To spot the Jardines de Alfonso Canales, look for a lush, sun-dappled garden framed by palm trees and benches, and right in front, you can’t miss the big “drunken” tree with its barrel-shaped trunk!
Welcome to the Jardines de Alfonso Canales, a little oasis with just the right mix of poetry, mystery, and, well, chubby trees. Legend says that the star of this garden, the Chorisia insignis-sometimes called the “Palo Borracho” or “Drunken Stick”-sailed all the way from South America, probably hitching a ride with a mariner who couldn’t resist showing it off at the entrance to Málaga’s port. With neighbors like the bitter orange, palm trees swaying above, vibrant pink oleanders, and those bright red Christmas stars (the pascuero), it’s almost as if you’re standing in a living, breathing botanical postcard.
Pause for a second-the gentle splash you hear is from the elegant fountain presiding over the garden, and nearby, the proud bust of Malaga’s poet Alfonso Canales, carved by sculptor Jaime Fernández Pimentel, gives the space its thoughtful spirit. Breathe in the perfume of citrus and the sea breeze as you sit on a bench-just watch out for one of those falling spiky pods from the Palo Borracho! There’s a quiet magic here, where poems once whispered under the branches drift on the breeze, joining the exotic history of ships, sailors, and seeds from places far away. If gardens could write postcards, this one’s would say, “Wish you were here!”
