Don't Miss Orchid Season at Costa Rica's Else Kientzler Botanical Gardens

[Shannon Farley]

Orchids have a mystique. A magic, beguiling beauty. Their complex patterns, colors and forms in a flower so delicate and fragile, simply boggle the senses. They are coveted like an elusive, exotic treasure, and bought, sold and traded around the world. Whole societies and organizations are dedicated to preserving these amazing beauties.

 

At the Else Kientzler Botanical Gardens in Sarchi, Costa Rica (an hour's drive northwest of capital San José), you can immerse yourself in the enchanting world of orchids now during orchid blooming season. The flowers are blooming throughout March and early April at the botanical gardens, located in this artisan town,

 

The setting couldn’t be prettier – 17 acres (7 hectares) of exotic Costa Rica botanical gardens with more than 2,000 species of exotic tropical plants from places like Guyana, New Zealand, Madagascar, Japan, the Bahamas, Java, Brazil, India, Korea, and of course Costa Rica. There are ponds, a river, and a large playground for children. Visitors can stroll two kilometers of trails; more than 40% of the gardens are wheelchair accessible.

 

Orchids are the largest and most diverse family of flowering plants on Earth. There are between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species of Orchidaceae – more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species on the planet, according to Wikipedia. Orchids are found in tropical areas on all continents except Antarctica. They are most abundant in warm rainforest-type climates.

 

Costa Rica’s national flower is the purple orchid Guarianthe skinneri and you can find more than 1,400 species of orchids in Costa Rica. “Orchids flower in Costa Rica all year long,” noted Ovido Esquivel, director of the Else Kientzler Botanical Gardens. “But the majority of species flower during our summer from January to March.”

 

The beautiful Costa Rica botanical gardens are open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Guided walks are available in English, Spanish and German with advance reservations, or you can go on a self-guided tour.