Tourists vacationing in Spain sometimes complain about the summer heat. Perhaps it is worth adopting the experience of dealing with heat from those living organisms that have adapted to endure a hot climate? If you have planned a trip with a child to the Costa Blanca, add the Cactus garden and Dinopark near Benidorm to your itinerary.
The Cacti Algar Botanical Garden opened in Callosa d'en Sarrià in 2001 and has been planted since 1996. The 500 species of succulents, plants adapted to the arid climate, are spread over an area of around 50,000 square metres. There are 3 km of paths through the garden, and each turn leads to discoveries.
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There's no shortage of cacti to be seen here! Barely visible minors and giants, fluffy balls and thickly prickly columns, neat rosettes and branchy trees decorated with flowers and their vivid colours... There are record-breaking plants as well as some very rare succulents. A particularly well-loved species can be bought at a garden shop.
But the Jardín Botánico de Cactus d'Algar is not the only place to see arid fauna. Part of the area is reserved for tropical plants. There are many fruit trees, and on leaving the park, you can buy treats made from the fruit picked there.
The park is well-designed overall, with a sea view and a small artificial pond for children to swim in.
Cacti are very ancient plant species, living on Earth for tens of millions of years. Maybe this is why dinosaurs have come to roam amongst the prickly greenery. The park is home to the DinoPark, where about two dozen models of fossil lizards are on display. There are moving and roaring creatures among them, so be prepared to be frightened. The DinoPark also has a playground for young archaeologists, a 3D cinema where dinosaur films are shown, and a small pool for children.
Another reason why you should look into the Algar Dinopark is to see with your own eyes a unique plant — Wollemia nobilis. Wollemia is one of the most ancient plants on Earth, common in the Jurassic period. For a long time, it was considered extinct millions of years ago, until an employee of the Wollemia National Park in Australia accidentally found it again. Now such a tree can be seen in the Algar Dinopark.
1.5 km from the cactus garden is another natural attraction — Algar Waterfalls.
