Helechos Garden

Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

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Helechos Garden, officially known as Jardín de los Helechos de Santiago de Cuba, is a unique botanical garden specializing in ferns located on Carretera del Caney road halfway between Santiago de Cuba and the town of Caney. Founded in 1976 as a private collection by Manuel G. Caluff and donated to the Academia de Ciencias de Cuba in 1984, this 3,000 square meter open-air garden is the only fern garden of its type in Cuba and is considered the second largest in the Americas in terms of species diversity. The garden houses over 3,000 plants representing 350 fern taxons from 59 genera and 21 families, including 228 native Cuban plants (15 of which are endemics) and 67 exotic species from around the world. Featured sections include tree ferns, cultivated ferns, limestone wall ferns, aquatic and marsh ferns, a 500 square meter shade house containing most species, and a herbarium with 5,000 specimens. Managed by CITMA (Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y Medio Ambiente) and connected to BIOECO (Centro Oriental de Biodiversidad y Ecosistemas), the garden is open Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM and Sundays from 9 AM to noon, with admission costing 1 CUC for tourists. It serves as a scientific institution dedicated to collecting, preserving, and exhibiting ferns, bromeliads, and orchids, and is included in some tourism excursions.