The new botanical garden at the Nerja Caves, christened ‘Detunda’ after the Roman name for Maro, has apparently been completed but will not be open to the public until at least the end of the year.
The botanical garden, the first in the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama Natural Park, occupies an area of 26,000 square metres and contains 200 species of flora, 42 of which are considered threatened.
The project, costing over three million euros, was funded by the Ministry of Environment. The Ministry has reportedly started the process of assigning the botanical gardens to the Nerja Caves Foundation and expects this process to be completed by the end of the year. Once the garden has been assigned, it can be opened to the public.
The new botanical garden ‘Detunda’ belongs to the Andalucian Network of Botanic and Mycological Gardens in Natural Areas (RAJBEN), which aims to collect, preserve and display collections of native flora existing in the different parks, especially endangered species. The network currently includes eleven enclaves where a common system of work has been established in all the gardens through programmes relating to conservation and conservation education.
Jean Walker says:
Why are the gardens and the magnificent bridge still not open to the public? Have they ever been open?