Ardastra Gardens

Ardastra Gardens is located near the center of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. To not visit Ardastra Gardens is to miss out on the region’s major beauty. The area of lush greenery, invading the atmosphere of the bustling metropolis, creates the impression of a unique corner of the tropical jungle, each visit to which brings new amazing finds.

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Title

The beautiful name of the Ardastra Gardens, “Striving for the Stars” (short for the Latin expression Ardua astrum), corresponds to the beautiful grounds.

History

Work on the Ardastra Park area began in 1937 to replenish an area with scarce fauna with a protected area with a rich fauna collected from different parts of the world. Along with the animals, the gardens have been enriched with many specimens of vegetation from Africa and America, tropical and subtropical strips of other continents, which feel well in the mild climate of the islands in the Bahamas. In all, there are nearly 1,370 species of vegetation.

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In the mid-twentieth century, the first colony of pink flamingos, birds rare to the area, were bred and donated for the garden by the Bahamian government.

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Man and Nature

Collected by years of labor, the jungle gardens now have over 300 species of rare animals, some specimens of which have ended up in the Red Book. There are also poorly studied species that arouse the keen interest of zoologists who come here. Animals are surrounded by conditions close to their natural habitat. At the cages of the zoo you can be photographed with your favorite species, feed the always hungry, never silent parrots.

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In the atmosphere of the tropical forests, filled with the chirping of feathered beauties, the sounds of exotic animals present and the freshness of greenery, the deep unity of man with nature is keenly felt. The light shimmers of daytime sounds are replaced by more intense evening tones. Closer to night, the gardens come to a standstill, carrying the peacefulness of Bahamian life.

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What to see

At Ardastra Gardens, visitors are given the opportunity to feed the parrots, which is sure to please the kids! The parrots, despite endless feeding by tourists, never get fed, and these gluttons can also make a kind and generous feeder happy with words of gratitude. This is one of the local attractions.

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Also one of the highlights of the Gardens is the flamingo show, which many tourists are eager to see. During the show program, a few visitors are selected and participate directly in the performance. The show with trained flamingos in the Ardastra Gardens is a very exciting spectacle, and during the show program visitors learn a lot of new and interesting things about these beautiful birds.

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Tourists

It is said that coming to the Ardastra Gardens for the second time, it feels as if the gardens are completely different, and the third time it feels as if nothing has been seen here. One can visit the gardens many times, finding something new to see each time.

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Rules for visiting

The botanical gardens can be visited as part of a guided group. This is because many of the garden’s plants are poisonous, although they look harmless. The uniqueness of the Ardastra Gardens Botanical Garden is that it contains plants from different countries and continents and yet they all coexist perfectly. As a rule, many botanists are interested in visiting this garden.

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Address

P.O.. Box N-4882, Nassau, Bahamas

Tickets

Fees. Admission fees are B$16 B$ for adults and B$8 B$ for children.

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Opening hours

Mon – Wed from 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

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Combination Tour

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays offer an unforgettable tour that includes a tour of historic downtown Nassau with its many attractions, a trip to Paradise Island where the famous Atlantis Paradise Hotel is located, and a visit to Ardastra Gardens. A lunch of traditional Bahamian cuisine is planned during the tour.

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