As we look back on these past few months, it’s impossible not to acknowledge the cloud that has been hanging over the upper part of Gran Alacant. If you’ve been following our column, you know that we’ve dedicated quite a bit of space to the chaotic construction of the aparthotel, the cracks in our walls, the sleepless nights, and—perhaps most frustratingly—the questionable attitude of our local council. We continue fighting, because that’s what you do when something isn’t right. And we will keep fighting.
But life continues. It has to.
And in a year as heavy as 2025 has been for Gran Alacant—from environmental damage to administrative silence, from construction noise to community worry—we have found ourselves increasingly escaping, almost instinctively, toward places that feel gentler. Places where the air is cleaner, the world is quieter, and our nervous systems finally stop vibrating.
What we have discovered—perhaps rediscovered—is the power of a “nature bath.” No, not an actual bath. A nature bath is that healing immersion in woods, rivers, mountains and open sky, famously a concept beloved of the Japanese. Something we didn’t know we needed as much as we do now.
We have been spending more time in Biar lately, and it has become an unexpected refuge. The village makes it wonderfully easy to reconnect with nature. Everywhere you look there are mountains folding gently into each other, ramblas carving their way through stone, small rivers running clear, and forests—some ancient, some still young—telling their stories through their scent alone.
There is something profoundly grounding about walking those paths at sunset, when the light falls soft on the limestone and the air cools just enough to make you breathe more deeply. In Biar, nothing is rushed. And maybe that is why it has helped us cope with the speed and stress that have taken over our side of Gran Alacant lately.
Yet—despite the peace—we still miss the pulse of a city. The cultural spark, the noise, the cafés, the galleries, the energy. So having Valencia just over an hour away is a gift. It allows us to enjoy city life… but only in small doses. We have become slightly “allergic” to crowds, shops and queues.
Which is why, during our latest visit to Valencia, we decided to do something different: instead of diving into the bars and boutiques, we escaped inside the city to one of its quietest corners.
The Jardín Botánico de Valencia is not a new discovery, but it felt brand new to us. Perhaps because this time we arrived tired, overwhelmed, and a bit emotionally wrung out. And perhaps that is the perfect state of mind to appreciate a place like this.
For those who don’t know it, the Jardín Botánico has a long, complicated history. For many years it was abandoned—left to crumble under the sun and rain like a forgotten chapter of the city’s story. It wasn’t until the late 20th century that its restoration began, slowly bringing it back to life, greenhouse by greenhouse, path by path.
Today it stands, alongside the Jardines del Turia, Cabanyal, and the last remaining pockets of huerta, as one of the great green refuges of Valencia. An oasis in a concrete landscape—living proof that cities don’t have to choose between growth and beauty.
What makes the Botánico special is not just the variety of plant and tree species, although that alone is astonishing. You can wander from cacti taller than you, to exotic palms, to delicate medicinal herbs, to bamboo that whispers with the slightest breeze. Some trees are centuries old—so tall and so deeply rooted that they probably pre-date the Botánico itself. Standing beneath them, you feel the same sensation as in Biar or in our beloved Clot de Galvany: the awareness that nature has been here long before us and will remain long after.
We left the gardens calmer, lighter, and strangely hopeful. Cities can choose to protect their green spaces. Councils can choose to listen. Communities can choose to fight together. And nature—when we give it room—chooses to heal.
So, to all Gran Alacant neighbours reading this: if you visit Valencia, take one morning and wander through the Jardín Botánico. Move slowly. Let it work on you. Consider it a nature bath—an antidote to stress, construction noise, and politics.
And as we step into 2026, we wish you what we wish for ourselves: more moments in nature, more justice, more health, and more peace. Even in complicated times, we must protect what’s beautiful.
See you next month, Juan & Archie
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