Created in 1867 by the English merchant Sir Thomas Hanbury, these botanical gardens sprawl across eighteen hectares of clifftop at Capo Mortola, sloping down toward the sea. Hanbury had traveled extensively in the Far East and enlisted his brother Daniel, a pharmacologist, to help assemble a collection of exotic plants from around the world. The sheltered position — mountains on three sides, the Mediterranean to the south — creates a microclimate where species from the tropics, Australia, and southern Africa thrive alongside native Mediterranean flora.
The gardens fell into disrepair during the 20th century but have been gradually restored by the University of Genoa. The terraced paths wind through groves of palms, cacti, citrus, and flowering shrubs, with views along the coast toward Monaco. Allow a couple of hours for the full circuit.