The Huerto del Cura is a formal garden within the Palmeral, originally laid out by a local priest in the 19th century and now managed as a botanical garden. It is the most accessible and ornamental section of the Palmeral, with labelled specimens, flower beds, a small pond, and a collection of succulents alongside the palms. The garden also has a Parador hotel inside it — one of the few Spanish Paradores built within a UNESCO World Heritage Site — making it a particularly pleasant place to stay if you can afford it.
The undisputed star of the garden is the Imperial Palm, a single date palm with seven trunks fused at the base into one extraordinary specimen. It was dedicated to the Empress Elisabeth of Austria on a visit to Elche in 1894. The tree is now over 150 years old, and the seven trunks have grown to impressive girth and height, making it one of the most photographed trees in Spain. The Huerto del Cura charges a modest entry fee and is open daily; evenings here are particularly good when the garden lighting comes on and the heat of the day has passed.