Jardim Botânico do Porto (Porto Botanical Garden)

When you first walk into the Jardim Botânico do Porto (Porto Botanical Garden), you see a magnificent red house surrounded by lush greenery. Built in the early 1900s, the Andresen house is located in a neat and tidy part of the gardens called the “historical garden.” This area is divided into three distinct sections: the Rose Garden, the J Letter Garden, and the Fish Garden, where you can find a graceful pond filled with water lilies.

While the historical garden is beautiful, the most charming areas are around the greenhouses. Though they look a bit neglected, it makes them even more fascinating. Plants wind through metal frames that once held glass. Moving forward, you’ll see another pond overrun with Monstera plants that is much more wild than the first pond.

The land that the botanical gardens lie on was originally a farm operated by the Christ Order. It traded hands several times over the course of the 19th century, and was bought by João Henrique Andresen Júnior in 1895. Andresen built out the house and garden, which remained in his family until 1949, when they sold the property to Portugal. The Botanical Garden closed to the public in 1983 after falling into disrepair, and reopened in 2001. Restoration work is ongoing.