The São Paulo Botanical Garden, with its 360,000 square meters for visitors, offers a spectacular tour for São Paulo residents. Various landscapes provide the opportunity to observe and contemplate nature in the middle of the city. There, visitors have the chance to enjoy the space, as well as learn about plant species from São Paulo, the country and the world.
In 1893, the state administration began to expropriate a vast area of native forest in order to protect the forest and the springs of the Ipiranga Creek, in the southern part of the city.
Until, in 1928, Frederico Carlos Hoehne, a naturalist from Minas Gerais, was invited by the government to set up a botanical garden there. The project gave birth to the São Paulo Botanical Garden, considered one of the best parks in the city for relaxing.
Attractions at the São Paulo Botanical Garden:
Meliponarium
New to the tourist site, the attraction was created to celebrate the Botanical Garden’s 96th anniversary and houses ten colonies of stingless bees native to Brazil. In this way, the Meliponário makes visitors aware of the importance of this insect to the environment.
Spring Trail
Built from reforested wood and accessible to people with reduced mobility, the trail stretches for 360 meters. The experience is pure nature observation and, at the end, the visitor arrives at the source of the Pirarungaua stream.
Botanical Museum
At this attraction, visitors can immerse themselves in the history of the Botanical Garden and learn more about the beautiful Botany in Brazil and all the scientific research surrounding it. The building is divided into five rooms and preserves its original collection, with a stained-glass window of flora on the ceiling and high-relief panels depicting native species.
Alameda von Martius
Between the ticket office and Lago das Garças we come across this beautiful natural corridor formed by giant imperial palm trees. It is common to see people hiking there.
Lineu Garden
The two century-old greenhouses are listed heritage sites and are home to a water mirror, pergolas, staircases, living fences and other natural beauties of the Atlantic Forest. The attraction is a must-see and enchants all visitors who enter the structure.
Bugios Lake
Here, silence reigns until it is interrupted by the noise of the Bugios monkeys, which give the attraction its name. The lake is formed by one of the many springs in the Fontes do Ipiranga State Park and has unique vegetation.
Brazilwood Forest
Aimed at conserving the endangered species, this forest is a must for visitors who have never had the chance to see a Pau-Brasil up close.
Garden of the Senses
Inclusive and stimulating, this attraction offers a dip into the five senses, trying to show more than meets the eye. In this garden, visitors come into contact with the texture of leaves, the smell of flowers and the diversity of flavors.
The enchanting biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest
The Botanical Garden is currently part of the São Paulo Botanical Institute and is geographically part of the Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga, known as the State Park.
Its Atlantic forest area is home to 380 species of trees, which are used for research and conservation purposes. In addition to the vegetation, it is possible to observe some animals, such as the green-billed toucan, the sloth, howler monkeys and rodents, which live freely in the garden.
Get to know this São Paulo refuge:
The garden is located at Avenida Miguel Stéfano, 3687 – Água Funda and is open to visitors every day from 9am to 5pm. Tickets start at R$8.70 and can be purchased directly from the tourist office or by clicking here.
You can also visit the Botanical Garden without leaving home, via the virtual tour offered by the government. Here, you can see all the spaces on a map of the site, as well as a complete gallery of photographs. But it will be hard not to visit in person after this experience.
