Paseos, Plazas, Parks and Gardens
1. Parque de Maria Luisa, Seville
Seville’s glorious main park was a gift to the city from a Bourbon duchess in 1893. A few decades later it was redesigned and embellished for the 1929 Ibero-American Exhibition. Numerous lavish structures have been left behind, including the stunning Plaza de España and several other fine buildings, two of which house local museums. The grounds are largely the creation of Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, the French landscape gardener who also designed the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.
2. Paseo Marques de Contadero, Seville
This central promenade is one of Seville’s loveliest. Stretching along the riverfront, within sight of most of the major monuments, its tree-lined walkways make a pleasant break from the crowded city streets. The paseo is also pedestrianized so you don’t have to worry about traffic.
3. Parque Zoologico, Jerez
Jerez’s small zoo, set in botanical gardens, is also an active centre for the rehabilitation of regional endangered species or any injured animals. The star turns are a pair of white tigers. This is also the only chance you may get to see the elusive and extremely rare Iberian lynx, of which only an estimated 1,000 remain in the wild.
C/Taxdirt • Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun (May–Sep: to 7pm)
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956 14 97 85
• www.zoobotanicojerez.com • Adm
4. Parque Genoves, Cadiz
Lying along the west side of Cádiz, this swathe of landscaped greenery facing the seafront has paths for strolling along, some civic sculpture and interesting flora, including an ancient dragon tree originally from the Canary Islands. This is one leg of a two-part park, the other half curving around along the northern seafront.
5. Plaza San Juan de Dios, Cadiz
This is one of Cádiz’s busiest hubs of commercial and social life. Lined with cafés, bars and palm trees, its chief adornment is the monumental Neo-Classical façade of the Ayuntamiento (town hall), along with several handsome towers. The square opens out onto the port, ensuring a constant stream of pedestrians and opportunities for people-watching.
6. Jardin Botanico La Concepcion, Malaga
Just north of Málaga City lies this impressive botanical garden, the work of a 19th-century English woman, Amalia Livermore, and her Spanish husband, Jorge Loring Oyarzábal. The garden houses a collection of palms and exotic plants from around the world. The grounds are also embellished with charming touches here and there, such as a domed gazebo decorated with tiles and columns.Carretera N-331, km 166, Málaga • Open 9:30am–5:30pm Tue–Sun (Apr–Sep: to 8:30pm) • 952 25 21 48 • http://laconcepcion.malaga.eu • Adm
7. Plaza de la Corredera, Cordoba
Córdoba gave this 17th-century arcaded square a long overdue sprucing up for the tourist onslaught of 1992, even putting in an underground car park. But it still retains some of its customary functions, including an open-air market on Saturday morning, in addition to the regular covered market in the building with the clock-tower. The arches provide shade for a number of cafés and tapas bars, where you can sit and admire the brick façades with their wrought-iron balconies.
8. Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, Cordoba
Another of the major delights of Córdoba are the grounds of this palace (for further details see Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos). The gardens are lavishly done in Moorish style, indulging in a profusion of colour – wisteria, bougainvillea, calla lilies and geraniums, to name only a few – setting off the sun-bleached stone walls and ancient carvings.Campo Santo de los Mártires • Open Tue–Sun • 957 42 01 51 • Adm €4.50 (free 8:30–10:30am Tue–Fri)
9. Plaza Nueva, Granada
Located at the base of both the Alhambra hill and the Albaicín (for further details see Moorish Granada: Generalife), and providing views along the banks of the river that runs beneath the city, this is a great place to while away the time. There are street performers, an endless stream of people and plenty of cafés with tables on terraces.
10. Paseo de la Constitucion, Baeza
Baeza’s hub for strollers and café-goers is all along this oblong central promenade. Fountains grace its tree-lined length, and there are bars with open-air seating in the shade. Interesting buildings facing the square include La Alhóndiga, the old corn exchange, with its triple-tiered arches (for further details see Paseo de la Constitución, Baeza).
