Exploring Costa Rica as a Herbalist: A Day at El Arca Jardín Botánico

If you ever find yourself in Costa Rica and you’re into herbal medicine, El Arca Jardín Botánico is a must-visit spot that beautifully blends nature, healing, good food, and breathtaking views.

El Arca Jardín Botánico is a beautiful botanical garden tucked away in Santa Bárbara de Heredia, home to a wide variety of medicinal plants, themed terraces, and engaging tours led by botanists who really know their stuff. The garden also features nurseries full of vibrant plants and a farm-to-table restaurant that serves fresh, flavorful dishes.

It’s a place that draws in botanists, herbalists, healthcare professionals, and nature lovers from all over the world. Whether you’re there to learn, relax, or just wander, the experience is both educational and peaceful.

When I visited with my husband and toddler in the fall of 2023, we opted out of the botanist-led tour and decided to explore the garden on our own. There’s actually a big difference between a botanist and a herbalist. A botanist studies plants scientifically like how they grow, interact with ecosystems, and even their genetic makeup while a herbalist focuses on how plants can support human health and healing.

So I ended up being our tour guide, pulling from my herbalist background to point out different plants and their uses along the way. It was actually a lot of fun for me. There’s something completely different about seeing and touching these plants fresh and alive, rather than just reading about them in books, using their dried versions, or scrolling through photos online.

One of the best parts for me was tasting herbs right from the garden especially ones that don’t usually grow in the U.S. Tasting can tell you a lot about the properties of a plant. Although there are six basic tastes in nature, Bitter is by far the most common, and you can really experience that here.

I sampled Neurolaena Lobata, a herb known locally for migraine relief and digestive aid, and wow… its taste was intensely bitter. I even tried cacao straight from the pod, with its surprising fruity-sour sweetness, and admired Coffee arabica with its glossy leaves and ripening coffee cherries, which felt so perfectly Costa Rican.

For the first time, I chewed a Mitragyna speciosa (kratom) leaf right off the tree. This was an unique experience compared to drinking its commercial powdered tea. Kratom leaves are traditionally chewed for mild energy, focus, and digestive support compared to its dried and potent form, and I loved experiencing it in its whole, fresh form.

I even tasted a few herbs that are restricted back home, like Coca, For Example. And contrary to popular belief, the Coca plant is NOT the same thing as Cocaine… it’s simply the whole natural plant, traditionally used in many cultures for energy, digestive relief, altitude support and more.

Cocaine, on the other hand, is a processed drug made in a lab by chemically extracting and concentrating ONE of coca’s alkaloids, stripping it of the plant’s natural and synergistic balance. Experiencing Coca in its whole, traditional form felt deeply connected to the way people have respectfully used it for centuries.

As a herbalist, I hate seeing medicinal plants get a bad reputation. Scientists, regulations, and even the media sometimes focus on isolating one active potent and isolated chemical (like with coca and cocaine) and then label the whole plant as dangerous, ignoring centuries of safe, respectful traditional use.

There was even a section dedicated to culinary spices and aromatic herbs, featuring cinnamon, black pepper, tropical gingers, and an impressive variety of plants used for essential oils, teas, and cooking. My herbalism teacher always emphasized the importance of connecting with plants in their natural environment, and this garden brought that lesson to life.

The smell throughout was incredible especially in the area where all the aromatic plants were grouped together which created such a rich, sensory experience. It even inspired me to start growing my own aromatic plants back home, so I can carry a piece of that connection into my everyday life.

I really appreciated how well-organized the entire garden was. The clear pathways, labeled plants, wayfinding signs, and beautifully curated spaces made it really easy to navigate, even with a toddler in tow. Every part of the garden felt thoughtfully designed, which made the whole experience feel seamless and inviting.

Whether you’re a plant enthusiast or just someone looking for a beautiful and peaceful place to explore, El Arca Jardín Botánico is well worth the visit. I left feeling inspired, grounded, and more connected to the plants. This visit was a reminder for me of how powerful it is to experience herbal medicine where it all begins: in nature itself.