El Jardín de Peter is a fascinating place close to Valencia, Spain. Imagine a world of quirky sculptures and unusual houses surrounded by beautiful nature. Keep reading to learn more about this place and how to visit it.
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I want to tell you about a place that is truly off the beaten path. Somewhere outside Valencia, Spain, there is a little magical garden full of quirky creations all made by one man, Peter. The place is aptly named El Jardín de Peter (or El Jardì de Peter in Valencian), and its near the village of Puebla de Benifasar.
I only heard about this place thanks to my cousin, who lives near Castellon de la Plana and whom I visit regularly. In fact, that’s how I got to see several amazing places in this area that I will talk about in future posts. But for now, let’s talk about Peter’s Garden or El Jardín de Peter.
Who Created El Jardín de Peter
Exploring El Jardín de Peter is a bit like falling through a rabbit hole and ending up in Wonderland. The place is a world where creativity knows no rules and imagination takes over. And as soon as you step inside, you can see Peter has a vivid imagination.
Peter Buch is an artist born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in 1938. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart before moving to Paris and then Formentera. He visited the small village of Puebla de Benifasar in 1985 and bought a house there the following year. Later on, he also purchased the land outside the village where he would create his own quirky world.
In 1991, Peter started working on a sculpture garden, and more than 30 years later, he is still creating amazing sculptures. Peter Buch defines himself as an Art Brut artist (also known as Outsider Art), a term that refers to self-taught, social outsiders who don’t follow any art form or trend.
Peter built the sculptures and buildings around the garden using rocks and earth found on site, then decorated them with discarded tiles and other scraps that he would find in the garbage or that friends soon started to bring over. His inspiration comes from artists like Niki de Saint Phalle (Il Giardino dei Tarocchi), Antoni Gaudí (Park Güell), and Raymond Isidore (Maison Picassiette).
Peter still lives in Puebla de Benifasar, and you’ll most likely find him around the sculpture garden when you visit. He is usually there to collect the small entrance fee, and you can talk to him in Spanish or German.
Visiting El Jardín de Peter
Being a private space, El Jardín de Peter doesn’t exactly follow strict entry days and times. It is typically open daily from 11 AM to 7 PM, but you may also find it closed. The best way to be sure it’s open is to call ahead. The phone number is +34 650794870.
I recommend saving at least one hour to explore the garden. The entry is just outside the village of Puebla de Benifasar. There is no ticket office or anything, just cross the gate and start exploring.
You’ll usually find Peter somewhere around the garden to pay the entry fee, which is 3.5€ per person (as of 2024). No card payment is available, so be sure to carry cash!
Take your time wandering around the garden, admire the quirky sculptures, enter the little houses, and climb up to the terraces. Some of the buildings even have furniture!
What Else to Do in Puebla de Benifasar
Puebla de Benifasar, or Pobla de Benifassà in Valencian, is a small village of just over 200 inhabitants. The village is part of the Parque Natural de la Tenencia de Benifasar, which was only declared as a protected area in 2006.
After visiting El Jardín de Peter, you can spend some time exploring Puebla de Benifasar. The village is quite small, so you can see pretty much everything in about half an hour. Wander around the narrow alleyways, check out the church of Santa Maria de la Pobla de Benifassà, and see if you can spot Peter’s house. It shouldn’t be too hard!
How to Get to El Jardín de Peter
Unfortunately, there is no way to reach El Jardín de Peter by public transportation. Renting a car in either Valencia or Barcelona is the best option unless you want to pay lots of money for a taxi ride.
El Jardín de Peter is almost halfway between Valencia and Barcelona. The closest city is Castellón de la Plana, about one and a half hours away. It takes just over two hours to reach the garden from Valencia. From Barcelona, it’s close to three hours.
If you want to rent a car, I highly recommend checking out DiscoverCars. They have great deals on car rentals, especially if you book a bit ahead of time. But you can also find last-minute options.
What else to see in the area?
If you rent a car to explore Valencia and its surroundings, you might as well take advantage and check out a few more places. South of Valencia, you can explore the wonderful Costa Blanca all the way to Alicante. To the north, check out Peniscola, Tarragona, and Parc Natural de la Serra d’Espadà.
I have plenty more to share from this area, so stay tuned to discover more charming villages and natural gems. Meanwhile, you can check out this article covering 25 cool things to do in Valencia for free!
Travel Resources
Here are a few travel resources to help you plan your trip to Valencia and El Jardín de Peter. I always use these platforms, so I can highly recommend them.
| Purpose | Website/App | Description | Book Here |
| Accommodation | Booking.com | My favorite website for great accommodation for different budgets. | Find a Place |
| Flights | Skyscanner | The platform I typically use for finding the most affordable flights. | Find Flights |
| Cheap Buses | Flixbus | My favorite app for cheap bus fares around most of Europe and the US. | Bus Rides |
| Transportation | Omio | You can book everything from buses and trains to ferry rides. | Transportation |
| Train Travel | Trainline | If you travel by train, this app is great for booking rides in Europe. | Train Rides |
| Travel Insurance | SafetyWing | One of the best travel medical insurances for frequent travelers. | Get Insured |
| Activities | Manawa | A great platform to book activities and adventures with local hosts. | Find Activities |
| Experiences | GetYourGuide | Another great platform for tours and experiences with lots of options. | Experiences |
| Car Rental | DiscoverCars | My go-to platform for car rental anywhere in the world. | Rent a Car |
| eSIM | Airalo | My favorite app for buying digital SIM cards when traveling abroad. | Get an eSIM |
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