Botanical Garden of Villa Thuret, Antibes

The Jardin Botanique de la Villa Thuret, spanning 3.5 hectares, is a prestigious botanical garden situated within the grounds of Villa Thuret in Antibes Juan-les-Pins. Established in 1857 by Gustave Thuret, a distinguished botanist renowned for his research on algae reproduction, the garden initially served as a platform for plant acclimatization experiments conducted in collaboration with lichen expert Jean-Baptiste Édouard Bornet. Its splendor was extolled by novelist George Sand in 1868, who described it as the most enchanting garden she had ever encountered.

Today, the garden boasts an extensive collection of approximately 2,500 trees and shrubs, comprising over 1,600 exotic species from Mediterranean and warm climate regions worldwide, including South Africa, Australia, California, Chile, Mexico, China, Japan, and New Zealand. Noteworthy highlights include exceptional specimens such as the Jubaea spectabilis palm, Arbutus xalapensis, Agathis robusta, Cupressus macrocarpa, Eucalyptus benthamii, Melaleuca linariifolia, and Taxodium mucronatum, alongside impressive collections of cycads, conifers, palms, legumes, Mediterranean oaks, and various other botanical treasures. This botanical gem continues to thrive as a living testament to botanical exploration and preservation.