Ladys Slipper (Cypripedium calceolus) orchid.

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Jardín de Orquídeas

Monteverde & Santa Elena


This sweet-smelling garden in Santa Elena has shady trails winding past more than 500 types of orchids. On your guided tour, you’ll see such rarities as Platystele jungermannioides, the world’s smallest orchid. If you have orchids at home, here’s your chance to get expert tips on how to keep them beautiful and blooming. If you're expecting massive sprays of colorful blooms, though, think again – most specimens require the magnifying glass given to you at the entrance to be seen.

You'll get a US$2 discount with a receipt from Morpho's Restaurant.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Monteverde & Santa Elena attractions

1. Herpetarium Adventure

0.08 MILES

For those who prefer their reptiles under glass (or at least behind it), a guide will show you around and introduce you to more than 50 species of…

2. Iglesia

0.08 MILES

A local landmark in the center of Santa Elena. The adjacent roasted-chicken shack apparently has no religious affiliation.

3. Ranario

0.18 MILES

Returning to its former glory as the Ranario, or Frog Pond (it's changed names a few times), this place also features an insect house. The frogs are still…

4. El Arbol Hueco

0.34 MILES

There's no sign, no website, and last we checked, nobody was collecting any money for this delightful roadside attraction. It's simply a hollowed-out fig…

5. Butterfly Garden

0.54 MILES

Head here for everything you ever wanted to know about butterflies. There are four gardens representing different habitats; they're home to more than 40…

6. Bat Jungle

0.92 MILES

The Bat Jungle in Monteverde is a small but informative exhibit, with good bilingual educational displays and a habitat housing almost 100 free-flying…

7. Friends Meeting House

1.45 MILES

This simple meeting house in Monteverde is the ‘church’ of the American Society of Friends, or the Quakers, who first settled this area and committed to…

8. Reserva Santa Elena

2.05 MILES

The exquisitely misty 310-hectare Reserva Santa Elena offers a completely different cloud forest experience from Monteverde. Cutting through the veiled…