The orchid garden at Soroa

What it is

Soroa is a small resort in the green hills of the Sierra del Rosario, about an hour and a half west of Havana. In the 1940s Tomás Felipe Camacho, a lawyer from the Canary Islands, began an orchid garden here in memory of his daughter, who had died young. He brought orchids from many countries and planted them among native trees, ferns and begonias on terraces with wide views. The garden holds several hundred kinds of orchid, including Cuban species, and is now run by the University of Pinar del Río as a teaching and research garden. Visits are led by a guide who points out what is in flower.

Before you go

• The dry season, roughly November to April, has the most orchids in flower.
• A guide accompanies visitors. A small tip is customary.
• The Soroa waterfall is a short walk away and makes a half day with the garden.

The flowers you will see

OrchidA vast family of colourful, often fragrant flowers found almost everywhere on earthBegoniaA vast group of colourful, shade-loving flowering plants from warm climatesEncycliaEpiphytic orchids of the Americas with long-lasting flowers