Cacti and other succulents on the cliff side of the Jardin Exotique overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in Monaco.

© lkonya/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Jardin Exotique

Top choice in Monaco


Home to the world’s largest succulent and cactus collection, from small echinocereus to 10m-tall African candelabras, the gardens tumble down the slopes of Moneghetti through a maze of paths, stairs and bridges. Views of the principality are spectacular. Admission includes the Musée d'Anthropologie, which displays prehistoric remains unearthed in Monaco, and a 35-minute guided tour of the Grotte de l’Observatoire. The prehistoric, stalactite- and stalagmite-laced cave is the only one in Europe where the temperature rises as you descend.

Bus 2 links Jardin Exotique with the town centre.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Monaco attractions

2. Parc Princesse Antoinette

0.09 MILES

Shaded by centenary olive trees, this park in the hills above La Condamine is popular with local families for its ample playground and minigolf course.

3. Collection de Voitures Anciennes

0.19 MILES

Starting in the early 1950s, car-mad Prince Rainier amassed an impressive array of over 100 classic automobiles, which he opened to the public in 1993…

4. Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies

0.2 MILES

This one-room museum traces the history of stamps and coins minted in Monaco. The stamp collection, spanning many decades, is especially fun, with images…

5. Palais Princier de Monaco

0.36 MILES

Built as a fortress atop Le Rocher in the 13th century, this palace is the private residence of the Grimaldi family. It is protected by the blue-helmeted,…

6. Le Rocher

0.43 MILES

Monaco Ville, also called Le Rocher, is the only part of Monaco to have retained its original old town, complete with small, windy medieval lanes. The old…

7. Roseraie Princesse Grace

0.47 MILES

Thoroughly revamped in 2014, this exuberant collection of over 4000 rose bushes – along with the adjacent Parc Fontvieille – stands out in dramatic…

8. Cathédrale de Monaco

0.49 MILES

An adoring crowd continually shuffles past Prince Rainier’s and Princess Grace’s flower-adorned graves, located inside the cathedral choir of Monaco's…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "monaco/attractions/jardin-exotique/a/poi-sig/1188684/359266",
      "destination": "Monaco",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Monaco",
      "position": "superzone"
    }