GARDENS OF THE FUTURE OR OF THE LAGOON
El Porvenir is a romantic style park built in the mid-19th century in what used to be the northern end of the town, in a flood zone known as “the lagoon”.
Its construction is closely linked to the arrival of the railroad to the town, becoming since then one of the main accesses to the town, forcing its improvement and planning a promenade with gardens.
In 1854, the works began and would be largely completed by 1861, the year in which the railway line between Puerto Real and Cadiz was inaugurated. In 1878, its typical bench seats were built and their cast iron backs were made in the Sevillian foundry of Pedro Gutiérrez Quintana in 1885.
Currently the garden is composed of various species of trees and shrubs and stands out for the diversity of vegetation. We find American species such as washingtonia and as for shrubs we can see hibiscus and oleanders. Almost all the specimens are valuable for their size and age.
As singular constructions that form part of these gardens or their surroundings, it is worth mentioning the Caja del Agua (18th century), an old fountain of the municipality from where water was distributed to the rest of the fountains of the town, or the Posada de la Laguna (18th century), a typical inn located at one end of the town that sheltered travelers and horses.
In 2004, due to its historical importance, this park was included in the General Catalog of Andalusian Historical Heritage as a garden of cultural interest.
