Lancetilla Botanical Gardens

Lancetilla Botanical Gardens, located around five kilometers from Tela, are the world's second-largest tropical botanical gardens.

The gardens were founded in 1926 by the United Fruit Company as an experimental site to examine the economic feasibility of various fruit and timber species. The spectacular groves of trees from Central America and other tropical places are now part of a protected wildlife corridor that runs along the country's north coast.

Because of the abundance of fruit trees, more than 200 tropical bird species have made Lancetilla Botanical Gardens their home. Birders will be rewarded with numerous sightings as they walk along the well-marked trails among the abundant plantings of palms, orchids, and mango trees, among others. One particularly lovely path runs through a tunnel of bamboo trees to a swimming hole in the Lancetilla River, a welcome respite after a long, hot walk.

This is a spot where a guided tour is highly recommended so that you can discover interesting things about all of the different trees and plants in the gardens.

Location: Tela, Honduras