Sunday, 17 January 2016 21:24

The Jardín Canario: You Have To Visit Gran Canaria's Green Jewel

The beautiful Jardín Canaria in Gran Canaria The beautiful Jardín Canaria in Gran Canaria www.photosgrancanaria.com

Spain's biggest botanical garden is a beautiful refuge for the 600 unique plants that make the Canary Islands one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.

The vast garden has everything from lakes full of fish to forests, cliff paths, a cactus garden and lots dragon trees. While its main purpose is to study and protect Canarian plants, it's such a beautiful garden that everyone who comes to Gran Canaria should visit.

Almost all the plants you see as you walk around grow only in the Canary Islands and because there are almost 600 of them, there's always something in flower. Look out for the mysterious and endangered Gran Canaria dragon tree and for the dozens of different viper's bugloss flowers.

Alex says: The best time to visit the garden is in April and May when lots of plants flower but the garden is beautiful all-year round. 

Most people visit the bottom part of the garden and miss the cliff paths; It's well worth walking up the steps as there's lots of interesting stuff growing by the narrow stone paths and the views are excellent.

Other highlights include the cactus garden, the waterfall at the south end of the garden and the huge collection of palm trees. 

The Jardín Canario is open between 09.00 and 18.00 and opens every day of the year. 

Facilities

Thre are two sets of toilets in the main part of the garden; One by the main entrance and the other by the wooden bridge. If you park at the top entrance, the only loo is in the Jardín Canario restaurant. 

Getting to the Jardin Canario

Most blue buses from Las Palmas up to Santa Brigida and San Mateo stop at the top entrance of the Jardín Canario. The bus stop is about 150 metres from the entrance. There is no convenient bus access to the lower entrance although a taxi from Las Palmas costs between €15-20 one way.

Parking is easiest at the top entrance by the GC 110 road as there is a car park by the gate. At the bottom entrance, along the GC 330, parking is by the side of the road (an ambitious project to expand the garden and parking areas is in the pipeline).

Additional Info

  • Lat/Long: 28.065243, -15.461638

Media

The Jardín Canario or Canary Gardens Jardín Botánico Canario "Viera y Clavijo”
Published in Day Trips
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Tip of the day

  • The Parafarmacia In Gran Canaria Is Not A Chemist!
    The Parafarmacia In Gran Canaria Is Not A Chemist!

    If there is one thing we hate it is visitors being tricked in Gran Canaria. In the past we've warned about overcharging at Gran Canaria chemists, and rip off electronics shops in resorts. 

    In this Tip Of The Day we return to the island's chemists or rather, to the island's fake chemists.

    A chemist in Gran Canaria is called a Farmacia and always has a green cross sign. Farmacias are the only place tobuy medicine in Spain, even basics like paracetamol.

    However, there is another kind of shop in Gran Canaria that looks and sounds like a chemist but doesn't sell medicine. This is the Parafarmacia and it also uses a green cross sign.

    A parafarmacia is a herbal medicine shop that is not allowed to sell any normal medicine such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or antibiotics. 

    Instead, parafarmacias sell herbal alternatives to medicine but don't have to prove that they work and they can charge whatever they want.

    We recently heard from a visitor to Gran Canaria who went into a parafarmacia and was charged 40 euros for a herbal alternative to Ibuprofen. It was only when they read the label that they realised what had happened. 

    To locate a genuine farmacia, see this website and search within your municipio (Puerto Rico is in Mogán, Playa del Inglés is in San Bartolomé de Tirajana). At weekends and on fiesta days many farmacias close but there is always one open, known as the farmacia de guardia, in each municipio.

    Search for the nearest one to you with this tool

    Lex Says: To keep costs down, see this article for the way to ask for generic medicine rather than expensive branded alternatives. 

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