I’m a sucker for a garden visit now…
I’ve always liked looking around gardens, but as I’ve hit my thirties I’ve well and truly grown my green fingers. I think the turning point for me was actually getting my own garden to experiment with when we bought our house. I started learning names of plants, what would and wouldn’t thrive in my garden, and what plants I liked the look of.
But I also found that it made visiting gardens much more enjoyable. Even abroad in super sunny climates, where I wouldn’t have a chance of growing anything at home like that. We’ve visited several gardens already in Spain – you might have seen the beautiful gardens in one of my Sevilla posts. Luckily for me, I have a husband who’s willing to wander around another garden while I point out everything I like about it to him and stop to take hundreds of photos.
So, when we were heading to Malaga this time around, I had one request – can we please visit the botanical gardens? I’d watched an episode of Monty Don’s Spanish Gardens (see, told you I was getting obsessed), and it was among the gardens he’d visited. And I knew I had to go.
So we did. And I’ll tell you – it wasn’t a disappointment.
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Visiting Details
There are two botanical gardens in Malaga, the other one is simply called ‘Botanical Gardens’. If it’s this one you’re heading to, make sure you put in ‘Jardin Botanico Historico La Conception‘, otherwise you’ll go to the wrong one.
The best way to get to the gardens is by Uber. It’s too far out of town to walk really, but an Uber won’t be too expensive. There is also a decent-sized car park just down from the garden entrance, so if you have rented a car for your holiday driving is also a good option.
The gardens are open Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays, so don’t plan your visit for then. It’s open from 9:30 am, but the closing time is earlier during Winter. It’s incredibly priced, in my opinion – only €5.20 (at the time of writing this post). They also offer a few free entry times, so take a look at that if you’re interested.
You can even take your dog along with you if you have one.
Review
So, is the Jardin Botanico Historico La Conception worth visiting? Absolutely. These gardens are different from gardens in Spain, like Alcazar or Las Duenas, they’re quieter and less formal-feeling. There are parts of the garden that are just trees, although very well-organised trees, but then with a bridge or a pathway thrown in. There’s a particular area with a river, all-green plants, and two bridges, and it feels really romantic somehow.
Make sure you take them up on the offer of a map at the entrance, it’s easy to get lost. The garden is so big, and there are so many different sections. Plus there’s a ‘Forest Route’ (Ruta Foresta) that’s a longer, more challenging route to walk. You don’t want to accidentally get on that if you’re visiting in the heat of July, or pregnant like me.
It is still hilly in parts but is mainly in the shade of the trees, so it shouldn’t be too bad. There’s also a shop at the entrance where you can get a bottle of water and perhaps an ice cream to get you through. The most tiring part will probably be walking up to the Historical Viewpoint, but please don’t sleep on this area.
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The Best Bit?
The Historical Viewpoint is probably the image everyone who’s looked up the garden in advance will be familiar with, and my favourite part. I was visibly awed when we came up to it. You follow a path up to it, past the first pond area you get to when you arrive, and it appears as you get closer. And gets more impressive the closer you get.
Firstly it looks pretty on top of the hill, looking up from below. Then when you see it closer you’ll see how decorated it is. When you’re in it, you can look one way to see a breathtaking view of the city of Malaga, another to look at a view of the gardens, or the other way to see a pond with terrapins swimming around. A lot of people tend to just reach this point and relax for a while, and it’s easy to understand why.
So my conclusion is that it’s definitely worth a stop at the Jardin Botanico Historico La Conception. But head there early. We aimed to get there pretty much as it opened, and it was far quieter than when we were leaving. Much better for enjoying the garden and for taking photos. Plus, you’ll miss the heat of midday, and there’s a lot of walking here, so that’s worth doing.
The Jardin Botanico is certainly making it into my top ten list of gardens to visit.
