Thousands of succulents terraced down a sheer cliff on the western edge of the country, with the best panorama in Monaco — and a prehistoric cave 60 metres below the entrance.
The garden clings to a south-facing cliff that is warm enough, and dry enough, to grow desert plants outdoors in Europe. It was opened in 1933 and holds thousands of species of cacti and succulents, some of them enormous, threaded together by paths, bridges and steps cut into the rock face.
It is also the best viewpoint in the Principality. From the upper terraces you look straight down over the whole country — Fontvieille, the Rock, the harbour, Monte-Carlo — in a single frame, which no other publicly accessible spot manages.
Beneath it is the Observatory Cave, a limestone cavern 60 metres below the entrance with stalactites and evidence of prehistoric occupation. The garden has been through a long restoration in recent years, so check what is open before making a special trip.
| Where | Boulevard du Jardin Exotique, western Monaco |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Bus 2 — it is a steep walk from anywhere |
| Best for | The panorama; go late afternoon for the light |
Everything in Monaco is within a twenty-minute walk, but the country climbs from sea level to about 160 metres — use the network of roughly 80 free public lifts and escalators rather than the streets. Buses 1, 2 and 6 cover the whole Principality for a couple of euros. Full detail in the Monaco travel guide, and transfers from Nice airport in getting to Monaco.
The building that paid for a country
The most famous gaming room on earth, opened in 1863 to save the Grimaldis from bankruptcy — and successful enough that Monegasque citizens have paid no income tax since. Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris Opera, designed the concert hall attached to it.
A prince, a cliff and Jacques Cousteau
Better than almost any aquarium, because it was never meant to be one. Prince Albert I built it into the cliff face in 1910 as a serious research institution, and Jacques Cousteau ran it for thirty years.
Taken by a monk with a sword, 1297
A working royal residence on the site of a Genoese fortress. François Grimaldi took it in 1297 disguised as a Franciscan monk — which is why two sword-carrying monks still stand on the Monegasque coat of arms.
Search Monaco hotels on Trip.com
Affiliate widget: we earn a commission on bookings, at no extra cost to you.