- Beautiful gardens, so many little nooks and crannies, so many things to see.
If you haven’t yet paid a visit to the Carmen del Campillo, the “Casa Morisca” Moroccan Tea gardens just off the N340, to the southwest of Crevillente, then you really do have a treat in store. Described as a ‘Mini Alhambra’ this is one place that adults really must take in during their trip to Spain.
Beautiful gardens, so many little nooks and crannies, so many things to see. If you are a resident in this part of Spain the gardens are an experience like no other and one that you will certainly go back to time and time again.
At a guess, the gardens cover an area of about 4 acres, around which a leisurely stroll, with a break for ‘must take’ photographs, tea and treats, will take you a couple of hours.
It is a little strange when you first arrive at the gates as you will usually have to wait for someone to let you in, but the owners and staff are very welcoming as you are essentially guests in their wonderful home.
You are left completely to your own devices and you can roam around the gardens and it’s buildings entirely at your own pace. There is always someone around to help and if you want to take refreshment, at a very reasonable cost, there is a large selection of different teas and tasty snacks and cakes, but you can also choose soft drinks, coffee or very good orange juice.
At dusk the gardens are lit by Moroccan glass lights and the peacocks call and fly between the buildings. There are many unique rooms to discover and explore, each new one makes it difficult to choose where to have your tea and mini Moroccan treats. The whole experience is truly enchanting. A real hidden gem but not too far away from the tourist packed coastline.
A true labour of love where you go to chill out on a balmy summer’s evening, to bathe in the wonderful heady scent of jasmine, whilst sipping equally aromatic tea and indulging in some fine Moroccan sweets.
Costs might be difficult to work out as entry and menu prices are not displayed, but for a group of four you would expect to pay about 25 euro for drinks and entrance.
There is a downside however, it is not too easy to find and it might well take some research to ensure that you don’t have a wasted journey. I originally tried using Google maps but ended up in the back of beyond!
The easiest route that I found, travelling from Crevillente to Albatera on the N340 road take a right turn at the Cespa Petrol Station. There are two directly opposite each other so difficult to miss.
Drive along the side road for about 4km till you come to a cross track with an old electrical sub station on the left. It currently has the large letters SKULL painted across the top. Then it’s a question of following the small white arrows for another km or so along a bumpy and narrow track.
Alternatively of course you could find someone who has been before and ask them to take you along.
And don’t be disheartened as you drive along the dusty tracks because when you do eventually get there it is an experience that you really will enjoy.
But there is also a website that provides you with GPS coordinates and TripAdviser might also be worth a look. www.carmendelcampillo.com. Through October – June the gardens are open from 4pm, apart from Monday and Tuesday when they are closed. However from July to September the hours change to a 6pm opening. I emailed in English a day before my visit to confirm the hours and had a reply within a couple of hours. Email: carmendelcampillo@gmail.com
