Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden

The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden is a major botanical garden in the city of Rio de Janeiro that dates to the early 19th century and also functions as a research and conservation institution. It contains extensive plant collections and formal landscape features set at the foot of Corcovado mountain.

A long Palm Avenue of imperial palms, specialized greenhouses with orchids and bromeliads, and a variety of themed gardens and arboreta that present native and exotic species. Visitors commonly explore shaded pathways, display houses, and open lawns for study and leisure.

The garden was established in the early 1800s by the Portuguese royal household and has developed both scientific collections and public display areas since then. It has played a continuing role in plant acclimatization, research and public education in Brazil.

The site lies in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro at the base of Corcovado, within the city’s green belt and relatively close to the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and central districts.

• Founding and function: Founded in the early 19th century by the Portuguese royal court after its arrival in Brazil, the garden also functions as a scientific institute for botanical research and conservation.
• Views: The layout provides clear sightlines to Corcovado and the Christ the Redeemer statue from parts of the garden on clear days.

What to See #

• Palm Avenue: A straight, tree-lined avenue dominated by tall imperial palms that forms one of the garden's most photographed features and a historic planting dating to the garden's early years.
• Greenhouse and specialized plant houses: A complex of greenhouses and display houses that exhibit orchids, bromeliads and other tropical and subtropical plants in curated collections.