Parque Genovés

Parque Genovés is the main botanical garden of Cádiz, a green park on the Atlantic edge of the old town, between the Parador and the Playa de la Caleta, and it is one of the most pleasant places in the city to walk. It lies on the western side of the peninsula, where the old fortifications meet the sea, so it combines gardens with views of the ocean and the sky. The park is protected as an Asset of Cultural Interest, a Bien de Interés Cultural, and it forms part of the General Catalog of the Historical Heritage of Andalusia.

The site has changed over time. In the eighteenth century, the ground was used as a promenade known as the Paseo del Perejil, a modest place for walks outside the walls. In 1892 and 1893, it was transformed by a landscape project, a romantic garden in the nineteenth-century manner, with winding paths, an artificial lake, a waterfall, and a collection of trees and plants from different parts of the world. The aim was to give the city a modern public park where people could stroll, and it reflects the fashion for botanical gardens that spread through Spanish cities at the time.

The planting is the park’s great feature. Wide paths pass beneath tall exotic trees, among them dragon trees from the Canary Islands, giant rubber figs with roots that spread across the ground, palms with slender trunks and cypresses clipped into artistic shapes. The central avenue is lined with trees, producing a shaded walkway where the temperature drops noticeably on hot days. A lake with a small waterfall and rock formations adds sound and movement, and benches are set at intervals so that visitors can sit and look. Among the details are fountains and sculptures, including the fountain called Children Under the Umbrella, and a bandstand or concert area is part of the layout.

The park is a quiet refuge from the busy streets of the old town, and it suits families, walkers and anyone who likes plants. Because it is in the open and next to the sea, the air is fresh and the light is good, and the garden is at its best in spring, when flowers are in bloom and the weather is mild. Sea views are visible from some parts of the park, and the sound of the waves can be heard.

The park is free and open to the public. It is about ten minutes on foot from the historic centre, and it lies beside La Caleta Beach, the Castillo de Santa Catalina and the Castillo de San Sebastián, so it fits naturally into a walk along the seafront. The Roman Theatre, the Casa de la Memoria, Torre Tavira and Cadiz Cathedral are in the old town nearby. Opening hours vary by season, so check locally before going. A visit takes about an hour.