JUST AS THE GODDESS VENUS, THA PARQUE DE MÁLAGA (MÁLAGA PARK) EMERGED FROM THE WATER, ON LAND TAKEN FROM THE SEA, OVER 100 YEARS AGO. ITS ELEGANCE WAS ONLY SURPASSED BY ITS BOTANICAL RICHNESS, WITH SPECIMENS FROM THE FIVE CONTINENTS.
Text: Roberto Fernández.

The Parque de Málaga, since its conception on the 5th of September, 1896 by a Royal Order from the Regent Queen María Cristina, is one of the symbols of the capital of the Costa del Sol. This urban garden is known as the Paseo del Parque (Park Promenade), as it comprises a straight walkway with a great exuberance of flowers and trees, although it also conceals maze-like paths which invite us to lose ourselves in its exotic interior. Here we find ornamental beauty from the 19th century, with fountains and sculptures that have a great significance for the city, and which compete in beauty with the horticultural filigrees found in every corner.

The project that would definitively change the physuignimy of its urban centre was not officially unveiled in Málaga until the 25th of February, 1897. Until then, the waves of the Mediterranean still broke at the foot of the Aduana building, however, this would no longer happen, given that the main dock of the Port was changed to its present location.
Shortly after there appeared an immense extension of land gained from the sea; a Herculean enterprise in times of great poorness. The developers of such a magnificent project, Carlos Larios, Marquis of Guadiaro, and Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, a statesman and politician from Málaga, made it possible for their beloved city to have one of the best public parks of all Europe. Cánovas, very close to the Regent Queen, gave the final boost to the idea, but he never saw it as a reality: on the 8th of August that same year, an Italian anarchist muerdered him by shooting him several times, during his holidays in the Santa Agueda spa of Guipuzcoa.
The works on the Park lasted some 30 years, during which such important buildings as the House of the Chief Gardener (today Municipal Tourism Office), the Post Office building, the Banco de España building and the Málaga Town Hall were erected. The Washingtonia palm trees appeared before the Aduana building as fireworks explonding from the tips of their long trunks.

Close to the Town Hall building were placed the gardens of Pedro Luis Alonso and the Puerta Oscura gardens, which do not belong to the Park as such, but which complement the city's lung. Within the 38.000 m2 of the Málaga plantation monuments to four writers were erected (Rubèn Darío, Salvador Rueda, Arturo Reyes and Narciso Díaz de Escovar) as well as to two painters (Muñoz Degrain and Ferrándiz), a politician (Cánovas del Castillo), an aristocrat (Carlos Larios, Marquis of Guadiaro), a war hero (the commanding officer Benitez), and a musician (Edurado Ocón).
In addition, the best fountains of the city were brought, the fountain of the Three Graces and that of Génova or Carlos V, to which was added a pond with swans. Six years ago, on occasion of the first century of the Parque de Málaga, various local companies contributed several tiled stone benches, similar to the first ones that decorated the promenade, some of them inscribed with verses from great Málaga poets, such as Manuel Alcántara.

In the beginning specimens were brought from the five continents, in order to complete a vegetal treasury of 142 species, not counting the seasonal flowers which year after year provide an explosion of colour and which transport us to their countries of origin. Thus, from America there are avocado trees, maples from the United States, cherimoya trees, white sapodillas and the palo borracho (thick trunk with thorns and pink florescence), among many other specimens. From Africa we have the tulip tree from Gabon or forest flame and the Pandanus utilis from Madagascar (next to the fountain of Carlos V). Among the Asian flora the Park has magnificent specimens and varieties of Hibiscus, as well as ficus, orange and quince trees from Japan.
Oceania is represented by large Araucarias and hazel trees from Australia (next to the music area), among others. Among the European autochthonous species we have cypresses, holm oaks, carob trees, ivy, and the famous Drago from the Canary Islands.

Other visits:
Others nearby visits are: the Málaga Cathedral and Cathedral Museum; the Alcazaba - Gibralfaro Castle and Puerta Oscura gardens; Pedro Luís Alonso gardens, joint to Town Hall building; Plaza de la Merced - monument to Torrijos, where stay Picasso's Birthplace - Museum.