Jardin Botanique de la Villa Thuret, Cap d'Antibes

Stunning botanical gardens and a 19th century villa

featured in Sights & sites

When Gustave Thuret arrived in Cap d'Antibes, he fell in love with the wild nature of the place and bought five hectares on which to build his stunning villa and cultivate a beautiful park and gardens.

The botanical gardens at Villa Thuret were built in 1856 and are free for visitors to walk around. The gardens cover an area of over 3.5 hectares and house over 1,600 different species of exotic trees and shrubs.

Thuret's collection offers the chance to view and study a diverse range of cultivated ornamental species on the Mediterranean coast. The estate was passed on to the INRA (National Institute for Agricultural Research) by Thuret's heirs and is now managed by the INRA and open to the public.

Guided tours of the garden are available by expert botanists, these are also free.

Visitor comments

"We stay with friends who live close to this garden, so often visit and enjoy the wide variety of vegetation. As well as being a garden that the public may visit for free during the week (closed weekends), it is also a research site and often houses groups of students studying this aspect of biology. The garden itself is peaceful and shaded and has an interesting history. It is definitely worth a visit for those staying in Antibes." - Trip Advisor
"This is a very uncommercial but fascinating garden particularly if your interest is trees and trees from the Southern hemisphere in particular. The founder, GustaveThuret, grew here the first eucalyptus on the Cote d'Azur followed by 3000 species of tender woody plants. Some of the foliage is extraordinary. Do not expect eateries or anything remotely smacking of "trade", but enjoy this garden for what it is, a rare and wonderful collection." - Trip Advisor
"This is a good free attraction for adults who like to view exotic trees. It is a sloping site and many of the paths are unsuitable for the disabled or elderly infirm. There are no facilities except for a clean but basis WC mainly used by the gardeners. The entrance is actually in Chemin Raymond which is a narrow street off the Boulevard du Cap. There is free street parking either in Chemin Raymond or in a large layby just past it on the Boulevard du Cap. There are Activity Boxes for children at various points around the garden, but these are in French and aimed chiefly at school parties. There is an excellent and large collection of trees and shrubs favouring warmer climes from both southern Europe and the Far East. These include massive Palms and Eucalyptus and also some Oaks. Take a picnic lunch, sit on the grassy bank near the villa and enjoy the views over the trees to the distant mountains." - Trip Advisor