The Bayonne botanical garden, a place full of charm

It is not the most famous place in the city of Bayonne . And yet, it deserves the detour. The botanical garden of Bayonne allows you to discover this beautiful city in the Basque Country from another point of view. In addition to the magnificent flowers, shrubs, trees and plants found there, the views over the ramparts and Bayonne Cathedral are breathtaking! Come and enjoy a nature walk with your family in the city center and a few minutes from the Sainte-Marie Cathedral.

The botanical garden, a place to stroll in Bayonne

Nestled in the heart of the ramparts , the botanical garden of Bayonne invites you to relax and explore. Designed in a Japanese style , clothing mixed with the Basque style , it offers 3000m ² of gardens , but also a water point, bridges , walkways and a waterfall . A wide variety of flower beds are terraced , giving the place an interesting perspective . A walk with family or friends in this place will make you travel from country to country, thanks to varieties of trees and plants such as albizzia, agapanthus, cyccas (prehistoric fern), Mexican sage or Japanese maples. A small bamboo forest will give you the impression of being far from the city center .

Unlike the classic botanical gardens , in that of Bayonne, the landscapers and municipal workers who developed these paintings have chosen to group the flowers by colors or scents and not by families. A thousand plants, species and varieties, mostly perennials and more or less rare, are found there such as opulent and colorful peonies, dodecathéons (a herbaceous plant with pretty bell-shaped petals), pachystergias and their pretty white flowers on dense thickets. They all have signs to help you recognize them . The budding of the shrubs begins in spring, the first flowers arrive in April to offer beautiful colorful sets that last all summer. From September, autumnal colors arrive with beautiful orange tones, as on Japanese maples for example.

The view on arrival at the Botanical Garden

Stroll in the Botanical Garden

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A garden set up in a historic place in Bayonne

Lacking green spaces in the heart of Bayonne, the city has chosen to set up its botanical garden on a bastion of Vauban's fortifications . Inaugurated in 1990, the place is located between the Monument aux Morts and the Cathedral of Bayonne. You will have to climb a few meters to reach it. Once there, you will have a magnificent view of the Cathedral from almost the entire garden. With its appearance of a hanging garden , the walk is pleasant. If the garden is not huge, but each space is occupied and well developed. An impression of calm and softness emanates from this natural place.

For the making of the garden , the city of Bayonne insisted on using recycled materials such as stones and paving stones. Site labeled EVE (Ecological Plant Space), the botanical garden does not use any pesticides and watering is carried out in a reasoned manner. Honey plants have been chosen to promote the presence of pollinating insects and in particular bees.

View of the historic ramparts and the cathedral in the distance

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The animals have taken up residence in the botanical garden

Since the opening of the site, turtles have been basking on stones placed in the water to the delight of young and old. Birds , insects and lizards are also very present in the garden and you can observe them during your visit. As you gaze into the main pool, you will spot large Chinese koi carp , with red, orange and white scales. They live there with the Florida turtles. Several water plants are also to be seen on site, such as the Papyrus. You will see it bloom in spring and summer.

The house is the other place to discover in the botanical garden . Inside, a permanent exhibition made up of informative panels , in particular on the ecological actions implemented by the gardeners, is proposed. Each year, a Garden Day is organized towards the end of April . The opportunity to learn more about this thousand plants.
Entrance is free and the full visit can take between 1 and 2 hours, depending on the time spent observing the plants that adorn this beautiful place.

Florida turtles, cute and not very shy

Colorful koi carps

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The facade of the exhibition house

Bamboo forest

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Article written by Anne Pinsolle for the Guide Pays Basque

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