One of the most interesting things we did in San Cristobal, Mexico was visit the Orquideas Moxviquil botanical garden. The garden is a preserve for over 600 species of Chiapas orchids, cacti, bromeliads, ferns, and other flora. Most of the specimens were rescued from within the Chiapas state from sites that were disturbed by human activities.
It was a little over a mile from our hotel as the garden is north of the city in a more rural area, but we had a beautiful day for it. We had a bit of difficulty finding the entrance and ended up hiking along a woodland trail in the Moxviquil Reserve (which the garden is part of). We finally realized that we were not in the right place, back-tracked, and went farther up the road where we saw this sign.
It was a little over a mile from our hotel as the garden is north of the city in a more rural area, but we had a beautiful day for it. We had a bit of difficulty finding the entrance and ended up hiking along a woodland trail in the Moxviquil Reserve (which the garden is part of). We finally realized that we were not in the right place, back-tracked, and went farther up the road where we saw this sign.
Before we knew it, we found the gardens up the road just a bit.
Love their fencing and gate
This place was absolutely gorgeous! The owner met us and gave us a quick tour as he had to get back to a ceremony there on the premises. We spent a good long time walking around and looking at orchids and other specimens. And after we'd seen all the plants, we spent a good amount of time bird-watching -- of course we had brought our binoculars!
Calla Lily -- one of the few non-native plants in the garden
I'm looking for birds in front of the office where we paid our entry fee
Charming office -- loved the metalwork on windows and door
The hothouse -- very unique!
Owner showing us something inside the hothouse
Spore pattern
A real beauty!
Artsy outhouses
This sculpture demonstrates the natural erosion process of a cube.
Amphitheater for classes and ceremonies
One last look at the hothouse showing its unique architecture
We'll have to do a separate blog post with bird photos, as well as one about the wonderful woodland hike we took in the Moxviquil Reserve behind the Orchid Garden. In the meantime, check out the Orquideas Moxviquil website for much more information on this unique and fascinating site. We would love to go back again and hope to get the chance to.
We had a great visit!
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