With almost a century of history, the Marimurtra Botanical Garden is one of the two botanical gardens existing in Catalonia. It belongs to the Carl Faust Foundation, a private entity which carries out the wishes of its founder by guaranteeing its upkeep and updating its orientation. The Generalitat de Catalunya classified the Garden as a Cultural Asset of National Interest. It is part of the Iberomacaronesian Association of Botanical Gardens.
The strong determination, enthusiasm and perseverance of a cultured and sensitive man made the creation of this Garden possible. This man was Carl Faust, a German businessman established in Catalonia since 1897 that, led by his passion for natural sciences, devoted practically his entire fortune to his dream. Faust, a humanist influenced by Goethian ethics, wished to leave something useful to mankind.
The Garden open to visitors has a total of 4 planted hectares. This part is divided into three different gardens displaying a huge number of specimens belonging to around 4,000 plant species from the five continents, some of which are notable for their biological singularity, age and size.
Apart from its scientific interest, the breath-taking scenery makes Marimurtra one of the most interesting botanical gardens in Europe. The beauty of the plants and the splendid views over the sea and the Costa Brava make it easy to understand why so many visitors –at present more than 100,000 every year– have been coming to Marimurtra for decades.