A visit to the Museo del Bonsai (Bonsai Museum) is an interesting option for when you want a break from the beaches and historical quarter of Marbella. The museum celebrates the curious Japanese art form of cultivating and replicating the appearance of trees in miniature versions. The Museo de Bonsai boasts over 300 different examples of these trees. It also hosts courses for anyone interested in learning about the technique, which the Japanese adopted from an ancient Chinese tradition.
There are both indoor and outdoor displays and most trees feature signs that provide the name of the tree species, its age and originating country. See examples native to the Marbella region in addition to China, Italy, Japan and Taiwan. Among the many species are fig, gingko and maple trees. Don’t miss the 300-year-old olive trees and a colorful Chinese hackberry.
A wooden boardwalk wraps around the central exhibition space, in the center of which is a rockery and water garden. Spot turtles swimming in the pools and resting on the rocks. The tranquility of the museum creates an atmosphere similar to a Japanese Zen garden.
The museum stands in Arroyo de la Represa Park, a green lung of Marbella’s city center built over a stream. A bandstand, duck ponds and gazebos decorate the park’s tree-shaded lawns. Children will enjoy a playground equipped with climbing frames, slides and tunnels. A cycle path runs along the eastern side of the park and along the southwestern section are the remains of the walls of Marbella’s ancient Moorish castle.
Museo del Bonsai is open daily and there’s an admission fee. Note that it closes for a few hours over lunch. The museum is just steps from Marbella’s Old Town and a 15-minute walk from Marbella Marina. If you are interested in the courses on bonsai, ask at the museum’s reception for information.
