To find the Hijuela del Botánico, look just behind the City Hall for a small public garden bursting with greenery-don’t miss the impressive Drago tree with its thick trunk and fan-like canopy standing proudly in the heart of the garden.
Welcome to the enchanting Hijuela del Botánico, a lush paradise tucked away right behind La Orotava’s City Hall! Imagine stepping back more than two centuries, when this land was covered by the echoes of a convent-its walls once home to the soft footsteps of the clarisas nuns and the gentle ring of church bells in 1601. But as history marched on, the old convent was demolished in 1868, and in its place, this garden blossomed with the dreams of explorers and botanists. Picture the year 1788: King Carlos III is ruling Spain, and the VI Marqués de Villanueva del Prado, Alonso de Nava y Grimón, is crafting this space as a living extension of the Jardín de Aclimatación over in Puerto de la Cruz.
You’re now strolling through 3,390 square meters of leafy treasure! Notice the rare giants around you: the Metasequoia, nicknamed the Dawn Redwood; the mighty Drago canario, guardian of ancient stories; the delicate Ginkgo biloba, which remembers the age of dinosaurs; and the unusual Arbutus canariensis. I promise, this isn’t just a garden-it’s a green time capsule! By the early 20th century, an elegant iron fence was added to the edge, each piece a tribute to the plants within, twisting into shapes inspired by the greenery it protects.
Listen for the birds chirping and the soft rustle of palm leaves. Hijuela del Botánico isn’t just a pretty face-it trades seeds with gardens around the world and keeps a herbarium bursting with Canary Islands’ floral secrets. In 2008, it was declared a Historical Garden, preserving the beauty and stories that keep growing with every new branch and blossom you see around you. Not bad for a garden with roots in both science and legend, right?
