Los Llanos in the west of La Palma is a pretty cool city. For one thing, it happens to be the largest city on our little island and yet it’s not even the capital city or remotely near the airport. For another, it has a really useful dual carriageway that runs in a straight line right through the middle which means that cars can quickly get through the city and there is almost never a build up of traffic. (Plus there is a new bypass anyway). But the most admirable thing about this city is that it manages to not only have a wonderful plaza, the Plaza de España, and large pedestrian zone at its heart but it also has a rather secret park. The Parque Antonio Gomez Felipe or the 'Centro Botanico.'
The park is situated a few minutes walk along the road to Puerto Naos - that's the other side of the dual-carriageway to the Plaza de España, the one with the petrol station on the corner. Even walking, you'll almost pass the park before you realise. But once inside its great wrought-iron gates and down the wide, tiled staircase, you'll wonder where to begin. Maybe to the right to look at the huge, mosaic lizard, or straight ahead to the shady pond or maybe left through the little archways made of volcanic stone.
You see, the park is a complete delight wherever you turn. Actually, there is a plan on display as to how you might best navigate the park so that you take in every little spectacle. But it's hard not to want to race off and explore it all - except that's impossible because you want to stop and examine everything that lines the path and even the path itself. Endemic plants and adapted endemic plants of La Palma, a fountain, palm trees, a Dragon tree made of mosaic, fanciful ferns and even the public toilets warrant a special trip whether you want to 'go' or not! And after all, you wouldn't want to miss the carefully crafted staircase leading up to a viewing point with its practically pre-historic pillars. Or maybe they are pre-historic ...
Just to continue the fun, the park leads straight onto another park, albeit with a rather different theme. This is where you can wonder along geometrically pleasing paths that line precise quadrants of grass. Young children are now let off the leash and can run along the paths in full sight of parents, perhaps pausing to delight, as did we, at the sight of a mother hen with baby chicks picking at the grass (by the way, when translated into a word, Spanish chickens say 'peep peep' and not 'cheep cheep.') But of course there is also the added attraction of a children's play area. There is also static exercise equipment for adults too. Or you can of course just sit, have a picnic and enjoy the tranquil surroundings.
But this is not a new park, no, in fact it goes back to 1958 when it was first inaugurated following the idea to create a space of about 6000 m2 of wooded city park. In 1962 'improvements and additions were made to the park including a space dedicated to wildlife: ducks, monkeys, pigeons, peacocks etc.' (Elapuron)In more recent times, it was closed to undergo a complete refurbishment (if one can 'refurbish' a park) and re-opened again in 2010.
Opening hours are 9.00 to 21.00 hours, from Tuesday to Sunday.
