Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden (Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca)
Designed by Oaxacan artists Francisco Toledo and Luis Zárate, Oaxaca’s Ethnobotanical Garden (Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca) is home to hundreds of plants native to Oaxaca, Mexico’s most biodiverse region. Look out for towering cacti, medicinal plants, and rescued agaves as you learn about the relationship between people, culture, and plants on a guided tour of the truly impressive garden.
The Basics
Since opening in 1998, the Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden has gathered together a variety of plants from across the state of Oaxaca, from the arid mountains to low-lying tropical regions. The work of the garden involves planting, propagating, and protecting this native flora, as well as educating people about its importance. There are often workshops and exhibitions held at the gardens, typically in Spanish.
While you can admire the garden from a distance at the Santo Domingo Cultural Center, access to the garden proper is only permitted by guided tour at set times of the day; tours are offered in a handful of different languages, last around an hour, and require a small fee.
Things to Know Before You Go
Visits to the Ethnobotanical Garden are via guided tour only and will be of interest to plant fans and non-plant fans alike.
Guided tours are offered Tuesday–Saturday in Spanish at 10am, 11am, and 12pm; in English at 11am on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and in French on Saturdays at 11am.
There is a small fee for all tours, regardless of language, although children under 12 enter for free.
Expect to spend an hour at the Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden.
The Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden is accessible to wheelchair users.
How to Get There
Situated in the heart of Oaxaca, behind the Santo Domingo Cultural Center, the Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden is easy to access on foot from most points across this walkable city. On arrival, you must join a guided group tour to enjoy access to the gardens. Alternatively, you can admire them from above at the Santo Domingo Cultural Center.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
The Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden is accessible via guided tour only, to protect plants and visitors alike. Spanish-language tours run daily from Tuesday to Saturday at 10am, 11am, and 12pm; English-language tours are offered at 11am on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and French-language tours are held weekly at 11am on Saturdays. At peak tourist time in Oaxaca—December, January, Easter, and Day of the Dead—tours may be offered more frequently.
What to Do Nearby?
The Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden is situated in the heart of Oaxaca City, next to the Santo Domingo Cultural Center. While you’re in the area, be sure to take in the regular street markets often held nearby, pick up some artisanal souvenirs at one of the many local stores, and take a stroll down the scenic so-called "tourist corridor," aka Calle Alcalá.
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