Forty acres of the 65 acre Botanic Park is preserved in its natural state with a 0.8 mile walking trail. It is estimated that 40% of Grand Cayman’s native flora is growing in the Woodland Preserve and the Woodland Trail passes through a wide variety of habitats and plant communities. Visitors will see seasonally flooded Buttonwood swamps; fresh water ponds; Mahogany forest; cactus/agave thickets; native palms including the endemic Coccothrinax proctorii; grassy meadows; and many epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, ferns and cacti. Much wildlife is also found in the preserve including fresh water turtles, lizards, agoutis, land crabs, butterflies, and the endemic subspecies of the Cuban Parrot.

The Botanic Park also houses a captive breeding and reintroduction facility for the endemic and highly endangered Blue Iguana (Cyclura lewisi), offering a unique opportunity to see these unique lizards close up.

The main focus of the Park’s plant collections, aside from native flora, is the lowland seasonal flora of the West Indies (especially the Greater Antilles). The Regional Collections contain documented wild plants arranged according to island of nativity. These collections concentrate on Palms, Cycads, Cacti, Agave (and other succulents), Orchids, Bromeliads, etc. A long-term project, the Regional Collections will open to the public in late 1998.

The Botanic Park has developed several ex-situ conservation programs for endemic flora such as: Hohenbergia caymanensis, Pisonia margaretea, Verbesina caymanensis, Caesalpinia bonduc var. caymanensis plus rare native non-endemics such as Buxus bahamensis and Terminalia eriostachya.

Designed in a contemporary West Indian style, a Visitors’ Centre houses visitor orientation & information, a reception room with changing exhibits, gift shop, classroom and administrative offices. A small cafe is part of the Visitors’ Centre complex.

For more information, visit: Queen Elizabeth Botanic Park

Lead Partners

Local & Internation Partners