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This magnificent palm is almost 200 years old. Named in honour of a visit by the Empress of Austria in 1894, it has seven branches, like a huge candelabra, each weighing around two tonnes.

Most of the palms in Elx are date palms. The legend goes that they were brought here by the Phoenicians, who ate the dates on the long sea journey, then planted the stones.

The most dramatic sculpture in the park is by Alicantino artist Eusebi Sempere – a gently revolving circle of metal spikes that appears to shift shape as it turns.

Turtles bask and frogs chatter on the fringes of the pretty lily pond at the heart of the park. You can hop across it on a series of stepping stones.

Behind the pond, a tumble of rocks forms a Wild West-style backdrop to the cactus collection. There are tall, spiky varieties as big as trees, many sprouting scarlet fruit and flowers, as well as plump cactuses of the type known as “mother-in-law’s cushion”.

A small bust of King Jaime I sits at the western end of the park, commemorating the king’s decision to save the palm groves of Elx from destruction after the city was taken from the Arabs in 1265.

The simple house at the entrance to the park was built in 1940, and incorporates palm trunks into its design. It holds administrative offices and isn’t open to the public.

A tiny chapel holds the remains of Juan Orts Román, who remodelled the gardens and ensured that they received international attention. Román was the son of the “Cura” after whom the gardens are named.

Since 1900, a number of palms have been dedicated to distinguished people, and bear a small plaque. The dedicatees are sent the fruits of the tree during their lifetime.

The garden is full of strelitzias, better known as “birds of paradise” for their spiky forms and extraordinary colours. There’s also a brilliant tumble of purple and red bougainvillea at the southwestern end.