The Alameda.Red Sands Road. Gibraltar
La Alameda, situated on the slopes of the Rock and protected from the strong winds of the straits, has a surprise waiting for the visitor to Gibraltar.
This garden was opened to the inhabitants of the British military colony at the beginning of the 19th century by the then Governor General, General George Don. But it was at the end of the last century that it became what we now know as the Botanic Gardens of Gibraltar under the ownership of Wildlife (Gibraltar) Limited.
With a typically Mediterranean climate –strongly seasonal, with hot and very dry summers- it also enjoys rainy winters due to the Atlantic influence, often more so than London.
Most important among its collection are the century-old dragos (Dracaena drago), which are without doubt the best group of its type in the whole of continental Europe, and perhaps the world. Also important are the collections of aloes and other succulents.
Its terraced design gives us a garden which is different to those of Mediterranean Spain. The Italian corner The Dell, designed in the mid 19th century by Guiseppe Codali, is very beautiful.
