And now for something pleasant: the bonsai gardens received 16,000 visitors during the two years that it has been open.

Inaugurated on the 19th of December 2008, the converted park at the top of Avenida de Andalucía has played gentle, if repetitive (for its neighbours) music, attracting visitors who amble through it and emerge, generally, impressed by the very fact that Almuñécar holds the largest permanent display of bonsai trees in the whole of Spain.

Admittedly, some children felt disappointed that there were no man-eating Triffids, but what do you expect of a generation raised on digital butchery in the shape of video games?

According to the manager of Jardín Museo del Bonsaí, José Antonio Joya Martín, the gardens contain 300 trees, whereas when it was first opened, there were only 120. Of the 16,000 visitors, 5,000 were adults, 2,000 were children and 8,000 were pensioners – yes, pensioners are adults, but they pay less; hence the distinction. Also to this figure you can add thousands of school children from the local schools, whose admittance is free.

Finally, one of the additions in these two years is the Estanque Dorado (Golden Pond), which as a Buddha statue in front of it and contains 100 Koi carps.