MáLAGA – Not only in the centre of Málaga, are visitors surprised with a spectacular light show accompanied by atmospheric Christmas music. But the city’s botanical garden has also been transformed into a fairytale landscape with Christmas lights.
Malaga’s Botanical Garden, Finca la Concepción, is an English landscape-style oasis with over 150 years of history. It started as a recreational estate for the Marquesses of Casa de Loring, who were highly influential in the city since the mid-19th century. And today is a beautiful garden with over 50,000 plants and trees, including many subtropical species.
Normally, this diverse botanical splendour, including a shady tropical forest, countless flower beds, babbling waterfalls, and beautiful views over the city, is enough reason to visit the garden. But now for the first time, the garden hosts ‘Las Luces del Botánico’, “a luminous fairy tale landscape with Christmas lights, impressively illuminated vegetation and creative light figures,” as the organisation explains on its website.
The installation started in the Royal Botanic Gardens-Kew in London. Then continued with further installations in cities such as Berlin and Barcelona. And now, Els Llums de Sant Pau, can now be admired in Málaga. A circular route leads visitors in just over two kilometres past around two million lights.
“The show contains a light and musical setting developing a visual story with characters part of the garden´s history. At one of the ponds, Amalia Heredia, Marchioness of Casa Loring, tells daily the memories and beautiful stories that have played in this emblematic garden,” the organisation said. They promise, the Botanical Garden “provides the whole family with a restful break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas”.
Rush
Try to choose quiet times to visit the garden. There are already social media posts commenting the queues at the entrance were quite long. And, furthermore, it was practically impossible to find parking. Therefore, the organisation points out there are two bus services available. Firstly, the tourist bus ‘Christmas Lights – line 91. And also line 2 of EMT, which will drop you off at Finca la Concepción. They do this every hour on weekdays and every half hour on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. You can also take the regular line 2 and get off at the last stop. From there it is a 10-minute walk to the garden.
Practical information
The light show can be admired daily until January 9 from 6.30 pm to 11.00 pm. Tickets cost €14 euros on Fridays, weekends and public holidays. All other days they are €12 each. You can choose times on the website as there are only a limited number of tickets available per half hour.
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