What to do · Elche
Huerto del Cura garden and the Imperial Palm
Information
- From
- €6 per person
- Duration
- 1 h
- Season
- All year; November to January, Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:30 and Sundays 10:00 to 15:00
- Who it's for
- For everyone; flat paths
What it is
The Huerto del Cura is a palm orchard in the Elche Palm Grove turned into a garden: a National Artistic Garden since 1943 and a Site of Cultural Interest, within the area that UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 2000. You stroll among date palms, ponds and Mediterranean and tropical plants as far as the Imperial Palm, the garden's most famous, with its arms growing from a single trunk.
Opening times and price
It is at Calle Porta de la Morera, 49. General admission costs €6.80; students and over-65s, €4.80; children aged 5 to 15, groups, people with disabilities, the unemployed and Elche residents, €3.80. From November to January it opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:30 and on Sundays from 10:00 to 15:00, according to the municipal timetable. The garden does not publish prices on its website: confirm on 965 451 936.
The visit
All tickets include an audio guide in several languages. You pay at the ticket office or online, with most cards, and sales and entry close 30 minutes before closing time. For reduced rates you must show proof of eligibility. If you plan to return, the garden sells an annual pass for €20 with unlimited visits. On 31 December it opens from 10:00 to 15:00 and on 1 January from 11:00 to 17:30.
The paths are gravel over earth and mostly accessible: almost all baby pushchairs and wheelchairs get through, and where there are steps or slopes an alternative route is offered. Dogs are allowed on a lead, there is bicycle parking, and smoking and swimwear are not allowed.
Getting there
City bus lines 1, 90, E and H reach the garden, and the Elche-Parque train station is on Avenida del Ferrocarril. There is a public car park on Calle Porta de la Morera. The garden warns of roadworks on its street that may cut traffic on some stretches, although access remains open: if you go by car, park nearby and call reception beforehand.
Two minutes away, on the same street, is the Palm Grove Museum, which explains the work of the palm growers.
With young childrenAs a family
