Botanical Garden: flora and fauna Paradise.

The serene landscape is a respite from the rest of the city with tropical plants, trees and shrubs that offers a quiet interlude in bustling Rio. Even on the hottest days the visitor can walk in the garden, shaded from the sun by the tall palms, trees and bamboo stands. The royal palm alley is the symbol of the gardens and is very impressive. The bromeliad and orchids glass house features many unusual varieties. Here and there you will find benches to sit and take a rest while looking out for the creatures that make it home; monkeys, toucans and other facinating creatures that flit, fly and leap through the canopy overhead. The visitor's house offers a selection of books and postcards for the guests. It is never crowded and it appears that most of the visitors are locals or at least Brazilians. Is a real contrast to the very crowded city outside and a very relaxing place to spend time.

Pick up at the hotel and visit this piece of paradise in a privileged location. Sited between the steep slopes of the Mata Atlantica (coastal rain forest) and the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas (the lagoon abutting Ipanema and Leblon, today the neighborhood of the rich and famous), the location was chosen because it was outside the city and a stream of clean water cascaded down from the hills and could run thru channels to irrigate the plants. The garden is a very nice place to spend minimum 2 hours. It's a very large, formally manicured garden with beautiful, giant, old trees. The orchid house is phenomenal--many of species all in bloom. You will see famous royal palms, "pau-mulato", BrazilTree" and some of the 6, 500 different plants, including many endangered species and the medicinal plots and the Japanese gardens. There are many monuments of artistic and historical importance. You'll also find the largest library in Brazil specialized in Botany. A spectacular ecological sanctuary for all ages!