Most old views and engravings of Malaga city show the shores of the Mediterranean lapping at the hillside below the Alcazaba.  Plans to build new quays on reclaimed land were put forward in 1896.

Work on the reclamation continued from 1897 to 1900 and planting began  around 1904.   Antonio Canóvas del Castillo, the then Head of State was firmly behind the project, as was the Marques de Larios and several architects including Eduardo Strachan, and Don Manuel Rivera. However, it was Don Joaquín de la Rucoba  who was finally put in charge to combine the best ideas from each architect.   The result has become an immense open botanical garden housing a spectacular array of tropical and sub tropical plants and trees all of which have adjusted to the Malaga climate.

Strolling through the Malaga parks is a memorable experience, whatever the season and whatever the light. There is always something unusual, rare or colourful to capture.   Our walk takes us over the reclaimed land to three gardens. The first is the Parque de Malaga which has two 800m walks running parallel to the port and ending at the Plaza General Torrijos.  The other smaller part of the Parque is on the opposite side of the Paseo close to the old Head Gardeners lodge.  Secondly, on the same side are the more formal Jardines de Pedro Luis Alonso designed by the architect Guerrero Strachan. They were laid out in 1945 in a Hispano/Muslim style and named after the first post-war Mayor of the city.   Thirdly just behind these are the Jardines de Puerta Oscura,  created  in 1937 over the site of an old Roman Villa and covering the 10,000 m2 hillside below the Alcazaba.

During the stroll you will discover so many plant species and fortunately to help you enjoy your experience to the full, the Town Hall has placed ceramic name plates in most of the beds adding a sketch,  common and latin names and place of origin. There are also an assortment of cafes and kiosks, a couple of children’s playgrounds and plenty of seating. It’s even an ideal spot for a picnic!  Amongst the rare and unusual are the immense Mexican Washingtonia palms growing between 25-30 mts, swaying gently in the breeze and a resting place for many of the park’s screeching birds!

A rare bottle tree, Chorisia Isignis from South American: the statuesque  Araucaria from the Isle of Norfolk, Oceania;  Palma de Frutas Doradas from Madagascar a curious date palm with nine trunks; The smooth trunked Palma Real from Cuba; a fine example of Encefalarto Laurentianus and of course the Drago from the Canary Isles.

The Plaza Marina by the port entrance is the best place to start and between here and the Plaza de General Torrijos (near the bullring) you will see some rare and beautiful plants and trees and many monuments and busts of some of Malaga’s most illustrious figures.  Amongst them, the poets Salvador Rueda and Ruben Dario, the painter Bernardo Ferrandiz and the botanist Modesto Laza.

The delightfully shady ‘glorietas’ with stone benches and traditional tiling are perfect for resting and taking in the surroundings.  Without doubt you will be zig zagging across the paths spotting the most unusual plants and trees.   Close to the children’s playground is a peculiar tree called the Cola de Pescado that flowers only once in it’s life and to it’s left is a fine collection including the spiny trunked Palo Borracho Rosado, the Arbol de Santo Tomás and the Mexican Palma Azul.

All the way through are symmetrical beds shimmering with shafts of light darting down through the statuesque Palma Azules, beds of Flamingero, native to Madagascar and Azahar de India.
Other beds contain Palmito de Antillas from Central America,  Datilera Encina from South East Asia, the white flower of the Hibiscus tree from Hawaii and both red and white Plumaria from Central America.

In another shady area surrounded by Oriental Plane Trees and Ficus is the Eduardo Ocón  auditorium built in 1961 and where weekend concerts are often performed.   Avocado, Avellano (Hazlenut) and glorious white flowered Yuccas from South America also provide some shade over the paths close by while an immense Jazmín from Paraguay loses its struggle to overtake surrounding palms,

The delightful feature called the Ninfa del Cantaro is set amongst beds of miniature roses and another dating from  1992  is beautifully decorated with tiles depicting all the towns of Malaga and some national historical figures.

At the far end is the shadiest part of the garden. Beds crammed with Chinese Aspidistra and Central American Monstera all enjoying life under the giant Strelitzas from South Africa. Many of us will have the smaller Bird of Paradise in our garden but it is amazing to see these gigantic species!
On the opposite side is a vast bed of Sansivieria – Mother in Law’s Tongue,  sturdy and sharp edged!  Sharing it is a most photographed and interesting tree with many trunks, Arból de Viajero, from Madagascar.

The rocky pool on the right facing the Paseo de Los Curas is surrounded by Costus, more giant Strelitzas and a Giant Ahuehuete  all thriving in the shade while the monument dedicated to Don Modesto Laza is a simple round pool with a central bubbling fountain.

To reach the next gardens you need to cross the Plaza de General Torrijos where the Alcazaba will be up to your right.

The Pedro Alonso Gardens have a Moorish flavour about them, neatly trimmed box and cypress hedges, aromatic orange trees, paved pathways, pools and tinkling fountains.  A splendid row of Palmeras Washingtonias separate these gardens from the Aduana Building, the old Custom House which is now Malaga’s Town Hall

In the middle is a statue of a true Malagueño figure, El Biznaguero, the flower seller together with perfumed rose gardens.

Just below the Alcazaba are the zig zagging pathways of the Puerta Oscura Gardens named after an old city entrance and filled with a variety of Jacaranda, Eucalyptus, Cypress, Canary palms, Ficus, Buganvilla of course and much more. These gardens were designed with an Arab flavour by Guerrero Strachan to harmonize with the Alcazaba and transform the otherwise barren landscape.  Sadly few tourists seem to reach here and miss out on the paths, terraces and pergolas that make these pleasant gardens to explore with great views of the city and the Alcazaba walls.

From here the walk continues past some elegant building.
Malaga’s Town Hall, the Bank Of Spain,  Malaga University’s Vice-Chancellors office and finally the old Town Hall Gardeners House, built in 1908.

Now, heading back towards the Plaza de la Marina we come to the second section of the Malaga Parque, not containing so many rare species as the larger area but nevertheless having it’s own charm and beauty. Statues and monuments here include the writer Arturo Reyes,  Commander Benitez who fought in the Moroccan War and Don Narciso Diaz de Escobar another Malaga poet.  It is here that you will spot the African Encephalartos Laurentianum, an American Jacaranda,  a beautiful Drago from the Canaries and if you are there at the right time, the white flower of the rampant Monstera.

If you decide to explore all the Puerta Oscura Gardens then I would say that in 4 hours you could manage the walk from the Plaza Marina and back, with refreshment stops of course!  These parks and gardens are always open.   Also, just along from the entrance to the Puerta Oscura Gardens is a lift up to the Alcazaba – but maybe that’s for another day…