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo by David J. Stang — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo by David J. Stang — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo by David J. Stang — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Wilson Botanical Garden is part of the Las Cruces Biological Station in the hills of southern Costa Rica. Robert and Catherine Wilson began it and bequeathed it to the Organization for Tropical Studies, and today it suits plant and bird lovers, a little away from the usual tourist routes. Las Cruces has a biological research station, tourist facilities and the gardens, and it is the newest of the organisation's three stations. It stands at about 1,000 metres above sea level. Around it are pastures and coffee plantations, with a relatively small 270-hectare forest fragment between 900 and 1,300 metres, so its research focuses on agroecology and forest fragmentation. You walk among beds of tropical plants with big leaves and sharp colours, including anthuriums with silver-veined leaves and red flowers, bromeliads and spiny palms. Under the trees the colours look richer after rain. Beyond the beds you enter forest paths, with quiet and birdsong. Take your time, or ask about a guide. The garden is 4.1 km in a straight line south of San Vito, near the Panama border. The area is rainy, so bring a light jacket and suitable shoes. Do not pick or touch plants, which are part of active research. Check entry times and tours with the station, as it is a scientific centre before it is a visitor site.
Big leaves and sharp colours.
Silver-veined leaves and red flowers.
Quiet and birdsong.
Las Cruces Biological Station, south of San Vito, Puntarenas Province
Yes, though plant and bird lovers get the most from it.
It lies near the Panama border, so it suits a trip through the south.