Alameda Botanical Gardens- Gibraltar

The Alameda is at a comfortable walking distance from the town center. Alameda takes its name from the Poplar Tree called Alamo. The Gardens were planted and opened in 1816 at the instigation of Lieutenant-Governor George Don who wished to provide a scenic walk for residents and visitors.

The gardens have Mediterranean pines and olives forming the canopy and many specimens of Dragon Trees and Palms from the Atlantic Islands. There is a wide variety of flora from other sub-tropical areas, including Australia and Southern Africa. Also on display are sizeable individuals of Far Eastern broad-leaved Podocarp, Australian Silk Oak, Cape Chestnut and Californian Parkinsonia. Of special interest is the large and growing collection of cacti and other juicy plants from around the world that thrive in Gibraltar's warm climate.

The gardens are centred around "The Dell," a peaceful area that bears an Italian influence, where you find the coat of arms of Gibraltar and a series of fountains, ponds and waterfalls. Two important monuments can be seen here, a bust of General Sir George Augustus Eliott, later Lord Heathfield, and another of the Duke of Wellington.

Other attractions of the gardens include "The Cottage," a stone cottage from the 1600s that had once been the head gardener's residence. Now, the cottage houses a display on the botanical and natural history of Gibraltar, and particularly the history of the Alameda. The Nature Shop provides garden lovers with plants, seeds, gifts and cards as well as a wide range of books on botany and natural history. Visitors can also enjoy live entertainment at the Open Air Theater where music bands perform in the evenings.