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Nature, tranquility, and stunning views. That's what you'll find in the botanical gardens of the Costa Brava. Spaces of incomparable beauty that combine typically Mediterranean plant species with exotic plants, offering us the opportunity to take a walk in a different environment. A moment of calm surrounded by nature and spectacular landscapes. At Naturaki, we encourage you to discover the best botanical gardens of the Costa Brava. Let's go!
Marimurtra Botanical Garden (Blanes)
Let's start with Blanes and the Marimurtra Botanical Garden. It is one of the most well-known in the Costa Brava and is considered the best botanical garden in the Mediterranean. It is also the most important living plant collection in Catalonia and one of the most outstanding in all of Europe. If these references haven't convinced you to visit yet, keep reading! Situated atop the cliffs of Sa Forcanera, the Marimurtra Botanical Garden houses over four thousand plant species, most of which are exotic, and a plethora of extraordinary cacti. Need more reasons? From the garden, you can also enjoy some of the most spectacular views of the Costa Brava and take photos at the Linné temple, a small classical-inspired temple lookout dedicated to Carl von Linné, the botanist who systematized species nomenclature. We assure you that a selfie here will be a hit on Instagram. By the way, Marimurtra is the work of Carl Faust, a German industrialist passionate about nature who dedicated his life and all his wealth to fulfilling his dream. Have we convinced you to visit? If you want to avoid the summer crowds, it's highly recommended to include it in one of the plans to do on the Costa Brava during the winter.
Cap Roig Gardens (Calella de Palafrugell)
A unique space where art, nature, culture, and history come together. The Cap Roig Gardens are a space perched above the sea and crowned by a castle where we find more than 800 botanical species. Most are Mediterranean or come from places with similar climates such as California, Chile, or Australia. But that's not all! Within the same route, you can access a good collection of sculptures by renowned artists such as Jorge Oteiza, Santi Moix, or Jaume Plensa. Don't forget your camera, because the works are impressive. The creators of the Cap Roig Gardens were the Russian colonel Nicolai Woevodsky and the British decorator Dorothy Webster, who in 1927 decided to build their dream in Calella de Palafrugell, a Mediterranean paradise: A natural landscape garden, in the style of English and French gardens. If you go, don't forget to also visit the castle, declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest, and the fortified towers. In the summer, the gardens become the stage for the famous Cap Roig Festival, one of the best summer festivals on the Costa Brava. A great opportunity to enjoy a good concert in an incomparable setting!
Santa Clotilde Gardens (Lloret de Mar)
Lloret de Mar is full of amazing spots. One of the most worthwhile to know is, without a doubt, the Santa Clotilde Gardens. One of the Noucentista (Spanish cultural and political movement) gardens that best preserves the Renaissance spirit. This space, located on a cliff with sea views, between Cala Boadella and Fenals Beach, is one of the most important landscape jewels of the Costa Brava. Do you want to know its history? In 1919, the Marquis of Roviralta commissioned the construction of some gardens from a young landscape artist and architect: Nicolau Maria Rubió i Tudurí, who would also design the Montjuïc Gardens and the Ciutadella Park in Barcelona. With the aim of recovering classical forms, the Santa Clotilde Gardens were designed in the style of the ancient Italian Renaissance gardens and are structured around terraces at different heights, where the diversity of Mediterranean plant species alternates with small ponds and sculptural ensembles. Fans of the Game of Thrones saga might recognize some of the images of these gardens, as during the filming of the first season of the prequel House of the Dragon, they became one of its filming locations.
Pinya de Rosa Botanical Garden (Blanes)
We end our route through the best botanical gardens of the Costa Brava in the same place where we started: in Blanes. If you want to feel like you're in the tropics, but without needing to take a plane or leave the Mediterranean, head to the Pinya de Rosa Botanical Garden. A tropical garden that houses one of the most interesting and numerous cactus populations in Europe: You'll find more than 7,000 species from all over the planet! The creator was Ferran Rivière de Caralt, an industrial engineer who in 1945 acquired the estate, about 50 hectares, and began to adorn it with cacti never before seen in the area. One of its peculiarities is precisely having adapted tropical plant species to the Mediterranean environment, such as the group of Neobuxbaumia polylopha, an arborescent cactus native to Mexico, and mixing it with native vegetation. The result is a unique garden worth seeing.
If you are a plant and flower lover, you will surely find our article about the most flower-filled spots in Girona and the Costa Brava very interesting.