National Botanical Garden

Havana, Cuba, Cuba

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The National Botanical Garden of Cuba, also called Jardín Botánico Nacional, is a massive 600-hectare (about 1,482-acre) green oasis in Havana's Arroyo Naranjo municipality, located just outside central Havana near ExpoCuba.

Created in the 1960s when Fidel Castro declared every Cuban province should have a botanic garden, the land was earmarked in 1968 but took over a decade to complete, opening officially in 1984 and now ranking as the third-largest botanical garden in the world.

The garden houses over 4,000 plant species from around the globe arranged in 25 scientifically organized areas, including an orchid garden with 700 orchid species (the largest collection in Cuba), a palm garden featuring royal palms and Caribbean/Central American palms, a medicinal plant garden, an aquatic plant garden, a bonsai garden, a giant bamboo forest, Cuban royal palm forest, Asian and African tree groves, Australian trees, desert collections, cacti houses, a Japanese water garden, and an enormous greenhouse.

Beyond its natural beauty with lush vegetation, colorful flowers, hummingbirds, and lizards visible along winding paths, the garden serves as Cuba's principal institute for botanical science and research, operated by INIFAT with over 450 researchers who work collaboratively with the Ministry of Agriculture to grant advanced degrees in urban agriculture. Visitors enjoy guided tours included in their ticket, making it a must-visit destination for nature lovers and plant enthusiasts offering a fascinating glimpse into plant diversity from Cuba and around the world.