Jorge Valdivieso visited the Guayaquil Botanical Garden last Wednesday afternoon. He toured the region called the Amazon Ecosystem, where he saw macaws, macaws, monkeys, and other animals.

Orchid and palm areas followed. “It’s my first time coming and it’s a very beautiful place. I’ve always heard my friends go and I come because I’m on vacation and we wanted to visit something different,” Valdivieso said.

This natural space reopened its doors in September 2020, after several months of being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To enter, visitors have their temperature taken and the use of masks is mandatory, as in all public places in Buenos Aires.

During the shutdown due to the pandemic, staff have been doing work to care for the species within the site, said Arcadio Arosemena, executive director of the botanical garden. However, the economic situation has not improved since last year.

“It was a very complicated months because we had no income… Before we took 15,000 students every year, it was two years since we were able to do it from there and obviously we got a little bit economically affected,” Arosimena said. .

Currently, the park is open from Monday to Sunday, from 09:00 to 17:00. Tickets are $3 for adults and $1.50 for children and seniors.

The park has an area of ​​four hectares. Visitors can enjoy watching hundreds of species of plants and animals. There are spaces for orchids, palms, bonsai and farm animals such as peacocks, ducks, and more.

There is a gazebo and an area where visitors can take a picnic.

“In the garden people can flow quietly, there are four hectares there, and the good thing about the garden is that people can go outside, be outdoors without a greater risk of infection,” Arosimena said.

He added that on Saturday and Sunday in the afternoon, short films related to the environment are shown in the Gardens Hall, which currently has a capacity of 15%, that is, 30 people, due to the epidemic.

Also in this space are permanent exhibitions of butterflies and watercolors of emblematic orchids of Ecuador.

Three cooperatives from the south and one from northwest Guayaquil won first place in the “Improve Our Group” competition

In the botanical garden, a self-guided system with QR codes is implemented, so that visitors can get detailed information about each species they observe.

Arosimena said the guide service must be booked in advance and is for groups of 10-15 people.

For more information, those interested in visiting this space can call 098-996-9939.

Historic Garden

The municipality of Samborondon said that it will announce next week the date of the reopening of the historic park, located in the parish of Entre Ríos.

On site there are dozens of species of animals and trees, as well as a space dedicated to ancient Guayaquil. Currently, a hotel and restaurant operate in this space. (I)