The Garden of the Senses

A public sensory park with exceptional therapeutic potential due to its health-promoting properties. This initiative not only enriches the experience of those visiting the garden but also contributes to the city’s sustainability and well-being, aligning with European and national trends and objectives in green infrastructure. Mitigating climate change through Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and integrating the park with Marbella’s broader green infrastructure are the two fundamental principles of the gardens on C/ Valentuñana, 5, Marbella — the city’s first public park designed to maximise the ecosystem services provided by urban trees.

Renaturalising the garden, promoting biodiversity, improving residents’ quality of life through its therapeutic benefits, offering a pleasant space for enjoyment, and reducing the high summer temperatures through increased vegetation are just some of the advantages of these gardens. Additionally, the design carefully addresses issues such as allergies, odours, and waste (the so-called disservices).

To achieve the park’s renaturalisation, over 3,150 resilient plants have been planted, providing vibrant flowering and fruit that attract birds. Biodiversity has been enhanced with 46 plant species, 30 of which offer spectacular blooms, such as Podranea, Callistemon, and Rosa ‘Iceberg’. This includes 1,000 bulbs that will naturalise in the soil and create a colourful autumnal carpet, including the native Sierra de Grazalema species Sternbergia lutea. The result is a low-maintenance Mediterranean-Tropical garden that awakens all five senses of its visitors.