Jardín Botánico de la UPR in San Juan

Beautiful and peaceful.

Beauty awaits on every turn. Too bad this place isnt open to the public. However, they somehow had many private birthday celebrations, one volunteer meeting spot for Para La Naturaleza(one if not the worst NGO on the island disguised as non political when it couldnt be more obvious what their main goal is.), and some actual scientific endeavors. Also saw the offices of the head of the University as well as the headquarters of the Forestry dept. This whole place is kept just for them and that will not be changing in the near future.

Very beautiful! There was some construction going on and its easy to get lost using the map. There is a lot of uphill walking. I would have given a 5 star if there was a tour available. There were trams, trollies and a cute little train in the parking lot but they were not operating them.

Doesn’t look like a Botanical Garden when you pull into the gate. As a matter of fact , the first sign you see says something about a University but as you drive up the winding driveway- the lushness of the property embraces you.When I think botanical gardens I expect to see a variety of gardens or clusters with specific types of plants and trees- that wasn’t exactly what I saw here. However, I’d be remiss to allow you to think there wasn’t still plenty to see.I checked in to the information station to grab a map and the agent told me to scan a QR code and take a pic( PR is big on that, love it). I grabbed a bottle of water and set out. I was alone in the garden for a while until I saw another visitor. We quickly engaged each other and walked the rest of the garden together.Leaving the information area, the first part of the garden you enter is the bamboo walk. A beautiful lush arms of bamboo that makes the most serene sounds. Off to the right, upon a hill you’ll see a cabana. A short walk away to your left is a pond and the next large area ahead is by far one of the most gorgeous in the garden, Palmetto an area of the lushest palm trees. Plan to take your best photos hereBack on the other side of the hill you’ll see another small body of water with a ton of lizards iguanas included. It’s giving rainforest. Next we went to the extreme left of the garden you’ll encounter the fountain and official sign mid garden, you’ll see the Money garden named after the famous painter, you’ll see the signature tropical plants of the Caribbean as well as a red carriage house. Again, there’s plenty to see and appreciate.Leave your expectations at the gate and just enjoy the natural sounds of nature and allow your senses to take a break.P.S. the park opens at 6:00 AM, get there as soon as possible because it gets really hot and overwhelming really fast.

My experience here was over the top great. Had such a relaxing picnic for my birthday with the surrounding nature around us. Such a beautiful garden that also sells plants so great to start your own little garden. Definitely worth the visit and a great stop to support local economy.

What a treat. Simply fell upon this little gem.

Really enjoyed my time walking around. Got a little bit turned around because we went without a tour but had the help of very nice staff members. Great trails, saw several people use them for exercise. Missed out on the coffee shop because closed for a student workshop (kiddies were too cute). Will definitely be back.

It could be worse. It’s good for a relaxing walk. It really isn’t a botanical garden. It’s just some land owned by the University of Puerto Rico that houses some offices. Great for a walk, but don’t expect anything educational or much to look at. It’s a shame because it has potential and Puerto Rico needs more gardens for people to visit.

Its a great place to visit and enjoy, with many birds and turtles. Nice place to relax and to take beautiful pictures.

Some trails are closed off and/or poorly marked, but the park offers plenty of peaceful places to sit and listen to the abundance of nature…birds are singing and trees are rustling in the wind. It is a beautiful day on the island and this park offers cool tropical breezes and lush foliage around every bend. Wear comfortable shoes and don’t forget your sunscreen 😊

This is a really cool place to visit. I walked for hours in the gardens and trails.

Its a beutiful place, need more attention, have a lot of potencial. Perso al are nice and gentle

Lately a bit run down but, as an agronomist and environmentalist, it is a great place to jog, walk around, picnic for free in beautiful nature.

It’s a very peaceful garden. With the University of Puerto Rico leading the way in terms of research and development. I visited for the first time recently and was very impressed with the variety of flora, the ponds and crops were awesome. The staff in general is very helpful and friendly.What I would like to see is a more efficient maintenance program to preserve this beautiful property for years to come.

Lush and large outdoor venue, perfect for walking or jogging. Lots of off road trails and paved sidewalks. You choose. Gardens, ponds, historical buildings and sculptures! Bring your camera. There was talk about opening a cafe in the visitor building. The souvenir shop has neat gifts too! Definitely an amazing place to visit!

I mean, for the amount of gardens/parks in PR, its "decent". Should at least charge SOME admission to have a budget to make it better.

The perfect place to exercise and have contact with nature. It is a good place to walk, stretch, or just do your yoga routine.

Awesome place to explore nature. If you want to feed the ducks and turtles that can be found on the ponds better make sure to bring corn and lettuce. It’s healthier than bread.

Out standing visit very informative ,by just walking, around the botanical gardens,, wonderful day, breeze was Great, if you want to get actuated with nature here is the place.

Needs special attention to some places.

About 3 years ago, I went here with my dad and my brother to shoot a Jurassic Park fan film. Since we lived 3 minutes away, it wasnt a hustle to get to the garden.We left with 15 minutes of footage and a very good bonding experience in the garden.5/5. Will come again when they reopen (hopefully this month!).

