Colombia's Fantastic Flora & Brilliant Butterflies

Calarca, a small but busy little town. On the outskirts it gives the perception as being the starting point of 'La Linea', the main road that joins Armenia to Bogota, a strategic route for business and trade and so is filled with heavy good vehicles. What does exist here however, is a piece of heaven hidden away known as 'El Jardín Botánico del Quindío'. It houses a wide array of flora both native and non native stretching over 15 hectares including wildlife and an abundance of butterflies, over 1,000 varieties exist here. Winner of Tripadvisors certificate of excellence 2016 it not only offers an opportunity to get close and personal with all the flora and fauna but is also has an important role in research and education.

When Carolina and I first visited the gardens we initially drove right past it despite the numerous signposts that let you know you are approaching the entrance. The route leading towards the admin building looks more like a side road leading into an industrial estate which borders a derelict building overrun by weeds. I parked the car and wondered where we really at the right location? The administration building from the outside doesn't look impressive but as the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover because what unfolds is a place filled with sights and sounds that overwhelms the senses.

We made our way inside and met with our guide Yisel who had an in depth knowledge of everything in the park. She explained what was what as she led us around the parks routes and showed a great level of passion in sharing what she knew, informing us that other than Brazil, Colombia boasts the second highest number of plant and amphibian species in the world and is number 1 for species of birdlife. Our first starting point was at the palm trees and ferns, Yisel pointing out one species of fern that has evolved from being a low lying plant to an actual tree, which I thought was amazing as i'd seen these in New Zealand before but had no idea they existed in Colombia too. Where we live is right next to a reserve, we're very lucky as we get to see new species of birds coming and going on a daily basis, the sounds of their chirping and singing filling your day with delight. We get visitors locally known as 'quatin', they're like really large squirrels without tails who forage the forest floor feeding on fruits and seeds. We also have squirrels who scurry along the large avocado tree where owls, toucans and barranqueros like to perch and view their surroundings and among all that is where this fern tree lives, I had no idea!. We really do have paradise on our doorstep.

We moved on to where there is a 3D map of Quindio, smallest department in Colombia after the island San Andreas but home to an abundance of unique flora and fauna due to the nature of the variable climates and alternating geography. Here Yisel spoke about the 'Heloconia's', also known as lobster claws. There are varieties that grow upward and downwards, like stalactites and stalagmites, each adapted to assist the wildlife help pollinate the flowers that lie inside the claws. These flowers can be spotted all over Armenia and treasured dearly.

From here we continued on towards a maze, but before that we got to see a hummingbird nest with a tiny egg inside. The hummingbird amazingly using spiderwebs and the furry coating that exists on some of the plantlife to construct its nest.

The maze itself is not challenging at all, but its creators designed it with the purpose of giving the individual who passes through it peace of mind and cleansing any negative thoughts that may be clouding their thoughts. Once reaching the centre you get on your hands and knees and touch the ground with your forehead making a wish and continue to the other side where you are now rewarded with a healing energy...

Not wanting to be a buzz kill, I marched in and participated on this journey. I can't say I felt any different but sure, no harm done.

Having been washed of all negativity we moved onto the bamboo forest where a huge tree lies in the middle, visitors are encouraged to give this big guy a hug to absorb its positive energy. Well when in Rome eh!

As each of us had a turn in receiving this trees generous supply of positive energy we could hear the noise of what sounded like a woodpecker, the same sound you'd hear from cartoons when growing up as a child but Yisel explained that this is the noise of the Guadua bamboo leaning and rubbing off each other as they bend from the breeze. Many people think that the guadua bamboo was imported by the Spanish conquistadors, or by early european settlers but no, the guadua bamboo is native to Colombia. It's a very fast and large growing grass that spawns from seeds and root extensions. When it first begins growing its covered in a coating of little sharp bristles to help protect it until it reaches a stage where the bamboo harden's and it sheds this coating.

Moving on we encountered what is known as the 'Tree Killer', Matapalos, a species of tree that covered this region but is nearly extinct as early cultivators cleared the areas for farming purposes. If you can imagine, the area before europeans arrived, would have been a dense jungle where daylight would have struggled to make its way downward through the forest canopy and so competition for the suns rays was intense. So intense that this tree evolved to take advantage of the plantlife growing up around it, the roots reaching out of the ground and consuming the trees and plantlife around it, using them to aid its support and boost it higher and higher until finally bursting through the canopy receiving the suns rays. Legend has it that one could ask the tree to kill his enemy, when their enemy would pass by the tree they would become entangled in its roots and swallowed up by the tree itself. Perhaps the reason why Colombians in this region are so friendly, one wouldn't want to make enemies with these guys hiding in the woods!!

Given enough time you can take a trip across the wooden foot bridge and take advantage of a bird watching area that resides on the other end. Simply relax and watch the native species coming and going in their natural habitat, don't forget your camera as you'll be presented with some great opportunities. We moved on to the watchtower that offers a great view of the 'Mariposario', housing over a thousand species of butterflies. The watchtower is seismic proof but that doesn't stop it from wobbling and shaking as people go up and down it, anyone that might feel nervous about heights might prefer to avoid climbing up.

From the watchtower we moved onto the museums where you can break and enjoy a coffee or in our case, an ice-cream before moving onto seeing the carnivorous plants and varieties of cacti. There's also an exhibition of guadua bamboo root systems that look like an army of headless aliens.

We made our way to the museum of arthropods were there is a collection of beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, ants, bees and more before heading into the mariposario, it feels like leaving a graveyard of creepy crawlies and entering a haven filled with colour and life. Butterflies fluttering all around you, colours exploding as the sunlight bounces off flowers and plant life that thrive here. You completely forget that you are in a facility shaped like a butterfly as you wander around its environment, your eyes catching the next butterfly that floats past you and around you. There are butterflies large and small, some full of colours others have no colour at all and you can see right through their wings also known as glasswinged butterflies and for good reason too. As you wander around butterflies land on your back and head, guests take advantage of the fruits used to feed the butterflies, rubbing the juice on their fingers to attract the butterflies to their fingertips.

While there are numerous attractions in these gardens, some of which we didn't have the chance to see, the mariposario is the star attraction. You could easily spend an hour or two in here, having previously washed away negative feelings in the maze and recharged your positive energy from the tree hugging experience, the mariposario offers a zen experience uplifting your very soul, it's a dreamlike experience you don't want to awake from. Poor Yisel had a hard time getting our group motivated to reach the exit. Upon leaving the mariposario, you are greeted by Colombia's national flower, at first glance you wonder why? It's a purple orchid, there are so many other species that look more attractive but the magic of this guy is on closer inspection, the flower, on occasions, displays the same colours as the Colombian flag, red, yellow and blue and that's the reason it was selected as the national flower.

At this point we were reaching the end of the tour and as we neared the exit, we were saluted for our presence by the tall palm and fern trees that lined up on either side of the path returning to the admin building. A fine easy paced afternoon that lasted perhaps 2.5 hours. Not everyone has the legs or pace to hike mountains for days on end so the botanical gardens make a nice alternative for individuals looking to explore the flora, fauna and more that exist in Eje Cafetero without exerting themselves unnecessarily.

Let us know if visiting El Jardín Botánico del Quindío is something you'd like to experience during your time here in Colombia and we'll make sure there is a professional bilingual guide ready to take care of your visit. Discover Paradise with ease.