Santa Clotilde Gardens (Lloret de Mar)

The Santa Clotilde Gardens (Jardins de Santa Clotilde) are a terraced garden on the cliffs of Lloret de Mar, between Fenals beach and Sa Boadella cove, about 1.3 km south-west of the town centre on the Costa Brava. Work began in 1919 for Dr Raúl Roviralta, with the landscape architect Nicolau Maria Rubió i Tudurí, and the result is a formal garden of clipped hedges, stairways, fountains and sculptures looking out to sea (Spain.info). Spain.info lists Lloret town council’s heritage department as its contact, and a local bus stop is named after the garden. It suits garden lovers, photographers and anyone wanting a quiet hour away from Lloret’s beaches; skip it if you only want to swim or cannot manage steps.

Quick facts

• Names: Santa Clotilde Gardens; in Catalan Jardins de Santa Clotilde; in Spanish Jardines de Santa Clotilde.
• Where: Passeig Jardins s/n, 17310 Lloret de Mar (La Selva, Girona), on the headland at the west end of Fenals beach, above Sa Boadella (Spain.info; catalunya.com, Fenals).
• Coordinates: 41.6913, 2.8259 (centre of the garden, OpenStreetMap).
• Created: from 1919, for Dr Raúl Roviralta, designed by Nicolau Maria Rubió i Tudurí.
• Style: noucentista, following the aesthetic ideals of early 20th-century Catalonia; catalunya.com also describes it as in the style of Italian Renaissance gardens.
• Best-known feature: a large green stairway with mermaid sculptures by Maria Llimona.
• Run by: Spain.info gives Lloret town council’s heritage department as the contact and links the garden’s page within the MOLL, the Open Museum of Lloret.
• Contact: +34 972 370 471, patrimonicultural@lloret.cat (Spain.info).

Access and parking

On foot: the garden is about 1.3 km in a straight line from the centre of Lloret de Mar. The quickest walk is along Fenals: catalunya.com describes a coastal path from Lloret beach to Fenals beach, and the far end of Fenals, the En Serrahima cove, is where the gardens are found (catalunya.com, Lloret beach; catalunya.com, Fenals). Fenals has a pedestrian promenade along its whole length.

By bus: OpenStreetMap shows a bus stop called Jardins de Santa Clotilde, served by line L011, on Avinguda de Fenals about 0.5 km north of the garden’s centre, and two stops called Av. Vila de Blanes – Sta. Clotilde, served by lines L1 and L6, about 0.7 km away. Lloret’s bus station is also on Avinguda Vila de Blanes, at number 37 (Spain.info).

By car: OpenStreetMap shows short rows of street-side parking about 400 m north of the garden and the Fenals municipal car park, paid from 10:00 to 20:00, about 500 m away. In summer Lloret is busy, so the bus or the walk along Fenals is easier.

What to expect

This is a formal garden, not a botanical collection. Spain.info explains that Rubió i Tudurí made the most of the steep, uneven site at the edge of the cliff. From the esplanade of the house, three main lines of view run through the garden; the most important is a large green stairway lined with sculptures of mermaids by Maria Llimona. Paths, avenues, small squares and steps are framed by clipped hedges that form green architecture.

catalunya.com describes superimposed terraces, interlacing paths and converging flights of steps, with plants, flowers and fountains carefully arranged and stone figures of nymphs, fairies and elves that recall classical gardens (catalunya.com). Its family guide to Lloret compares the garden to the villas of old Florence and recommends it as a place to walk slowly among trees, sculptures and views of the coast (catalunya.com).

The house that the garden was built around still stands above Sa Boadella; catalunya.com notes that the cove has no buildings around it except this mansion. OpenStreetMap marks several viewpoints on the seaward side of the garden.

Practical details

• Opening hours and tickets: could not be confirmed. The council’s heritage website, which Spain.info gives as the garden’s site, could not be opened from our research setup, so check it or phone before you go.
• Toilets: OpenStreetMap shows toilets in the garden, tagged as open 10:00–17:00.
• Combine with a swim: Sa Boadella, below the garden, is a 230 m cove of coarse sand reached by a marked path through pine woods, with showers, lifeguards and a beach bar; nudism is usual on its right-hand side (catalunya.com). Fenals, on the other side, is 725 m long, with ramps and adapted toilets.

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

Lloret de Mar is at its busiest in summer, so a morning visit or a trip outside July and August is quieter. Lloret’s main festival, for Santa Cristina, is on 24 and 25 July (catalunya.com).

Nearby alternatives

• Lloret de Mar town guide, 1.3 km away: the main beach, the church of Sant Romà and the Museu del Mar.
• Water World Lloret, 1.8 km away: the town’s summer water park.
• Camping Lloret Blau, 2.1 km away: an all-year campsite on the edge of Lloret.
• Marimurtra Botanical Garden, 2.6 km away: a scientific botanical garden of about 16 hectares on the cliffs of Blanes.
• Tossa de Mar to Lloret de Mar walk: GR 92 stage 11, which ends at Lloret beach.
• Tossa de Mar, 9.4 km away: the walled Vila Vella above Platja Gran.

Distances are in a straight line from the garden.

FAQ

Where are the Santa Clotilde Gardens?

On the cliffs between Fenals beach and Sa Boadella cove in Lloret de Mar, at Passeig Jardins, about 1.3 km from the town centre. Coordinates: 41.6913, 2.8259.

How do I get to Santa Clotilde Gardens by bus?

Line L011 stops at Jardins de Santa Clotilde on Avinguda de Fenals, about 0.5 km from the garden, and lines L1 and L6 stop at Av. Vila de Blanes – Sta. Clotilde, about 0.7 km away (OpenStreetMap).

Is there parking at Santa Clotilde Gardens?

There is some street parking about 400 m north of the garden and the paid Fenals municipal car park about 500 m away. Spaces are scarce in summer.

Who designed the Santa Clotilde Gardens?

Nicolau Maria Rubió i Tudurí, working for Dr Raúl Roviralta from 1919. The mermaid sculptures on the main stairway are by Maria Llimona.

Can you swim near the gardens?

Yes. Sa Boadella cove lies directly below, with lifeguards and a beach bar in season, and Fenals beach is on the other side of the headland.

Sources and freshness