Located on the outskirts of the Barva Volcano overlooking the Central Valley on a beautiful 7.5-hectare property, El Arca is an Ethnobotanical Garden, with the largest collection of useful plants in Central America. We aim to educate on the use and benefits of plants to improve the life and well-being of the planet and ourselves.
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El Arca is an Ethnobotanical Garden, with the largest collection of useful plants in Central America.
Located on the outskirts of the Barva Volcano overlooking the Central Valley, with an altitude of 1,200 meters and a growing season throughout the year, this botanical garden of 7.5 hectares (~18.5 acres) has a multitude of more than 2,000 plant species.
The main mission is to share ancestral knowledge that is sadly being lost along with the biodiversity that sustains it. Learning starts with a visit to our thematic ethnobotanical garden terraces: A Medicinal Garden, a Culinary Garden, a Tropical Food Garden (Milpa), an Essential Oils Garden, and a Natural Colorants Garden.
A flowering tree pathway leads to a Sacred (entheogens)Garden, two fruit orchards, and a tropical flowering ornamental garden bordering a small creek and a soothing bamboo trail. Our potting area and nurseries with more than300 species are also part of the tour of our botanical garden. A restaurant with a farm-to-table concept is also part of the garden.
Tours - We offer tours with our botanists, where you can learn about the medicinal plants with stories and anecdotes about the herbs and flowers. For a self-guided tour, plants are marked with symbols signifying their uses, such as medicinal, colorants, food, poisonous ,culinary, crafts, ornamental, wood, or oil extraction.
Nurseries - Nursery where you can purchase potted herbs, flowers, Medicinals, vegetables, ornamentals and fruit and wood trees.
Restaurant - The Ark Restaurant offers a garden-to-table 5-course tasting menu bursting with fresh, crisp, delicious ingredients harvested in the early hours of the morning. An amazing view of the Central Valley is visible from our terrace and on a clear day you will catch a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean.
Courses - We offer workshops and educational courses about the uses of plants, as well as yoga & meditation activities.
Production Center and Soda - At the bottom of the garden, you will find a production center for all kinds of natural medicine, which we make from the garden herbs, as well as the processing of exotic fruits for our drinks, ice creams, and sauces. We sell all the products in our Restaurant Giftshop.
Cabins - Construction of 12 cabins is expected to be finished in January 2025. They will be an option for people taking courses or for visitors staying overnight to enjoy nature.
Events - We host several events per year in the Salon of the restaurant. There is increasing interest in weddings, birthday parties, baby showers and anniversary celebrations & corporate events. We have also a Victorian Greenhouse, used as a wedding chapel.
Tinctures and Essential Oils
Objective: Extraction and production of essential oils, tinctures and medicinal plant capsules for health, and budget education.
Impact: Educate and facilitate products for people with natural health conscious
Cabins El Arca
Objective: Construction of 12 cabins as first stage to accommodate visitors, tourists, researchers, students.
Impact: Promote facilities to visitors, researchers, and students to extend their visit to the botanical garden and learn via the events and courses offered at El Arca.
Expansion of Restaurant & Crops Garden Areas
Objective: To increase capacity to host visitors for more events and offer a variety of healthy foods to visitors of El Arca.
Impact: We expect to increase the number of visitors and share knowledge with more conscious consumers about pesticide-free products, care of environment, environmental protection, etc.
