Montezuma Butterfly Garden
Quick Facts
- Hours : 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily
- Entrance fee : $6, free for guests of Mariposario Montezuma Garden B&B
- Address : Mariposario Montezuma Garden B&B, Delicias de Cobano Cross right after bridge over Montezuma River, head up hill, second house on right before Sun Trails Canopy Tour
- Telephone : 506-2642-1317
A walk through the Montezuma Butterfly Garden explores the precious life cycle of a butterfly: starting from tiny eggs on host plants, to caterpillars growing strong inside plants stuffed in beer bottlenecks in the lab, and onward to sticky-winged butterflies drying out to join their flittering friends for the next two or three weeks in the luxuriant gardens.
read more closeIn guided or self-guided tours of the sunlit 14,400 square foot garden sheltered in agricultural netting, you'll wander a whirlwind of butterfly paradise between strategically placed shrubs and host plants from Montezuma's jungle including bloodwood, almond and citrus trees, passion flower vines, heliconias, ginger, pipevine, oleander, and non-fruiting plantains.
Over 12 species of local butterflies consistently flitter about the Montezuma Butterfly Garden, including: long wings, blue morphos, tiger leafwings, blue waves, owls, crackers and swallowtails. Stop and sit on one of the gardens' peaceful cement benches for a chance to have the butterflies land on your skin — they like your saltiness. Otherwise, you can glance anywhere in the garden to see butterflies perched delicately on tree trunks, host plants and fruit rinds.
Purpose of the Montezuma Butterfly Garden
North American founders, Josh Bickle and Pauline Hammer raise local butterflies with the help of volunteers who collect eggs off host plants, facilitate caterpillar growth, protect pupa (cocoons and chrysalis) and release new butterflies into a whimsical world inside their gardens. Once a month, another Costa Rican butterfly garden exports their chrysalises to Montezuma gardens maintaining a strong genetic pool. The garden is locally called Mariposario Buttefly Gardens.