Lankester Gardens in Costa Rica - Finca Dracula in Panama

[EdinAZ]

Don’t know how many of you look for “Orchid stuff” when you travel, but my wife and I do (somewhat). The trips are never “Orchid trips” per se, but we like Central America, and there ARE indeed orchids there.

These are from a trip a couple of years ago to Costa Rica. Some of you know of Lankester, and I must say it is a wonderful place. The grounds are beautiful, with many different varieties of plants (we must have seen a dozen different kinds of Heliconia . . . all just spectacular), and the orchid areas are great. I didn’t ID these pictures when I took them, and don’t want to bother now, but I know you will recognize most of them. There were many dozens of varieties there (mostly warm or intermediate growing), but we only took a few pictures. These are all from an “exhibit area”, but there are many just growing around the grounds.

On the same trip, we spent some time in Panama, in the cloud forest area, in a cabin in La Amistad national park, near the Costa Rica border. It turned out that we were within a ½ mile walk from Finca Dracula, Andres Maduro’s facility, and we went there for a visit, but took very few pictures. Again, beautiful grounds in general, and his orchid display areas as well as growing areas were just unbelievable. All the cool-growing types that I can’t grow. Sooooo many different Dracula, Masdevallia, Telipogon, Pleurothallids of all kinds . . . many other species . . . just fantastic!

For the birders among you, in 4 days there we saw 25-30 Quetzals (we stopped counting, took it for granted) . . . sometimes just off the deck of our cabin. And the hummingbirds . . . we saw 10 different species, again mostly from our deck.

It happens that we will be going back to Panama in March, and plan to spend about a week of our trip in that area (in the very same cabin) again, so we will be seeing Finca Dracula again . . . this time with LOTS of pictures. I will certainly post some after we return.

Ed

[JennS]

wow! Those are some beauties. I really like number 7. It almost looks scaly near the edges of the petals. So cool!!!

[camille1585]

That sounds like a dream vacation, and you got to see lots of orchids too! Thanks for the pictures, those are amazing looking orchids. Some of them I've never seen, and find them so gorgeous, like the 5th, 7th and 8th. It is nice that you have the opportunity to return there for another vacation, we will look forwards to all the pictures!

[SG in CR]

I'm planning on visiting that area sometime in the coming year. Where did you stay? Any recommendations?