Atocha-La Liria Botanical Garden, Botanical garden in Ambato, Ecuador.
Atocha-La Liria Botanical Garden is a green space in Ambato organized into distinct areas for different plant types. Visitors will find fruit orchards, palm-lined pathways, medicinal herb sections, and extensive eucalyptus plantations that define the grounds.
Founded in 1849 by Dr. Nicolas Martinez Vasconez, the garden received its first eucalyptus trees shortly after during a visit by President Gabriel García Moreno. This early introduction made the site significant in Ecuador's botanical history.
The house museum within the grounds displays furnishings and objects from the era of the La Quinta Mera family housed in an adobe structure. Visitors can explore these historical rooms and see how wealthy families lived in this region.
The garden is easily accessible on foot and offers multiple pathways to walk through the different plant sections. There are shaded spots beneath the larger trees and benches where visitors can rest.
The grounds shelter seven plant species found only in this region and nowhere else in the world. It also provides habitat for native animals such as Andean owls, hummingbirds, and mountain skunks.
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