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ORCHID TOURING Around Medellín

Medellín is often called the “City of Eternal Spring” for its year round nice weather, beautiful Andean landscapes and the annual Feria de las Flores (Festival of Flowers) celebration. The city is nestled in a valley at an elevation of 1500 m with the surrounding mountains reaching as high as 3150 m covered with native forests where more than 400 different orchid species, 300 bird species, and many other interesting plants native to the region can be found.

ORCHID TOURIN We can offer you different and diverse adventures to a number of destinations that can be enjoyed in a single day trip or, in some cases, up to three days of guided explorations. Our offerings include a wide range of experiences from visiting world class orchid collections to hiking and exploring pristine

native forests. We can customize your experience combining different destinations and tailoring your trip to your exact interests, desires, and the amount of time available.

In addition to the unforgettable experience of seeing a great diversity of Andean orchids in their natural habitat, you will also be able to observe the amazing variety of birds, insects and tropical plants that share these forests.

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Please feel free to contact us and we can create an estimate and itinerary based on your interests for you or your group. Pricing for our guided expeditions will depend on the destinations you choose, the time required for travel, and group size.

We look forward to showing you the beauty and diversity of Colombia!

One Day Expeditions Río Medellín Headwaters: Just 45 minutes South of Medellin, this is a natural area with extensive secondary forests feeding the headwaters of Medellín River and hosting 16% of the country’s biodiversity.

Highlights: Showy orchids like Maxillaria fractiflexa , Comparettia falcata, Sigmatostalix and a variety of Dichaea, Andinia, Pleurothallis and Stelis species. The amazing Booted Racket-Tail Hummingbird also inhabits these forests together with the Red Bellied Grackle, some Trogons and plenty of tropical butterflies and insects.

ORCHID TOURIN

1800 msnm

Dificult

5 hours

Baldias Paramo:

This is the highest peak around Medellín reaching up to 3150 m. The páramo habitat closest to the city can be visited here, a fragile and distinctive eco-system with scrub forests, pastures, and wetlands inhabited by many interesting plants and a diversity of highland orchids. On clear days there are spectacular views of the Cauca and Aburrá valleys.

Highlights: A variety of species of Telipogon, Epidendrum, Oncidium and Cyrtochilum, the rare and showy Lepanthes tibouchinicola, the recently described Fernandezia ortiziana and a variety of miniature orchids. The Frailejón, a strange kind of plant unique to the paramos of Northern South America can also be observed.

3100 msnm

Difficult

8 hours

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One Day Expeditions El Higuerón: Just 45 minutes from the city, an isolated high elevation area where some remnants of well-preserved cloud forest remain. This is the preferred habitat of many Pleurothallids.

Highlights: Showy species like Odontoglossum sceptrum, Masdevallia picturata ´Red´, Lepanthes tibouchinicola, Lepanthes gargantua and a variety of species of Masdevallia, Lepanthes, Pleurothallis and Stelis.

D NG 3000 msnm

Difficult

6 hours

Santa Elena and Arví Park:

Arví is a regional Eco-Tourism Park 45 minutes away from Medellín, located in Santa Elena. It is a protected area with archaeological value where one can find some remnants of native forests and old extensive cypress forests already colonized by many orchid species that switch from growing as epiphytes to growing on the ground.

Highlights: Dracula houtteana, Barbosella cucullata, Houlletia wallisii, Scaphosepalum lima, various species of Pleurothallis, Stelis, Elleanthus, Dichaea, Maxillaria and Epidendrum. Some species of Masdevallia are also present such as M.amanda, M.cucullata, M.molossus, M.picturata and M.platyglossa.

2500 msnm

Difficult

8 hours

San Sebastian La Castellana:

A natural area located South West of Medellín and only 30 minutes from the city center. There you can enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the city and beautiful Andean cloud forests with a variety of birds and plants.

Highlights: Orchids like Masdevallia caudivolvula, Masdevallia heteroptera, Odontoglossum sceptrum, Lepanthes tibouchinicola, Telipogon species, Brachionidium species, and several other different miniature orchid species. There is also a good variety of birds including some endemics as the Colombian Chachalaca and the Red Bellied Grackle.

Medellín 2900 msnm

Difficult

5 hours

Multiple Day Expeditions El Peñol Dam - Guatapé: (3 to 4 days) At 2 1/2 hours from Medellín, this popular tourist destination situated near a large man-made reservoir and local attractions such as the Piedra De Peñol, a 220 m tall geologic formation from which you can enjoy spectacular views from the summit of the lake and surrounding areas. We will visit Guatapé, recognized as one of the most colorful towns in the world because of the brightly decorated building facades and is a popular destination for boating and other aquatic activities. On the islands and shores of the reservoir are some well-preserved wet forests, some of them accessible only by boat that are inhabited by numerous varieties of orchids.

ORCH TOUR Highlights: Showy species like Eriopsis biloba, Houlettia wallisi, Houlettia odoratissima, Cleistes rosea, Comparettia falcata and a variety of species of Masdevallia, Lepanthes and other Pleurothallids.

1950 msnm

Difficult

Santo Domingo Canyon: (4 days)

This adventure destination is an eco-lodge located on one of the slopes of the canyon of the Santo Domingo River, a region possessing one of the largest and best preserved forests in Antioquia. There are many natural streams and a high local biodiversity. Located 2 1/2 hours from Medellín and accessible only by 4x4 and a 2 hour hike or horseback ride, it truly is a fantastic place where the many trails can be explored looking for a huge variety of orchid species.

Highlights: Two forms of the rare and showy Lepanthes felis, Lepanthes ophelma, Houlettia wallisii, Houlettia lowiana, Phragmipedium schlimmi, Phragmipedium hirtzii. and numerous species of Maxillaria, Lepanthes and other miniatures.

Around 2000 msnm

Difficult

Commercial Greenhouses (Colomborquídeas, Orquifollajes, Orquídeas Katía): With exclusive access, we will visit some of the largest and most celebrated orchid collections and greenhouses in Colombia located less than 45 minutes from Medellín. Our visits to these collections will also include the possibility of buying some fantastic plants.

Contact Us Contact us for more information and to make bookings, let us know your wishes so we can design the best tour for your likings and let you know how much you will need to invest to make your dreams come true.

Start point: Your Hotel in Medellín or any different agreed place within the city End point: Your Hotel in Medellín or any different agreed place inside the city

HID RING Contact info:

Sebastián Vieira and/or Luis Fernando Pérez Contact us at: +57 301-2005111, +57 300-6110505

E-mail: insituExpeditions@gmail.com Twitter @InsituXP instagram @InsituExpeditions Facebook @InsituExpeditions

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