Friday, August 21, 2009

58 ~ The Orchid Garden

sitio litre entrance(click to enlarge)
The garden at Sitio Litre in Puerto de la Cruz, built in 1730, is one of the oldest gardens on the island of Tenerife. The privately owned estate is known for its collection of tropical and subtropical plants as well as a famous orchid garden which is open to the public.

entrance garden
near koi pool
koi pond Once a monastery, the estate was purchased by an Englishman, Mr. Archibald Little, who lived in the villa with his family. It became know at that time as 'Little's Place' which in Spanish evolved into 'Sitio Litre'.

villaMr. Little reformed the villa and garden, turning it into a guest house with beautiful surrounding gardens.

pampas grass
humboldt garden Alexander Von Humboldt bonsai garden

It was sold in later years and the present owner, who purchased it in 1996, opened the gardens to the public.

the aviary The Aviary

the orchid bower The Orchid Bower

orchids 1
orchids 2
orchids 3The garden contains one of the oldest dragon trees in Puerto de la Cruz and the orchid garden with the largest collection on the island.

white orchid
fountain long view
plumeria alba Frangipani (Plumeria Alba)

fountain closeAmong the well-known people who stayed at Sitio Litre when it was a guest house are Alexander von Humboldt, Oscar Wilde, Marianne North and Agatha Christie with her daughter Rosalind.

garden steps
estate patio It was here that Agatha Christie was inspired to write 'The Mysterious Mr. Quinn'.

luncheon A luncheon for the charity group 'Friends of Tenerife' held amidst beautiful surroundings at the outdoor cafe in The Orchid Garden.

garden gateThe garden has a Koi pond, a small gift shop and a charming outdoor cafe.

Open from 9:30 to 6 pm daily.
Telephone 922 38 24 17
Calle Sitio Litre s/n, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife.

8 comments:

Marysol said...

Amazing pictures!

Sharon, I've often wondered why there aren't more bloggers proclaiming this beautiful island. An island I knew little about, until you came along, generously sharing its history and natural beauty, via your writing and gorgeous photos.

I'm beginning to suspect most of the islanders would rather keep this slice of paradise to themselves. And I could certainly understand why.

Still, I'm grateful to have known you, Tenerife's official advocate.

nimenos said...

Dear Sharon, I am from Tenerife, but live in Sevilla for a long time now. I just wanted to thank you the great job you are doing with your blog, it makes me smile when I see so many places I know but with your own point of view.

Thank you again

Canarybird said...

Thank you Sol for your very generous comment! I know there are many Spanish bloggers here and there are quite a few English-speaking bloggers as well, and certainly some Germans and others who write about the island. But it is certainly a wonderful place to live and there's so much more to it than one sees on a short vacation here. Cheers and thanks again. Un abrazo,
Sharon.

Canarybird said...

Nimenos...
Muchas gracias para tu comentario. El blog de Catalino es precioso. Parece el hermano de mi Bibi, pero mas gordo.

Yo, a pesar de los muchos años que he vivido en España, no he estado en Sevilla mas que por un enlace en el aeropuerto un par de veces. Pero si he tomado clases de baile de Sevillanas!

Tenerife sigue siendo la isla bonita durante todo el año.

I'm happy that you can enjoy some of my photos of this beautiful island. Thank you.

Sharon

Jo said...

Oh, how absolutely gorgeous. I always feel as if I am coming on a wonderful vacation whenever I visit your blog. I had no idea such a beautiful place existed. It's a long way from Port Alberni! :-)

Fine Life Folk said...

The pond in that original monastery looks lush and breathtaking. Reminds me of the garden spa I went to last year and which I blogged about.

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