Phoenix Floral Park – Nice
With its giant greenhouse, Parc Phoenix plunges you into the heart of a jungle where six different climates coexisting at all latitudes. Enchantment is guaranteed, especially as many animals are present.
Let’s embark on a wonderful journey… to Wonderland! Ready for a change of scenery? Head for Parc Phoenix, just west of Nice. I’d like to take you on a tour of what, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful green spaces in Nice.
Covering an area of 7 hectares, the Phoenix Floral Park features some twenty themed gardens, a veritable “naturoscope”. Its 25-metre-high glass pyramid (one of the largest in Europe) impresses with its diversity of plants.
Here you can admire the exuberance of the equatorial forest, the fascinating world of orchids, the southern African garden in the Natal desert and, in a very humid environment, the tree ferns whose ancestors lived alongside the dinosaurs. Beneath the giant plants, crocodiles, turtles, iguanas, koi carp and pink flamingos move about in an atmosphere close to their natural habitat. It’s easy to forget everything and just be amazed, smartphone or camera in hand!
Outside the greenhouse, around the large central lake, the park is also home to marmosets, wallabies, otters, lemurs, dwarf goats, macaws… In all, more than 2,000 animals – 70 different species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects – represent all the regions of the world in Nice!
The park also offers a wide range of activities for families, including a tree climbing area for children aged 3 and over, and a vast children’s garden with games for all ages.
I love: The part botanical garden, part zoo of the park. Parc Phoenix always surprises me with its ability to offer us a living, evolving spectacle: that of nature! Never the same, always spectacular… Whatever the season, I love taking my time to explore it. Note that inside the greenhouse, the warm temperature and permanent humidity are a pleasant surprise for visitors, whether in summer (because it’s even hotter outside, so you feel comfortable there) or in winter (which makes you want to take off your jacket)!
I don’t like it so much: depending on the direction of the wind, the noise generated by the ballet of planes flying in and out of Nice Côte d’Azur airport can disturb the peace and quiet of the place, and can even be unpleasant. However, loudspeakers discreetly hidden in the vegetation broadcast delicate birdsong in addition to those physically present in the park. In the hushed atmosphere of the greenhouse, these gentle melodies can be heard more clearly, adding to the magic of the place.
A visit to Parc Phoenix is a must for all nature lovers. In the city, just a stone’s throw from the sea, it’s a magical place where young and old alike can enjoy a moment out of time.
Practical info
Who’s it for? Young and old, all ages!
Price: €5.50 per person (free for under-12s, subject to a limit of 3 children per family)
Visit included in the French Riviera Pass
Pets are not allowed in the park, except guide dogs.
Open every day of the year (except 25 December and 1 January).
Opening times :
- 9.30am – 7.30pm (Summer opening times: 1 April to 30 September)
- 9.30am – 6pm (Winter opening times: 1 October to 31 March)
- Ticket office closes 1 hour before the Park closes
