Hiking with views of the city and a hidden path.

No two walks are ever the same; even if you walk in the same place at the same time of year, whether alone or with others, the circumstances are always different, and even your mood and motivation for going on those walks can vary.

I’ve visited the city’s historic botanical garden several times, and the best thing about it is that it always offers me new places to explore and discover. It’s so big, and I like to explore it so thoroughly, that I reckon it’ll be a long time before I know it like the back of my hand, and I’m glad of that, because I love it when nature surprises me.

Hiking has become something I absolutely love doing; it clears my mind and revitalises my body and spirit. On this occasion, I wasn’t going alone, I’d invited my friend Loli to join me. She isn’t usually in town on Sundays, but for personal reasons she happened to be here one Sunday. As soon as I found out, I immediately suggested we go out. There’s so much to discover in the city that there were too many options, but she doesn’t know, or rather, I’d say she didn’t know, the botanical gardens. We’d only been once before, but just for a short while and we didn’t explore it properly; we just stayed in one spot.

This was a great opportunity, so we set off on the bus and off we went. I wanted her to see as much of it as possible and the most beautiful spots, although it’s all very lovely.

In an area dominated by palm trees, just beyond the grand avenue of palm trees, a very special footpath begins, one that leads to the viewpoint where you can see the city to the south, and which is usually full of people. But the idea was to enjoy the walk, the climb up to that viewpoint, and to admire the beautiful views amidst the vegetation.

Not only does it offer picture-perfect views of the city, but also of the rest of the botanical gardens and the hills of Málaga, a vast forested area that I hope to visit one day, though I believe this is only possible on a scheduled tour. That’s on my to-do list, along with so many other wonderful places.

This path is special, even magical, where the pine trees fill the air with their scent of clean, fresh air, but you can also see the area dedicated to cacti and succulents.

The scenery I saw as I climbed higher and higher was marvellous, and sharing it with my friend was brilliant. We chatted as we climbed, but at the same time we didn’t miss a thing.

Seeing both the buildings in the distance and, in contrast, the hills and all that vegetation was fabulous. You know that on my walks I always look back at the path I’ve covered, but I also look up at the trees and the sky, because nature fills me with wonder.

When we reached the viewpoint, it wasn’t so much the structure there that mattered as what could be seen from that height. That’s the most amazing thing. We stayed there for a while, but as there were quite a few people, whom I tried not to photograph, as I prefer pure nature, we then set off back down the path.

But on the way down, we took a detour along a path I didn’t know, and although it might seem simple and ordinary, it was actually quite special.

My friend Loli said something as we were coming down: even after walking for four hours through the garden, she didn’t feel the slightest bit tired; it was as if she’d only been walking for a few minutes. And she noted the difference compared to walking in the city, where you really feel the exhaustion if you consider the same number of hours.

I think it’s the fresh air and nature itself that achieve this, making it feel as though time isn’t really passing.

When we came across this path, we walked along it amongst various species of plants; it resembled a jungle, although it was a largely signposted route.

But then we came across another path where, this time, there were no signposts, and it was marvellous, as if it were unexplored, surrounded by towering vegetation. We had to dodge tree trunks, walk over dry leaves and navigate through low passages. It was a simple yet unique and beautiful experience.

That path took us almost to the entrance to the garden, although at first we weren’t sure where it would lead. There we saw the pond with water lilies and the tall pine trees that signalled our proximity to the entrance.

It’s not just the experience of walking in the heart of nature; it’s also the importance of good company and new experiences that make a walk special.

Thank you very much for joining me on this Wednesday walk; I send my warmest regards to you all. See you soon.
Amonet.

All photographs are my own.