Hi , my name is Star and I have been lucky enough to call Gran Alacant my home for over 9 years now. My 7 year old daughter Ashlee and I are often “Out & About” enjoying the local attractions and culture in this part of Spain. Over the next few months I will be sharing some of our experiences with you to encourage you to go “Out & About” yourselves and maybe learn a little bit about this beautiful place we call home.
This month we wanted to share with you “El Palmeral,” or the Palm Tree Park as we call it, which we have visited many times over the years. This beautiful Oasis is located just outside Alicante. We are sure that a lot of you may have gone past and caught a glimpse of the palms and wondered what was inside …… well read on to find out more.
Historically this gorgeous park was an orchard that was protected by the Palm trees and in October 1997 it was re-opened as a public space. It has approximately 7,000 Palm Trees and once inside you really wouldn´t know that you were close to a main road, or a big city as you feel like you are in a tropical haven totally surrounded by not only Palm trees, but lots of other beautiful flowers and shrubs.
Strolling around the many walkways throughout the park you will come across numerous playing areas for kids of all ages, including slides, swings, climbing frames and agility courses. For those who like to keep fit there is an area with exercise equipment and plenty of walkways to run or walk around and for bike enthusiasts you will find a BMX track.
As well as all the vegetation there are numerous water features including a little lake, which at various times of the year has boats that you can hire and take out for a sail. There are many bridges that cross the water flowing through the park which comes from an amazing waterfall that you can walk behind, if you don´t mind getting a little splashed!
The scenery makes beautiful backdrops for photos and lots of people use this park for photo shoots including Proposals, Weddings, Anniversaries, Christenings and other special occasions.
Dotted around you will find plenty of benches, some of which are in secluded little areas and there is also a designated picnic area. You will also find toilet facilities, a kiosk that has a shaded seating area selling hot and cold snacks and even a small local police office.
There is also a theatre area with staggered grass tiers for seating and all sorts of acts including puppet shows, magic shows, concerts and other theatrical productions are held here and in the temple. From September to May on alternating Sundays at 1230 and from June to August they start at 2000.
It is open every day from September to May 0900 to 2300 and from June to August it is open from 0900 to 0000. There is a lot of street parking outside and a bus stop very close by, which the bus from Gran Alacant to Alicante stops at. If you have noticed the recent roadworks to put a bike lane along this road, then you may have noticed that a new junction with traffic lights has been extended, so you can now turn into the park from both directions, as before you could only access it if you were on the road leaving Alicante.
So, the next time you are on your way back from Alicante why not stop off, or take a picnic. Stroll through the stunning walkways, enjoying the calmness of the lovely surroundings and feel yourself relax. We promise you won’t be disappointed.
Join us next month for some more “Out & About”
Bye for now,
Star & Ashlee xxx
