La Concepción is a historic botanical garden in Malaga. It is one of the most important tropical and subtropical gardens in Spain and one of the few of its kind in Europe. It is also one of the biggest attractions on the Costa del Sol.
Historic and modern gardens
The La Concepcion garden property had been owned by the Marquis of Casa Loring and his wife Amalia Heredia since 1850. In 1855, the couple commissioned a French gardener to design the space in the likeness of English-style gardens. In 1911, the property was purchased by the Echevarria family, who helped to further expand the garden, including increasing the collection of palm trees. In 1943, the La Concepción garden was officially declared a historic art garden and a site of cultural significance. In 1990, it was bought by the city of Málaga and, after a four-year renovation, reopened, this time to tourists.
The botanical garden of La Concepción extends over an area of around 23 hectares with as many as 2,000 different plant species. It is divided into a historical and a modern section. The historic garden is characterised by subtropical vegetation, ponds, waterfalls and fountains. One of its most interesting features is La ninfa – a stone sculpture by Paco Durrio – inspired by the Greco-Roman style and depicting a nude, thoughtful woman. Behind it, a blue Mexican palm tree, more than a hundred years old, can be seen, which is the highest-value specimen in the entire garden.
The modern section was initiated during the 1990 renovation and was built around the historic section over the following years. The modern garden consists of several thematic sections – such as ‘El jardín de cactus’, ‘El mapamundi de palmeras’, ‘La vuelta al mundo en ochenta árboles’ and ‘La estufa caliente’. The most famous is opened in 1997. ‘La vuelta al mundo en ochenta árboles’, or ‘Around the world in eighty trees’. As the name suggests, it features 80 different species of trees – coming from 5 continents.
The Loringiano Museum, on the other hand, is a beautiful Doric-style temple that once housed an extraordinary collection of archaeological artefacts, sculptures, mosaics and other Roman works collected by the Marquis of Casa Loring. It was Loring’s museum that launched the fame of the La Concepción garden. Today, most of its historic collection can be seen in the Malaga Museum. The historic botanical garden of La Concepción is not only home to a variety of plants, but also a rich history. It provides the ideal place for a few hours’ walk in the shade of the tropical trees.
During the Christmas period, a unique light show also awaits all visitors to the Jardín Botánico. When night falls, this one of the most beautiful and important tropical gardens in Europe opens up to visitors in a way that has never been experienced before. The phenomenal festive unveiling of the Jardín Botánico can be enjoyed until the first days of January.
When and how to visit the Jardín Botánico Histórico?
The garden is open from 1 April to 30 September from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and from 1 October to 31 March from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visitors are allowed up to 30 minutes before closing. The only exceptions are: 25 December, 1 January, and all Mondays.
A standard ticket costs €5.2 per person. A discounted ticket (for visitors under 16, large families, students under 26, pensioners, visitors with the Malaga Pass Card, the Andalusian Regional Government Youth Card – for those aged between 14 and 30, the Live Spanish in Malaga student card), on the other hand, costs €3.1.
A group ticket (for groups of more than 20 people) costs €5.15 for standard tickets and €2.05 for concession tickets. It is possible to visit the garden with a guide, but this is an extra chargeable service. For standard tickets, the price depends on the size of the group and is (per person):
- 1-4 persons: €18.95
- 5-9 persons: €11.3
- 10-14 people: EUR 9.1
- 15-19 people: EUR 8.05
- 20-30 people: EUR 5.95
After dark, these unique spaces are illuminated so that tourists can also visit the garden at night. During an evening visit to La Concepción, it is possible to explore the interior of the palace, the courtyard and the old library. In addition, ‘Nights with History’ are held on Friday evenings (October to March at 8pm, April to September at 9pm). These are organised guided tours, which last approximately 1.5 hours. It is also possible to book a tour on a different day and at a different time: infojbotanicomalaga@gmail.com or by telephone 951926180 / 639914055.
It is worth noting that visits with dogs are allowed on the garden grounds – provided the animals are on a lead and their owners abide by the rules – they are required to sign a special consent form and accept the rules of the garden.
