The Esperonal

The Garden by Chio invites us to discover El Esperonal, a landscape architecture project located in the municipality of Benahavís, Spain. A garden conceived to transform the arrival at the residence into a sensory experience through a Mediterranean landscape that is welcoming and deeply connected to its surroundings.

El Esperonal is located in a privileged setting on the Costa del Sol, where the landscape opens onto the Mediterranean Sea and Gibraltar. The project began from a highly defined condition: an entrance dominated by concrete and vehicular use, lacking warmth and a connection to the surrounding natural environment. The intervention seeks to transform the access into a welcoming garden, capable of conveying the essence of the Mediterranean landscape and creating a tranquil experience from the very first approach.

Masterplan del proyecto/ Project master plan
Ilustración / Illustration: The Garden by Chio

The main challenge was to transform a hard, functional space into a welcoming, vibrant, and sensory landscape. To achieve this, the intervention proposes to soften the arrival to the residence through the use of vegetation, organic pathways, and materials closely connected to the site. The white Portuguese cobblestone paving provides continuity and brightness, integrating with the architecture and reinforcing the Mediterranean identity of the project. 

Entrada con vasijas de barro/ Access with clay pots
Fotografía/Photography: Álvaro Borjas

Vegetation plays a leading role. The selection of ornamental grasses, perennials, and climate-adapted species responds to criteria of sustainability, resilience, and low maintenance. Plants were chosen for their ability to thrive under sun exposure, wind, and the characteristic conditions of the coastal environment, while also providing movement, texture, and subtle seasonal changes throughout the year.

Acceso entre olivos/ Access between olive trees
Fotografía/Photography: Álvaro Borjas

At the front of the garden, mastic hedges embrace the meadow and create a gentle transition between the residence, the garden, and the horizon. This vegetation acts as both a natural frame and a visual guide, directing the eye toward the open views of the Mediterranean Sea and Gibraltar. In this way, the garden does not compete with the distant landscape, but rather accompanies it and enhances its presence.

Vivienda y jardín frontal/ Residence and front garden
Fotografía/Photography: Álvaro Borjas

The winding pathways invite visitors to walk slowly, discover different perspectives, and pause in small spaces for contemplation. Every spatial decision is intended to create a sense of calm and belonging, allowing the garden to be perceived as a natural extension of its surroundings.

Sendero mediterráneo naturalizado/ Naturalized Mediterranean walkway
Fotografía/Photography: Álvaro Borjas

El Esperonal is a garden designed for pause. A landscape that transforms the arrival at the residence into a sensory experience, where architecture, vegetation, and the horizon exist in balance. The intervention transforms what was once an arid and rigid entrance into a Mediterranean space that is welcoming and deeply connected to its setting.

Rincón de descanso/ Resting area
Fotografía/Photography: Álvaro Borjas

Bio of the Studio: 

The Garden by Chio is a landscape design studio specializing in contemporary Mediterranean gardens, where botany, spatial sensitivity, and sustainability engage in dialogue with architecture and the surrounding environment.