Exflora Park is a five hectare garden open to the public.
Next to the large olive grove, there are different styles of
meditteranean gardens, from ancient Rome to the exuberant Riviera
of the 19th century.
The main terrace is at the entrance to the park in the style
of the Italian renaissance and from where visitors can view
the entire garden.
Fountains and ponds stretch along the terrace, making a waterway
500 m long.
Antibes is renowned for rose production, and recognising this,
rose bushes line the path leading to the sea.
The luxuriance of the exotic garden and palm grove is reminiscent
of the belle époque, when English gardeners succeeded
in planting flowers that bloom in winter, the season when the
aristocracy visited the Cote d'Azur.
A liitle further on is the theatre de verdure, inspired by
Italian gardens, and a panoramic viewpoint with a glorious
view of the sea and the Iles des Lerins.
In the style of Provencal gardens
of the 18th century, there is a maze with sculpted hedges where
you can amuse yourself for a while, wandering at will.
Further on, Islamic gardens are featured, with an orange
grove where the ground is patterned with terracotta irrigation
pipes
similar to those in the celebrated Seville Cathedral in Spain.
The
vegetable gardens and orchards in the Arsat are planted
in hollows as in Morocco, to protect them from the sun
and maximise shadow and humidity. There is a representation
of a Moroccan house with a square courtyard and pond
within, with plants and ornamental pots. The kiosk, with
its attractive
blue varnished roof pays hommage to the painter MAJORELLE,
creator of the beautiful blue garden in Marrakesh.
This completes this part of the park.
In another area, the
winter garden contains plants that flower in winter, such
as mimosa and camellias, but naturally
can only be seen at that time.
The Rotunda pays hommage to Ferdinand BAC, man of letters
and keen garden designer who created the wonderful garden in
Columbières in Menton. The Latin inscription on the
obelisk means: “Many gardens on the point of dying, are
resurrected”.
From the Rotunda, the mall lined with lime trees is the popular
Provencal style of avenue, such as the well-known Cours Mirabeau
in Aix en Provence or Cours Saleya in Nice.
Finally there is the atrium, where the peristyle and Pompeii
garden are reminiscent of an ancient Roman villa and garden,
inspired by the writings of Pline of Jeune, used as a historic
and botanic reference today. At the other end of the park,
in contrast to this ancient area is a cool room, in true Provencal
tradition, which gives access to the sea.
Office of Tourism and Congress.
11 place de Gaulle, 06600 Antibes. Tel: 04 92 90 53 00 and
Juan-les-Pins, 51 bd Guillaumont. Tel: 04 92 90 53 05
