Park of the Doves / Parque de la Plaoma

quotes-haven (71)in Steem SEA • 13 hours ago

One of the entrance to the park

The Parque de la Paloma, or Park of the Doves in English, is one of the attractions in Benalmadena. The family friendly park is fifteen minutes’ walk from the town center and about ten minutes’ walk from the Costal de Sol. It is a big park with over 200,000 square meters of space.

In the park, there are playgrounds for children, exercise stations for the adults, cafeterias, a cactus garden, a duck pond and an open area where events are held during summer. There is plenty to interest the visitors – something for everyone in the family.

When I first visited it eight years ago, they were reported as one of the 25 most beautiful parks in Europe. That was when it used to be home to chickens, ducks, swans, rabbits, peacocks, goats and a pair of donkeys. Most of the animals are gone now, so I don’t know if their status has changed.

During the pandemic, they were closed for more than a year. When the park reopened, most of the animals were not seen any more. Now, it’s mostly pigeons, doves, parakeets, a few chickens in pens and a couple of goats.

This is a man-made pond at the lower end of the park. The pond is only about two feet deep and is home to turtles, ducks, and fishes. There used to be a pair of swans. But they are not there anymore.

A lily pond

At the upper end of the park, there is a cacti garden which supposedly has about 400 different species of cactus and succulents. I think the cacti garden has seen better days. The cacti look withered and half dead.