Every town or city I travel to I visit the parks and botanical gardens. I find the parks both great for people and dog watching but also a place where I can debrief the day, meditate or just listen to music whilst getting my daily steps up. Parks are especially vital for me in capital cities and large towns. Even though I am from a capital city with 200,000 people, we seem to be more spread out in Darwin. As a result when I enter a huge bustling city with millions it can get stressful and I escape to the parks.
Jardin Del Turia, Valencia
From Hyde and Albert parks in London to Jardin Del Turia in Valencia all are beautiful and have a variety of activities that can be done. My two favourite parks/gardens so far are Jardin Del Turia in Valencia Spain and Jardin Marjorelle (YSL memorial garden) in Marrakech Morocco.
Marjorelle Garden Marrakech
These gardens are similar in the sense that they are full of a wide variety of flowers and plants in a tropical nature. However that is where the similarities end.
Jardin Del Turia is a huge public Park covering the centre of Valencia for over 9km. With cafes, soccer grounds, lakes and the amazing museums and arts theatres. In midsummer it is buzzing with people tourists and residents alike soaking in the sun and atmosphere. Perfectly manicured Palm trees, hibiscus and leafy trees of green and gold line the pathways and it’s easy to get lost in the park for hours. I walked the length of the park every day on my way to the beach, stopping at one cafe for breakfast on the way there, then a cheeky cocktail at the bars on the way back to the hostel after spending the day at the beach.
Marjorelle on the other hand is a privately owned garden costing 70dhs to enter, with the option to pay an extra 30dhs to see the museum. This garden is immaculate but much smaller than Jardin Del Turia. There is a stream running through which connects to ponds filled with beautiful Lillie’s and Coi fish. The gardens theme colours are yellow and blue with hints of ocre which contrast beautifully with the green of the plants. Cacti gardens, vine covered walkways and lush bamboo create an oasis in the middle of Marrakech adding the memorial for Yves Saint Laurent and it is easy to see why this is a huge tourist attraction. That being said the number of people in the garden at one time is regulated very well.
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Rhi 😊