Huerto del Cura

In Elche, a Huerto (garden) is considered to be a parcel of land where palm trees are planted. Each garden normally has an allusive name related to the property owners or something historical. The Huerto del Cura (priest’s garden)’s name comes from the person that owned the property until 1918.

There's a pond with a copy of the Dama de Elche (Lady of Elche) in the garden – an Iberian sculpture from the 4th century B.C. which was found in 1897 and is actually located in the Archeological Museum of Madrid.

The Huerto del Cura barely has 13,000 square meters, but 1,000 palm trees are planted inside.

This is a small place that really merits a visit. It’s kind of surprising that you can find such a rich and well-tended variety of plant-life in the center of the city. If you like botanical gardens, you’ll love it!