Botanical gardens at Tafira Baja

Jardin Canario - The Windy Arch

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Jardin Canario is located 7km at Tafira Baja, outside Las Palmas. Steps from the entrance lead to a viewpoint with a statue of the Canarian Botanist Don Jose de Viera y Clavijo. The garden is sited along one side and the valley floor of Guiniguada Barranco, a ravine coming down from the nearby mountains. This creates (broadly speaking) three zones; the trees and plants along the steep side of the ravine which have a very natural look, the valley floor with several more formal planted areas of flowers and palm trees and finally, the upland part of the ravine itself which has a pine forest, huge rocks, a waterfall and small pond.

A word of warning – the path to the right as you go down the ravine leads to steep steps which should carry a warning sign. I was well down them before realising that with no handrails or handholds and a steep drop down, this was no place for a person with vertigo. I suggest that you use the left hand path unless you like thrills.

Jardin Canario - steep steps

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There are interesting cacti, shrubs and a collection of more than two dozen drago trees (a protected species in the Canary islands). Some of the drago trees were 'in flower) and they looked like ladies's hats .... (well, I looked like that to me .. see photo)

I particularly liked the small pond in the ravine which looked out over the gardens to the Atlantic Ocean.

This is a great botanical gardens and a bonus is the smart restaurant at the top with views of the garden and reasonably priced food.