El Real Gardens

The El Real Gardens have a rectangular layout, where the central point is always marked by a fountain or a pavilion. As in the Reales Alcázares Palace in Seville, colour plays a key role in the form of ceramic tiles and topiary plants. The gardens have a wide variety of different forms: some feature geometric, regular designs outlined by clipped hedges, while others are more romantic, with large trees. A number of statues are dotted throughout the gardens, such as Despertar (awakening) –overlooking a pool, and Mozas del Cántaro (pitcher girls) by Octavio Vicent. There are also numerous monuments dedicated to such figures as Vicente Wenceslao Querol, Constantí Llombart, Canon Chabás and Walt Disney. Other attractions include the zoo, opened in 1965, and the rose garden, with a musical fountain in the centre.