Yesterday, I walked through an enchanted garden…
Along with about 25+ other people from the Oaxaca Garden Club, I made my way to an orchid garden in San Andrés Huayapam.






What a treasure the privately funded, Orquideario “La Encantada” is! For owner/gardener/collector, Octavio Gabriel, it is a 40+ year old passion and labor of love — and it shows.






The earthen pathways lead one up and down, through dappled light, along the slopes of a babbling brook. The orquideario is sanctuary to about 1,200 species of orchids, along with companion epiphytes, ferns, bromeliads, and even a bamboo forest.






Orquideario “La Encantada” is located at the end of a dirt road off to the right, about 1 km beyond the presas (reservoirs), towards the village of San Andrés Huayapam.






The 100 pesos admission fee helps finance the orquideario. I plan to return! Octavio Gabriel’s book, Algunas Orquideas de Oaxaca is available to purchase for 350 pesos.


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