Description
The slogan of the butterfly reserve, 'peace and tranquility await you!', is accurately chosen. The reserve is only 20 minutes from the center of Granada, but it is surrounded by nature in a calm and peaceful setting.
Besides setting your eyes on colorful butterflies that flutter about, you can also learn more about those beautiful insects. You can furthermore do some hiking and there are also many birds to encounter.
The butterfly garden
The butterfly garden encloses many different butterfly species. You can easily spot the big, blue Morpho peleides, as well as bright orange, yellow, and white butterflies. They come in all sizes and colors, and walking through the enclosure enables you to easily observe many of them from a small distance.
You can choose to be accompanied by a guide, who can tell you more about the different butterflies and their peculiarities. The plants growing in the reserve are carefully chosen, as every butterfly has its own plant to lay their eggs. The high variety of plants in the reserve does not only provide a hatching place for the eggs, but the many different flowers and plants also enrich the enclosure itself and make it a colorful and friendly place to stroll through.
The guides can also tell you more about work that is done outside the butterfly garden itself, as well as how the butterfly population is sustained and how it grows.
Other activities
As mentioned above, the butterfly reserve is surrounded by nature. On the same property, about 2 km of hiking trails are constructed. You can enjoy the surroundings and spot birds like motmots (the national bird), parakeets, and golden orioles. There are also many other insects in the area, and if you are lucky you can encounter a snake.
The butterfly reserve can also serve as a perfect place for butterfly studies by researchers or students. The butterflies are contained under a saran roof, and can be easily observed. Photographers can also take advantage and shoot some otherwise hardly obtainable butterfly close-ups.
Practical information
The price of entering the reserve is $7 per person. Groups of more than 10 people will receive a discount. Additionally, guides are offered to give you a tour, but it is also possible to walk around by yourself. You can bring water, and if you plan to hike the trails it’s recommended to bring long-sleeve clothes. The park is open from 8AM to 4PM, Monday through Saturday.
Getting There
You can get to the reserve in your own high clearance vehicle, in taxi, or by foot. In your own vehicle, you have to take to road that leads to Naindaime and Peñas Blancas from Granada. Soon you will see Granada’s cemetery. You should follow the dirt road that you’ll find if you take a right just before the cemetery. There are big holes but this should be no problem in a high clearance vehicle. After about 15 minutes over this road, at the end, you will find the butterfly reserve. You can also hike to the reserve, taking the same road. This takes about 45 minutes, and it is a nice combination with visiting the Apoyo Lagoon, which can be reached using the same road. In taxi, it will cost approximately US$5 to get there.
Comments
Zandi wrote on Jan 2, 2014:
Beautiful and worth the visit.
willam wrote on May 12, 2005:
WHAT A NICE EXPERANCE.A REAL WORK OF ART.
THANK YOU
WILLAM AND FAMILEY