Photo: Visit Gibraltar (Used with permission of the Gibraltar Tourist Board)
The Alameda Gardens
Free, open from eight until sunset, laid out in 1816 and the coolest place in town on a hot afternoon. A wildlife park inside is the only ticket.
The route, stop by stop
What each stop is, why it matters, and how long to the next one.
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz (CC BY-SA 4.0)
01
The gates and the main terraces
A garrison garden since 1816.
Laid out by Governor Sir George Don in 1816 as a promenade for the garrison and the town, and now a botanic collection of Mediterranean and subtropical planting with conservation collections of Gibraltar's own plants and of cacti and succulents. The terraces step down the hillside from Grand Parade; the paths are steep and step-free access is along Red Sands Road.
From the last stop
In at the gates opposite the old cable car station.
Photo: InfoGibraltar (CC BY 2.0)
02
The Dell
A sunken garden with a castle on the lawn.
The low walled garden in the middle of the slope, with a pond, ferns and the small stone model of the Moorish Castle set into its lawn. It is the shadiest corner of the gardens and the one the free audio guide, on the izi.TRAVEL app or the QR codes on the paths, spends longest on.
From the last stop
Down the steps from the main terrace. Three minutes.
Photograph to come
03
The open-air theatre and the memorials
An amphitheatre in the trees.
A small open-air theatre cut into the slope, used for summer concerts, and among the planting the garrison's memorials and busts, with gaps in the trees that open onto the bay and the ships at anchor. The Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park is beside it: exotic animals confiscated by the authorities, open ten to half past four most days, ten to four on Wednesdays.
From the last stop
Along the lower path from the Dell. Five minutes.
Before you go
Go in the last hour before sunset.
The light is best, the day-trippers have gone, and the park has closed so the gardens are quiet. The gates close at sunset, so check the time in winter.
Free audio guide on the izi.TRAVEL app or by the QR codes around the garden. Nothing to book. Visitor information →
What we read
- Visitor information: hours, free admission, access, audio guide · Gibraltar Botanic Gardens
- Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park: hours and prices · AWCP
- The Alameda, 1816, Sir George Don · Wikipedia
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