The Domaine du Rayol and the Mediterranean Garden
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On the way from Le Lavandou to Cavalaire, along the sublime Corniche des Maures road, winding between the turquoise sea and the steep maquis of the Maures massif, it is impossible to miss the prestigious Domaine du Rayol. This exceptional site, which faces the Îles d'Or d'Hyères, is home to a small exotic and exotic paradise, the Jardin des Méditerranées. This marvel for the senses, open all year round to visitors, is home to a mosaic of plant species for a world tour of the "Mediterranean". A unique invitation to travel, not to be missed under any circumstances.
Discovering the world of the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean is the common denominator and the theme of the various natural areas encountered during a visit that multiplies the surprises and changes of scenery. California, the Canaries, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, arid and subtropical America, Asia... What do these different destinations have in common? They all benefit from a so-called "Mediterranean" climate. Although the characteristic presence of the latter is essentially concentrated around the sea of the same name, this temperate climate can be found in the intermediate latitudes of the western coasts of the five continents. And although it occupies only 5% of the world's surface, it contains more than 20% of the planet's plant species.
Based on this observation, Gilles Clément, a famous French landscape architect, rehabilitated the garden in the early 1990s to give it the face we know today, with this unique concept of a mosaic of spaces that bring together communities of plants from the four corners of the world. A fan of the planetary garden and a fervent defender of free nature, he starts from the principle that a landscape should be like a natural environment, without walls, in perpetual movement, while leaving the field free for the different species to express their full potential and beauty. He thus built the garden around the notion of biomes: groups of species from different continents but subject to similar conditions (in this case Mediterranean). All the Mediterranean "worlds" of the planet, mentioned above, are thus represented, with their particular plant species, for the greatest pleasure of our senses.
A century of history
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The Domaine du Rayol has its origins in 1909 when Alfred-Théodore Courmes, a Parisian banker, took the "petit train des Pignes". He was amazed by the beauty of the wild Maures coastline and acquired 40 hectares of forest on the current site of the estate. During the following years, he built a farm and two villas, the Hôtel de la mer, based on the model of 19th century winter houses, surrounded by an exotic garden, and the Rayolet, in the art deco style. In 1940, Henry Potez, a famous aeronautics industrialist, bought the estate. He was responsible for the creation and development of the garden, which then took on the form we know today.
Although the seven hectares of natural space in the garden are now fully protected, this was not always the case. The Conservatoire du Littoral, which now manages the site, only acquired the estate in 1989, with the help of the Association des Amis du Rayol. At the time, it was owned by an insurance company and left to deteriorate. The rehabilitation, led by Gilles Clément, then began...
As you can see, we can't advise you enough to take a break and visit this little paradise, open all year round.
More information on the Jardin des Méditerranées website: domainedurayol.org
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