Very nice place to relax and have you cardio early in the morning, so can see different species of birds singing and just have the nature sorround you with happiness

This amazing institution has survived worse than a hurricane - the massive defunding of Puerto Rico’s university system to pay an unaudited debt. You can still visit (free admissionand marvel at how a skeleton crew of gardeners and scientists has managed to keep many of these species alive. Take a golf cart guided tour departing from the parking lit that runs every hour for just $5 or walk like I did. For an urban park, the Jardin Botánico is an oasis of calm. If you are a hiker ir bird watcher, go in the early morning.

So much potential here. The grounds provide a variety of settings and plan collections. Yet virtually nothing is labeled, and the gardens are mostly overgrown and unmaintained. We spent a lovely 3 hours walking around, but learned very little about the collection. I hope funds are found to bring the gardens up to what they are capable of.

Free attraction! Shows damage still post Maria and not likely to change anytime soon but still worth a visit.

It has a nice, natural vibe and you can learn about vegetation endemic to Puerto Rico and those that were introduced to the island by other nations. It has very informative tour which is available Tuesday through Saturday. The buildings that are located within the premises are very beautiful and intresting for any architecture fan. Some of the spaces are still recovering from the Hurricane and it was very difficult to find info after 3pm

Great location to walk/run, take the family to decompress. They have a small store and a coffee shop.

Simply spectacular. A magical place

Bring good walking shoes! There are lovely gardens to explore which don’t have paved paths.

A great place to Walk in the nature!

Although still recovering from Hurricane Maria, this garden includes a vast variety of plants native to the island. The approximatly 90 minute tour is interesting, beautiful, fun and a great learning experience.

Great place to visit and walk around the different gardens. It is not expensive. Bring shorts, comfortable shoes and work on your sun tan. There are many trees and many shade areas too...

Nice place to walk around and enjoy some green space. A very friendly staff member helped orient us with a map, but we still found the trails to be confusing. It could be that some are still being cleared out again after the hurricane. Still, it was free to enter the grounds and worth a couple of hours of wandering. Its not so big that we ever really got lost. A tour would have been $5/person, and Im sure more informative as well.

Many constructions and projects on the way, beautiful place to spend the day...

Came here for birds; was really hoping to see san pedrito. I guess we will have to return to Puerto Rico. This place is still under renovation after the hurricane, but still a relaxing place to walk around. When you want some quiet place to contemplate the nature of things, this is it!

Beautiful orchid show, brought home these beautiful orchids

Nice Place to relax,good Place for Meditation,very green clean Park

The flowers were beautiful! Quite expensive, though.

I gave this 5 stars because parts of it were very well kept and there were a lot of trails through a very large area. It would have been a better experience for us if the visitors center had been open. We wandered through the parts that were a bit overgrown before finding the area of more formal gardens. The big stone wheel, and other stones were fascinating. It is free and part of the university.

Nice place in a crowded town.

Was on an excursion to walk through the gardens. Very nice and educational. Some areas have not recovered from the hurricane. But very beautiful and peaceful. Recomend a hike there.

This has some awesome romantic sites. The air feels fresh and clean. It is a good place to walk and run. It is well guarded by private security. Follow the trails, there are some cool hideouts!!!

Great place to walk, exercise, get some fresh air and relax. Its a safe haven for natural flora. Its also family oriented and kid friendly. If you want to escape the hardships of the urban environment and the stress of everyday life this is the place to be. It needs a little care though.

Beautiful and peacefull place.

Probably very beautiful but we werent able to see much. Not a lot of direction. Also, the guided tour wasnt available, that wouldve probably made for a better experience

Considering how its inside the metropolitan area, its of easy access to those of us who dont have a car. Bus Routes (AMA7 and 9 drop you off close to the entrance. Has its own free parking. The garden is divided on different sections with trails; a garden of architectures, a section with orchids, a lake with several ducks, garden of medicinal plants, area of activities, section of ponds with turtles, a second lake, a pine tree garden, and a bamboo section are some of the sections you can find. A diversity of birds and flowers can be seen throughout the garden. You can find a welcome center with bathrooms and a gift shop, and another set of bathrooms inside the garden. Also has a section where people visit to do yoga and meditation. Has a good route for jogging.During the September 20 of 2017 strike of hurricane Maria, the garden received heavy damage and was forced to close until fixing and maintenance had completed. Make sure to contact before visiting to see if its open.

A must-visit in San Juan, for all you tree-huggers out there. They have guided tours by staff, check the timings in the gift store.

Its a great place to walk around or jog in the morning. They have two nice fish tanks that also have birds and turtles. But some areas and gardens need a little bit more maintenance.

Is a nice place to walk in the city, it have a good variety of plants plus is free. But if you want a bigger place and better views you can go to the Caguas botanical garden.

Excellent place. Quiet, full of nature and relaxation. Its beautiful!!!