Jardin botanique littoral Paul Jovet, Botanical garden in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France.
The Jardin Botanique Littoral Paul Jovet is a botanical garden perched on a clifftop above the Atlantic, bringing together tropical and local plant species across a spacious site. The place combines natural coastal forests with planted sections where magnolias, oaks, and plants from different climates grow side by side.
A French botanist named Paul Jovet began developing this garden in the 1980s, with the first plantings taking place in 1996. The project grew from a desire to protect the plant diversity of this coastal landscape and share knowledge about local species.
The garden preserves plant varieties that have been cultivated in this coastal region for generations. Visitors can observe how local species are arranged in dedicated sections and understand their importance to the surrounding community.
The garden is mainly accessible during warmer months and sits on a cliff with sweeping views of the sea. Information panels throughout guide visitors and explain the different plant species in each area.
The garden preserves oak and pine forests that naturally grow along this coast, blending them with man-made wetlands. This mix of wild forest and intentional garden design makes the place particularly interesting for those who watch nature closely.
Location: Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Website: http://jardinbotanique-saintjeandeluz.fr
GPS coordinates: 43.40430,-1.65120
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:48
France has several dozen botanical gardens combining scientific research and plant conservation. The greenhouses of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris host over 4,500 species in climate-controlled zones, while the Lyon Botanical Garden cultivates around 15,000 plants divided between historic greenhouses and thematic sections. Universities such as Strasbourg maintain scientific collections over 2.5 hectares with greenhouses dating from 1881, and the Nantes Botanic Garden conserves 11,000 species, including 50 protected French varieties. These facilities document four centuries of botanical study and serve both education and research. Coastal gardens utilize temperate maritime conditions to display unusual plants. The Roscoff Exotic Garden gathers 3,500 species from the Southern Hemisphere on a rocky promontory, cultivating Australian and New Zealand plants adapted to Brittany’s climate. On the French Riviera, the Èze Garden showcases Mediterranean and succulent collections at 1,407 feet above sea level, while the Saint-Jean-de-Luz Coastal Botanical Garden focuses on Atlantic coastal species. The Grandes Bruyères Arboretum near Orléans encompasses 15,000 trees and shrubs from Europe, Asia, and North America across 34 acres, organizing plantings according to their geographic origins.
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