Palma de Mallorca offers a wealth of delightful gardens, as I am sure many of you will know. Unfortunately, a large number of those enchanting treasures are usually hidden away from our eyes being either privately owned or forming part of a closed monastic convent, or simply are part of the exclusiveness of a residence to Spain’s royal family here on the island.

On the occasion of the currently available Ruta dels Patis de Palma through some of Palma’s stunning courtyards, I came across a lovely hidden garden of immense proportions the other day that I didn’t even know existed. The garden forms part of Ca l’Arquitecte Alomar, a house that belonged to the architect Gabriel Alomar i Esteve (1910 – 1997) and is now owned by his heirs, in the Calatrava district of Palma’s upper old town. Gabriel Alomar i Esteve was the architect responsible for planning the enlargement of the city of Palma during the 1940s and 50s. The fascinating garden occupies a large space that in days gone by may well have been part of the adjoining monastery of Santa Clara. The house forming part of the garden looks an authentic stunner as if built during the late 18th century but was in fact built by the architect himself no more than 70 years ago.

I do recommend you take part in one of the guided patio tours. Tour 1 is not available any longer, but guided visits along the itinerary of Tour 2 are still being offered until Monday, November 9th. From November 10th to 21st, Tour 3 will be offered with guided visits through patios and perhaps even a garden or two in the Ciutat Baixa, the lower part of Palma’s old town. Admission is 5 € (4 € for residents). Tours are offered alternatively in Castellano, Catalan, English, German, French or Italian. Please make your reservations by telephone under 971.720.720.

The photos were taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: November 4th, 2009. The time was 12:57:15 and 12:55:42, respectively.