The incredibly pretty town of Lloret de Mar already has truly remarkable good looks – it’s one of the many reasons that we suggesting browsing our villas in Lloret de Mar ASAP – between its lovely beaches, impressive ruins, and charming centre.
However, in addition to these extraordinary features, it also happens to boast one of the most noteworthy and photogenic botanical gardens in all of Spain. The Santa Clotilde Botanical Garden, or Jardí Botànic Santa Clotilde, is spread across 15 hectares on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea between Cala Boadella and Fenals Beach on the outskirts of the town of Lloret de Mar.
Considered to be one of the best Mediterranean botanical gardens in Europe, this stunning space boasts beautiful coastal views as well as being a truly remarkable garden. It is a perfect place to stroll, take in incredible botanical aromas, admire those views, and generally take a moment to enjoy some peace and calm, and is a must for those who love beautiful things and places who book a vacation rental in Lloret de Mar.
The garden can trace its origins back to the early 20th century and the love story of Raúl Roviralta, the Marquis of Roviralta, who was a great lover of the famously charming romantic gardens of Renaissance Italy. Having met his wife, Clotilde Rocamora, a young woman from Barcelona in 1917, the Marquis was looking to transform the old vineyards in Lloret de Mar into a pleasure garden that paid homage to those he so appreciated and that offered a space for himself and his family to enjoy.
In 1919, he commissioned the landscape architect Nicolau Rubió i Tudurí to work on the gardens and construction was on-going when, in 1927, Clotilde died at a young age and without ever seeing this masterpiece come to fruition. All work, in fact, stalled until the Marquis met his second wife, Odile. Two years after meeting her and until the end of the Spanish Civil War, the project was continued and the magical space was named to honour Roviralta’s first wife, Clotilde.
The family continued to enjoy and own the stunning gardens until 1997, when the Town Council chose to purchase them, undertake renovations, and open them to the public for their use and enjoyment. Visitors can now enjoy the sea views framed by topiary and hedges, the gorgeous statuary (particularly the famous statues of mermaids), the fountains, the paths and stairs, the trees and blooms, and more as they wander the grounds or sit peacefully for a little while in this space that seems almost frozen in time.
Discover this and all of the other charming facets of the town by booking your holiday rental in Lloret de Mar today for a perfect getaway on the coast in Spain this summer!
Paratge de Santa Clotilde. 17310, Lloret de Mar
+34 972 370 471
central-turisme@lloret.cat
Tickets:
Full price: €6
Reduced price: €3 (for retired people, holders of the EU youth card, those with a student ID card, those with a family card, and guests with disabilities)
No pets are allowed in the gardens.
Opening hours:
April to the 24th of October:
Monday to Sunday from 10am to pm.
October the 25th to the 31st:
Monday to Sunday from 10am to pm.
November to January:
Monday to Sunday from 10am to pm.
February and March:
Monday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
Last admission is one hour before closing.
The gardens are closed on the 25th of December, the 1st and the 6th of January.