Spirogyra is located in Goicoechea, San José, Costa Rica. Its exact address is Route 108, street 11, 50 meters south of the Church of San Francisco de Goicoechea. Just a 10-minute walk from the center of San José.

The Butterfly Garden is a unique, comprehensive project that fuses art, ecology and culture, created in 1998 under the direction of Sol Carballo. It was formed as an interdisciplinary and independent artistic group, in collaboration with the conservation project Spirogyra Butterfly Garden, with the aim of contributing to the preservation of the environment through artistic creation.

The project is based on the idea that artistic creation is a powerful tool for social and environmental change, and seeks to connect people with nature and with their own cultural and personal values. Since its beginnings, Metamorphosis, Spirogyra’s proposal, has fused diverse artistic disciplines, such as contemporary dance, theater, music, circus arts and the plastic arts, always with an innovative approach and a strong message of ecological awareness.

Objectives of the project

One of the fundamental pillars of Spirogyra is its ability to raise awareness about the environment through art. The objectives of the project are clear and are aimed at building a society that is more respectful of nature and of others:

  1. Preservation of the environment: Strengthen the importance of the conservation of the natural environment as a right and an obligation, using art as a vehicle to transmit this message.
  2. Promotion of respect and tolerance: Encouraging respect between human beings regardless of their geographical origin, gender or socioeconomic status, using creativity as a bridge between different cultures and realities.
  3. Strengthening cultural identity: Reinforcing Costa Rican and Latin American cultural identity, combining indigenous roots with avant-garde trends, so that art reflects the diversity and richness of the region.

Spirogyra: A Commitment to Nature and Creativity

The Spirogyra Butterfly Garden, created in 1992 by Sol Carballo, is a small ecological refuge in the city of San José, Costa Rica, which acts as a sanctuary for butterflies and a showcase for the country’s biodiversity. Located just 10 minutes from the center of the capital, it is an oasis where visitors can experience the fascinating metamorphosis of butterflies and learn about their life cycle.

Spirogyra: A Commitment to Nature and Creativity
Spirogyra: A Commitment to Nature and Creativity

The garden is home to different species of butterflies, which are bred on site through a careful and environmentally friendly process. Spirogyra cultivates around 20 species of butterflies and the host and nectariferous plants necessary for their development, thus promoting the conservation of these insects that are crucial for ecological balance.

Through this project, it is committed to the use of eco-sustainable practices. At the same time, it supports small independent breeders, many of them located in rural communities close to primary forests, which are under pressure from deforestation and intensive agriculture. In this way, it seeks to offer an economic alternative based on butterfly farming, which contributes to the preservation of biodiversity and the generation of income for local communities.

Chrysalis: A Journey into Transition

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Spirogyra Butterfly Garden is the opportunity it provides to directly observe the metamorphosis of butterflies. Visitors can explore the stages of a butterfly’s life, from the egg, through the caterpillar, to the chrysalis and finally the adult butterfly. In addition, they can learn about the host plants, which are essential for butterflies to lay their eggs, and the nectar-producing plants, which provide the necessary food for adult butterflies.

Spirogyra: A Commitment to Nature and Creativity
Spirogyra: A Commitment to Nature and Creativity

As well as being an educational space, it offers the possibility of acquiring plants to create a butterfly garden at home. With the aim of continuing to promote conservation, visitors are invited to “give an eco-gift”, taking home a plant that will contribute to the well-being of butterflies and local biodiversity.

A Project with a History

Spirogyra was born out of a deep love of nature. Founded by Sol Carballo in 1992, the idea came about when she inherited a 7,000 m² property on the banks of the Torres River in San José. Through her work as a dancer and with the help of her love of plants and animals, Carballo managed to keep the space, preventing it from being sold. As a result, she decided to create a butterfly farm as a means of financing the conservation of the site and, at the same time, supporting an ecological and educational project.

Over time, Spirogyra has become a benchmark in Costa Rica in terms of environmental conservation and art. The garden is not only a space for learning about the life of butterflies, but also a center for cultural and artistic activities that integrate the community into the process of social and environmental transformation.

Spirogyra: A Commitment to Nature and Creativity
Spirogyra: A Commitment to Nature and Creativity

The Spirogyra Cultural Outreach Project is a clear example of how art and nature can go hand in hand to promote a culture of respect for the environment and for people. With its multidisciplinary approach and commitment to conservation, Spirogyra continues to be a benchmark for innovation in Costa Rica, showing that creativity is a fundamental tool for social change.

Sensorial Sunsets