Jardín Etnobotánico is located behind one of the most important landmarks in Oaxaca, the Santo Domingo Cultural Center. The Ethnobotanical Garden is an experience for all the senses that not only plant lovers will enjoy. As its name implies, it is an exploration of the relationship between humans and plants, a kind of story that tells us about the cultural and artistic traditions of Oaxaca, as well as its place within the natural history of Mexico.
The history of the Garden reflects struggle.
The land that it currently occupies was part of the Santo Domingo monastery, until it was occupied by the Mexican army for more than 120 years. In 1994, when the federal government ordered the relocation of the garrison, the state government developed a plan to convert the site into a luxury hotel, convention center, and parking lot.
But a group of intellectuals led by the Oaxacan artist Francisco Toledo, better known as “El Maestro,” fought in favor of the proposed garden and won. This is how the Ethnobotanist officially opened its doors in 1998.
The Jardín Etnobotánico displays hundreds of plant species live, all of them native to Oaxaca. Our passionate guide begins by introducing us to the section dedicated to traditional food crops, and explains the cultural and social value of what is considered the most important plant in the area: wild corn. “Corn is the most consumed cereal in the world. The Mexica, a warrior people known as Aztecs who conquered central and southern Mexico, were created by Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent, based on corn. Biodegradable plastics can be made with their fibers. Currently, the way to make biodegradable components for cell phones with corn is being studied, which would have a tremendous impact on reducing electronic waste “
We walk through the garden paths, passing through the only greenhouse in Latin America that works using geothermal energy, a technique for cooling the air with the earth, which does not harm the environment. It is here where we see that the garden not only tries to tell the past history of Oaxaca, but also speaks of the commitment to work for a sustainable future. All the plants are supplied with water through a cistern fed with rainwater and the solar panel of the garden allows it to be completely self-sufficient in terms of energy.
Address: Centro Cultural Santo Domingo, Reforma s / n esq. Constitución, AP 367 Centro, Oaxaca, Oax. CP 68000
Tel: (951) 516 5325
Facebook: Jardin Etnobotanico de Oaxaca
Map: Click here
Spanish – Monday to Saturday, 10am, 12pm, 5pm $ 50 MXN
English – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 11am $ 100 MXN
French – Tuesday, 5pm $ 100 MXN
German – Wednesday, 5pm $ 100 MXN
What’s Up Oaxaca Magazine
Oaxaca Mine
Secretariat of the Environment, Energy and Sustainable Development of Oaxaca
The Garden can only be explored through a guided tour, which lasts approximately two hours. Arrive 15 minutes in advance, especially during high season (July and November)
Keep in mind that you have limited time to take photos. It is not allowed to profit from such photos.
It is not allowed to separate from the group for long.
Do not touch any of the plants in the garden, nor take samples.
There are ramps and bridges for disabled access throughout the Garden; toilets with ramps and special facilities for wheelchairs.
There are free guided tours for national students with up-to-date credentials and entry-level school groups, by appointment.
Ana Castillo, affectionately known as "Chiva" to most, was born and raised in Guatemala, though she did spend approximately three years living in Tennessee from ages 3 to 6 years old. Her early experience with English before returning to Guatemala for first grade resulted in her being 100% bilingual in both the English and Spanish languages as well as culturally "fluent" and able to navigate life, business, and relationships in the U.S. or Latin America with ease and finesse. Her love for travel and passion for education led to her live in China for almost three years teaching English and exploring China and nearby neighboring countries. This experience was one of profound exploration and personal growth. Upon returning to Guatemala, Chiva worked in the tech industry while freelancing as a tour guide before eventually partnering with Chelsea Glass to found Heart of Travel. She currently lives in Antigua Guatemala and continues to fuse her passions for travel, language education, and impeccable customer service into her projects at Heart of Travel. In her free time, Chiva enjoys hanging out with her pup, eating ramen, watching cool and interesting documentaries, and spending time with family!
All of our group tour itineraries are very dynamic, striking a balance between seeing the major points of interest and enjoying the subtleties of everyday life in your temporary new home. While no two destinations are the same most of our tours incorporate the following types of activities:
We totally get it, it’s not for everyone. If you’re on the fence we would highly recommend you give group travel with Heart of Travel a shot. However, if you know for sure you’d rather do your own thing we can still help to make your travel dreams become a reality with either our travel consulting or private trip services!
Having traveled rather independently ourselves it wasn’t until we began guiding group tours that we fully understood the many advantages of group travel. Over the years we’ve fallen in love with group travel and found that it offers the following advantages:
Our tours are open to anybody over the age of 18 regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, etc. We have had people from all walks of life join us on trips and we welcome diversity of all kinds on our tours.
We will accept teenagers on certain trips if they are traveling with a parent or guardian, however, the majority of our group travel itineraries are designed for adults, unless advertised as a family trip in which case it’s open to all ages as long as minors are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
While the consumption of alcohol is by no means the primary focus of our trips, nor is it required in order to participate, our itineraries can often include visits to learn about the production of local spirits and many travelers choose to indulge in responsible drinking. We are more than happy to arrange alternative activities during these times if desired for personal reasons or if you’re traveling with your teen and would prefer for them not to be involved in these activities.
There is no maximum age limit for our trips either and we’ve had clients in their 80’s enjoy trips with us. That being said, the trips do require a certain level of health and physical fitness so regardless of your age we encourage you to read the itinerary carefully to make sure you feel comfortable with the activities. If there is anything that concerns you, such as a volcano hike or a boat ride on the open water, please let us know as it’s likely something we can modify for you so that you can enjoy the rest of the trip!
We are also happy to accommodate any dietary restrictions or preferences. For those with medical conditions that require daily care or the safe transport and storage of temperature sensitive medications we ask that you please contact us to discuss. In many cases we can easily accommodate such needs on group tours, otherwise we’d be more than happy to create a private travel experience for you in order to tend to your specific needs.
Our goal is to help people travel and we will do whatever we can to make travel possible, easy safe, comfortable, educational and FUN!