Gibraltar Botanic Gardens

The Alameda Gardens were laid out in 1816 on what had been a parade and camping ground, planted with dragon trees, palms, cypress and a collection that has grown since into several thousand species, arranged on terraces below the western face of the Rock. A wildlife conservation park in the grounds holds animals confiscated from the illegal trade. The cable car base station is at the top end.

History

The gardens were commissioned in 1816 by the governor, General George Don, as a pleasant place for off-duty soldiers and for residents to take the air out of the hot sun; Don had also ordered a memorial to General Eliott in 1815, first a colossal statue carved from the bowsprit of the Spanish ship San Juan Nepomuceno, taken at Trafalgar, which was replaced here by the present bronze bust in 1858. After decline from the 1970s the gardens were revived in 1991, a wildlife park was added three years later, and in 2001 a bronze of James Joyce's Molly Bloom by Jon Searle was installed for the bicentenary of the Gibraltar Chronicle (Wikipedia, Gibraltar Botanic Gardens).

What you'll find

• The dragon trees - the specimens among the oldest planting in the garden.
• The terraces - the levels running up the slope below the Rock.
• The conservation park - the animals rescued from the illegal trade.
• The 1816 layout - the original plan still legible in the paths.

When to go

March to June is the flowering season. Year round for the garden generally. Summer afternoons are hot on the open terraces.

Before you go

The animal collection is small and the enclosures are modest. Parts of the garden are steep. It is busy on cruise days because of the cable car base.

Nearby

The cable car base is at the top, and Main Street is north.

Key facts