Medicinal & endemics plants tour in Colombia

The Western Cordillera of Colombia is known for its very high biodiversity, with a great number of orchids and bromeliads, many of them endemic. If you like to watch orchids under natural conditions, El Refugio is a good opportunity for you.

The natural vegetation of El Refugio corresponds to an undisturbed cloud forest (on the upper part) and a secondary forest (on the lower part) which has been enriched with many valuable species of trees, palms, ferns and anthuria. There is also a big garden with a fine collection of plants -grown under very natural conditions- including orchids, bromeliads, palms, andean blue berries, trees, aroids and melastoms.

We can also learn about the medicinal plants found in this reserve such as Cavendishia quereme, which contains a substance used as a muscle relaxant and also useful for mouthwashes (component of Listerine). Justicia isthmensis (TILO), which is used as an infusion, taken as a tranquilizer and to fall asleep, or Smallanthus sonchifolius (YACÓN), which contains sugars that cannot be assimilated by the human body, but which favor the development of a healthy intestinal flora, in such a way that it can be used to treat chronic irritable bowel disease.