In northwest Rio de Janeiro's well-heeled Jardim Botanico district, near the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, sits a botanical oasis first conceived in 1808 by Prince Regent Dom João. Quiet on weekdays and alive with music and families on weekends, the Jardim Botanico grows over 5000 plant varieties, including Amazonian originals and Jurassic-sized water lilies.
