Towering scarecrows armed with prickly spines and brilliant blossoms in the most vibrant shades of vermillion against the flaking white cliffs; these sights and more leave you wondering if you have chanced upon a desert oasis in the middle of Provence. The Jardine Exotique de Monaco is, as its name suggests, an exotic outpost carved into the side of the Moneghetti and skirted by Monaco Bay.

Though it first opened its wrought iron gates to the public in the early 19th Century, several of the desert inhabitants of the garden are over a century old, originating from a collection that was begun in 1895. Years of concern and nourishment showered upon them has allowed them to naturally flourish and grow to unbelievable proportions. Tiled pavements and rope bridges crawl across the cliff side, providing visitors with access to the 7 different areas sectioned within the garden. Uninviting candelabras tipped with white blossoms, patches of ridged Cereus and thin stalks ending in plumes of papyrus leaves give visitors just a taste of the 1000 odd species of cacti and succulents present within the gardens.

Shaded by the umbrella of silvery green olive leaves, you can look out towards the club of earth jutting into the ocean known as the Rock, the busy Ports of Monaco and Monte Carlo and even the picturesque Italian Riviera. In so desolate and scant a habitat, the Jardin Exotique de Monaco truly displays the stubborn resilience of the varied plant life for visitors to appreciate.