Nature Garden in Almancil

This week we visited Natura Garden Centre in Almancil, they stock the biggest collection of plants in the Algarve which is very impressive, they provide landscaping services, and have a pop-up restaurant nestled within the gardens in Spring & Summer months.

I spoke with the owner, Jean Claude deFrance, who moved from Toulouse to the Algarve 35 years ago. He loved the climate here and the landscape, and he wanted to preserve it. He started by writing articles about planting indigenous plants in the Algarve to respect nature. Then he opened a garden centre that stocks mainly local flowers and plants. He encourages people to use 80% natural, local plants in their gardens, and the rest exotics if they would like them.

Within the grounds, there is an office where you can book an appointment with their landscape designer.
There is also a charming pop-up restaurant, with beautiful unique wooden tables scattered between the plants that are for sale - this is open from 10am until 5pm except Sundays and Mondays.

On Thursday mornings, stalls are set up from 11am - 4pm for a biologic market of local fruit and vegetables. Local farmers come and sell their product directly.
Jean Claude doesn’t charge the farmers for the stalls, he just wants to help local farmers and connect them with the community. It is definitely worth a visit on a Thursday if you’d like to get some locally grown biologic produce.

Off the N125, Natura has a large olive tree farm. They save olive trees from the Alentejo that are being cut down to make firewood. Jean Claude plants them in their farm where they can continue to thrive. There are olive trees of all sizes and it is possible to purchase them for your garden. The farm isn’t open to the public but can be viewed by booking an appointment in their Almancil office.

A beautiful garden centre filled with gorgeous flowers and plants of all sizes, and a wonderful contributor to the community! Make sure to stop in for lunch or pick up some veggies from their market!

You can reach them at this number:
+ 351 289 396 106