Top of the most beautiful gardens on the Côte d'Azur

The Côte d’Azur has made them its signature. Discover the most beautiful gardens on the Côte d’Azur: gardens with a sea view, exotic gardens, gardens of note and gardens of fragrant flowers. In the end, the hardest part was selecting 12 of them. After all, all the exceptional gardens on the Côte d’Azur are well worth a visit! Sumptuous, unique, majestic: discover one of the most beautiful faces of the Côte d’Azur, that of its gardens.

1. THE GARDENS OF THE CHÂTEAU DE LA NAPOULE IN MANDELIEU

Listed as a Remarkable Garden by the French Ministry of Culture, the gardens of Château de la Napoule are among the most unique landscaped areas on the Côte d’Azur. Designed by Marie Clews at the beginning of the 20th century, they stretch over more than 4 hectares on the edge of the Mediterranean, offering an exceptional setting where art, nature and architecture constantly interact. Fountains, topiaries, contemporary sculptures and Mediterranean vegetation make up an ensemble that is both structured and poetic, punctuated by spectacular views over the Bay of Cannes. The site is also home to works by visual artists, who regularly take over these spaces, making the gardens a truly vibrant cultural venue as well as a haven of beauty.

Discover the Gardens of Château de la Napoule.

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2. THE GARDENS OF THE MAEGHT FOUNDATION IN SAINT-PAUL
3. THE MIP GARDENS IN MOUANS-SARTOUX

2. The very first private foundation dedicated to living art. The Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul de Vence was inaugurated in 1964 by André Malraux. Beyond the Foundation, the Miro garden is well worth a visit, as are the gardens surrounding the original main building by architect Josep Lluis Sert.

Discover the Maeght Foundation.

3. Close to Grasse, the perfume capital, the Jardins du MIP in Mouans-Sartoux offer a delightful, fragrant stroll through fields of roses, jasmines, orange trees and violets. It’s the perfect way to escape among the floral scents of the Côte d’Azur.

Discover the MIP Gardens.

4. THE EXOTIC GARDEN OF EZE
5. THE EXOTIC GARDEN OF MONACO

4. Here we are at the top of the village of Eze, in the heart of the ruins of a medieval castle. A veritable balcony overlooking the sea, the Jardin exotique d’Eze is home to succulents such as cacti, agaves and aloes, as well as Mediterranean plants.

From this fragrant perch, one of the most beautiful gardens on the Côte d’Azur, you can admire the coast as far as Saint-Tropez.

Discover the Exotic Garden of Eze.

5. Monaco is no exception to the list of extraordinary gardens on the Côte d’Azur. Inaugurated in 1933 and boldly laid out on the side of a cliff, the Jardin du Rocher gives pride of place to exuberance and the unusual.

At the Exotic Garden of Monaco, for example, you’ll find fabulous plants growing to gigantic heights.

Discover the Exotic Garden of Monaco.

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6. THE RAYOL ESTATE IN RAYOL-CANADEL
7. LA SERRE DE LA MADONE IN MENTON

6. Owned by the Conservatoire du Littoral, the Domaine du Rayol is a 20-hectare protected natural area facing the Iles d’Hyères, between Le Lavandou and Saint-Tropez. Landscape architect Gilles Clément designed the Jardin des Méditerranées, an invitation to travel through the Mediterranean landscapes of the world.

Discover the Domaine du Rayol.

7. From the 19th century onwards, English botanists introduced tropical and subtropical species to the heart of Menton. A historic monument since 1990 and an exceptional garden on the Côte d’Azur, the Serre de la Madone boasts a unique landscape architecture with countless rare plants and species brought from all over the world. It was created by Lawrence Johnsen in 1924.

Discover the Jardin de la Serre de la Madone.

8. THE VAL RAHMEH IN MENTON
9. THE VILLA THURET GARDEN IN ANTIBES

8. During your visit, linger over the ponds on the Val Rahmeh estate, where giant lotuses and water lilies flourish in the sunshine. This garden also has its secrets, including avocado, papaya, guava and banana trees, as well as extinct plants such as the Sophora toromiro from Easter Island. This is a garden rich in colour and, above all, scent.

Discover the Jardin du Val Rahmeh.

9. A botanical garden run by the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, the Villa Thuret garden is home to plants that are little known in France. The site has retained the English-style design of its 19th-century gardens. There are eucalyptus and palm trees, as well as conifers of staggering proportions. For the writer George Sand, the Thuret garden was “the most beautiful” she had ever seen.

Discover the Villa Thuret garden.

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10. GARDENS OF THE VILLA EPHRUSSI DE ROTHSCHILD IN SAINT-JEAN-CAP-FERRAT

At the heart of the peninsula, the Villa Ephrussi is home to an exceptional garden that takes you from a French garden with water features, to a Spanish garden with exotic species, and finally to a Florentine garden. It’s a floral journey with nine stages, where it’s a good idea to get lost during the day. The rose garden also boasts a superb variety of roses. The rose was Baroness Ephrussi’s favourite flower.

Discover the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild.

11. THE PHOENIX PARK IN NICE
12. THE ROURE ARBORETUM

11. A 7-hectare green lung located at the western entrance to Nice, Parc Phoenix is the antechamber to the Tropics. Its huge 25-metre-high greenhouse recreates 6 tropical and sub-tropical climates. A real children’s paradise, Parc Phoenix now boasts over 2,000 animals.

Discover Parc Phoenix.

12. Located in Roure on the edge of the Mercantour National Park and classified as one of the Outstanding Gardens of the Côte d’Azur, the Marcel Kroënlein Arboretum is a veritable open book on the different kingdoms that have gone before us. Through its collection of 400 trees, you can observe and decipher the very principle of biodiversity.

Discover the Arboretum de Roure.

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By Ambassadeurs Côte d’Azur France

If you’re a Côte d’Azur lover or enthusiast, this site regularly features a selection of the best places to visit and the favourites of the Ambassadeurs Côte d’Azur France community.