Waqanki Orchid Center

Waqanki is a private reserve and orchid collection on the slope outside Moyobamba, established by a family who moved from cultivating land to conserving it, and it does two things well. The orchid garden holds several hundred species from the Alto Mayo region, grown in shade houses and on the forest slope, including many of the small and inconspicuous ones that make up most of the actual diversity - a corrective to the idea that orchids all look like the ones in florists. The hummingbird feeders are the other draw: a dozen or more species come in constantly through the morning, including the rufous-crested coquette, golden-tailed sapphire and many-spotted hummingbird, at a range that makes photography straightforward, and there are hides for a longer sit. Trails run up into forest behind for birders. It is a short ride from Moyobamba.

What you actually see

• The orchid collection - several hundred Alto Mayo species, most of them small.
• The hummingbird feeders - a dozen or more species at close range through the morning.
• The hides - set positions for photography and longer observation.
• The forest trails - birding paths on the slope behind the garden.

When to go

Year-round; mornings for the hummingbirds. Orchid flowering varies by species, so something is always out but the display is not uniform. Two to three hours.

Honest expectations

Orchid flowering is seasonal and many plants will be out of bloom on any visit. The forest trails are muddy and steep. Hot and humid. The site is small - this is a garden, not a reserve to explore at length.

Nearby

Moyobamba is a short ride; the Morro de Calzada is west along the road.