Thursday 4 April 2013

Historical Botanical Gardens Malaga

History
Located on the outskirts of Malaga this 49 hectare estate houses, La Concepcíon, a romantic- style garden home to more than 2,000 species of plants. The history of La Concepcíon dates back to 1855 when the gardens creators, Jorge Loring and Amalia Heredia, decided to create a garden after visiting some of Europe’s finest gardens whilst on their honeymoon. Their comfortable economic situation coupled with their international contacts enabled them to build one of the finest collections of flora in southern Europe.
After being purchased  by the Echevarria-Echevarrieta family in 1911 the gardens were extended to their current size with the addition of several new areas.

Today the Botanic Gardens provide the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of vibrant Malaga and ease into the quiet of the Gardens,  get in touch with nature, lose yourself in the gardens  and enjoy spectacular views of Malaga and surrounds. One of the best ways to explore and appreciate the gardens is to take one of the many walking itineraries in the gardens.




Plants
La Concepcion is home to a romantic-style garden that was officially recognised as a “garden of historical-artistic importance” in 1943. Worthy of particular note among the 2,000-plus species to be found on the estate are the trees that make up the enormous wood, where ficuses, araucarias, casuarinas, magnolias, pines, cypresses and cedars, some over 100 years old, create a remarkable arboretum. Species from subtropical climes predominate here. The gardens’ collection of palm trees is considered one of the finest in all of Europe, comprising almost 100 species, some of which are unique exhibits, such as a 7-bough date tree and a Chilean palm which is one of the biggest of its type in Spain, as well as a number of trees rarely found in these latitudes. La Concepcion also boasts a large collection of aquatic plants, bamboos, cycads, zamias and encephalartos, a wide variety of traditional Malaga vines, cactus, insectivorous, orchids, bromelias, fruit trees and natural areas of Mediterranean forest.


Buildings
In addition to its botanical riches, La Concepcion boasts an equally-significant historical heritage. In the XIX century, La Concepcion served as a meeting point for a whole host of illustrious figures of the time. Politicians, artists, aristocrats and the noble Malaga bourgeoisie all frequented its gardens. As a result, a number of distinguished buildings were erected here: the magnificent Stately Home, the cypress house, the administrator’s house, the gardener’s hut and the schoolhouse; two iron greenhouses; a large arbour; fountains, footbridges, flights of steps, a delightful viewpoint, and, most impressive of all, the Loring Museum, a small, Doric-style building which housed the archaeological discoveries unearthed in the excavations financed by the estate’s first owners. Some of these archaeological pieces are on display around the museum, having recently been relocated as part of a project by the architect Jose Fernandez Oyarzabal.



San Telmo Aqueduct
The water supply of Malaga has been one of the most serious problems the city has had since ancient times. In 1782, at the request of Bishop Molina Lario, the architect Aldehuela Martin began working on the San Telmo Aqueduct, because the work of hydraulic engineering was considered very important in the eighteenth-century Spain.
Over 10 km of route from its outlet from the River Guadalmedina, with 33 bridges and 30 aqueducts, reaching its destination by gravity.
In 1788 he authorized the supply to La Concepción. Here one can see part of the branch that supplied water to the farm prior to the garden.






 
Opening hours:
April thru September: From Tuesday till Sunday: from 9.30 AM till 8-30 PM
October thru March: Tuesday till Sunday from 9.30 till 8.30 PM

Entreefees:
General entrance: 4,20 €
Pensioners above 65 and children from 6 till 16 years: 2,10 €
Also guided visits possible




Adress:Camino del Jardin Botanico, no. 3 - 29014 Malaga.
Phone: 952 25 07 45
Source: Botanical Gardens Malaga




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