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Whatever one's motivation for travelling to Costa Rica may be, the diminutive Central American nation will likely be able to accommodate. For adventure travelers there are numerous mountains, hiking trails and volcanoes just waiting to be explored. Vacationers with a more relaxing time in mind can spend their days laid out on any of the epic white sand beaches that line both coasts, while their more active travel mates hit the waves for some world-class surfing.
With the growing popularity of green-minded ecotourism, a growing number of travelers heading to Costa Rica are interested in seeing the various rare and beautiful species of plant that can be found in many of the country's national parks. Yet those travelers who really want to see what kind of plant life the tropical jungles, marshes and mountains of Central America have to offer, Lankester Botanical Garden is a must-see destination.
Located just outside the beautiful city of Cartago, itself an excellent travel destination, Lankester Botanical Gardens is a massive garden and research center maintained by the University of Costa Rica. The facility was constructed in the early 40s as a private greenhouse/preserve for famed botanist and orchid enthusiast Charles Lankester, and has since grown into a more than 11 hectare (27.2 acre) plant farm with the mission to "promote conservation, enjoyment and sustainable use of the epiphytic flora through scientific research, horticulture and environmental education," according to its website.
The gardens are home to more than 3,000 varieties of plants, including the nation's largest collection of epiphytes and orchids. Epiphytes are a unique form of the rare flower that grows exclusively in high altitude canopies, branches and trees. Though these plants are not often perennial, Lankester Botanical Gardens boast nearly 1,000 different varieties of epiphytes and orchids respectively, improving a traveler's odds of seeing one in bloom regardless of when they visit.
While orchids and epiphytes may be the most popular plants in Lankester Botanical garden, they are by no means the only attraction at Lankester. Indeed the entire facility is littered with open garden beds and a cool shady forest that allows the facility to transcend the limits of a mere garden and make it seem more like a traipse through the native jungles of Costa Rica.
Other plant families featured prominently at the popular attraction include palms, bamboos, heliconias, bromeliads, and conifers.
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