Jardí Botànic Marimurtra

Costa Brava is such a diverse region. From Blanes in the south to the French border in the north, this Catalonian region encompasses mountains and cliffs, plains and rough terrain, cities that manage to be simultaneously cosmopolitan and quaint. Here are adorable villages, miles and miles of coastline with alluring little coves and bays and, perhaps most famously, stunning beaches that have attracted visitors since the 1950s.

New to me were the gardens. On a recent trip in Costa Brava, I had the opportunity to visit both the pretty Jardins Santa Clotilde in Lloret de Mar, as well as Marimurtra Botanical Gardens in Blanes.

A Costa Brava Garden

Marimurtra is one of Europe’s oldest botanical gardens, planned and developed by enthusiastic German botanist Karl Faust. More than 4000 species from five continents grow in this four-hectare Costa Brava garden.

But the most striking feature is perhaps the spectacular views here at the southern tip of the Costa Brava.

Enjoying it all with a lovely glass of local Cava – perfect!

Do you enjoy visiting botanical gardens on your travels?

Disclosure: I was in Blanes as a guest of the Costa Brava tourist board, Costa Brava Pirineu de Girona. All opinions are as ever my own.