Enjoy many peaceful hours among the exotic plants and landscaped lawns of the Botanical Garden of Curitiba. The large urban park covers 59 acres (23.8 hectares) and includes fountains, lakes, sculptures and a large multi-domed greenhouse.
Stroll through the French-inspired gardens with geometric flowerbeds on your way to the art nouveau greenhouse. The structure, constructed from steel and glass, is the garden’s most popular attraction and houses plants from tropical and subtropical regions.
Once you have toured the greenhouse displays, step outside to explore the rest of the garden. Among the many plant species you can see here are orchids, bromeliads and pepper trees. Go behind the greenhouse to find the Frans Kraycberg exhibition space. This is an oval-shaped tunnel displaying more than 100 sculptures by Kraycberg, a Polish-born Brazilian painter and sculptor.
Sit under the shade of a tree and look out for some of the park's wildlife. You may be able to see armadillos, possums, frogs, doves and the rufous-bellied thrush. Put on a blindfold and follow the handrail through the Garden of Sensations, concentrating on inhaling the heady scents of the blooms.
To learn more about native Brazilian plant species, make your way over to the small Botanic Museum. To get there, cross the wooden bridge over the lake. Pause for a few moments to see carp, turtles, dragonflies and other species that make the body of water their home.
The Botanical Garden of Curitiba is open every day, from early morning until early evening. Admission is free. The garden’s facilities include restrooms and a snack bar. The attractive park is situated less than 3 miles (5 kilometres) from the downtown area and can be reached by taxi, rental car and bus. The city’s tourist bus line, which stops at most of the main city sights, also stops here. Curitiba's bikeway passes by the garden. Drivers can park for free in the garden’s parking lot.
