The 📍Gran Canaria botanical gardens is home to as many specimens as possible of the highly diverse plant species found on all the Canary Islands. It’s established on the steep slope of the 📍Barranco de Guiniguada, a natural ravine that starts all the way in the middle of the island and terminates a few kilometres from Las Palmas. It took years to find the proper site and years more to get it to a state where the gardens could open. I’m still unsure why the slope of a ravine was the best place to open a botanical garden or what makes it ideal to grow a good chunk of the Islands’ plants but it makes for a good view.
We opted to start from the top of the cliffs. Making our way down we confirmed what we learned in multiple botanical garden: never trust their map. They are often at varying scales and they average trails and intersection direction. this garden’s map went above and beyond by using different numbers to designate features one the map and one the signs in the garden. What’s number 28 on the map is number 20 on the signs. Also, a map is a promise of the ideal state of the gardens. It’s been extra warm for a good while in the islands; it means the promised waterfall was a trickle and the water ponds were dry or mostly dry. It did promise much green and on that the gardens, and the map, delivered. There was plenty greens and some very hardy flowers going at it despite the weather. For a free botanical garden it’s a very good garden.
We spent a couple of hours walking the gardens. The next steps was supposed to be a hike but, it being our last day in the sun, we opted for a sandy beach and many hours in the sun and in the surf. It was warm and relaxing and the perfect last afternoon on the islands.