Desert City

Desert City is a plant nursery and botanical garden in San Sebastián de los Reyes, in the metropolitan area of Madrid, recognized as Europe's largest cactus collection. The site combines a commercial role — selling plants — with an educational one, showcasing xerophytic species adapted to arid and low-moisture conditions.

What is Desert City?

Desert City was founded by two people with distinct professional backgrounds: Jacobo García-Germán, an architect, and Mercedes García, a former executive in the pharmaceuticals industry. This combination of design and business experience shaped a place that goes beyond a simple commercial greenhouse, offering a carefully arranged space for displaying plants.

What plants can visitors find here?

The collection at Desert City centers on xerophytic plants — a category that includes cacti and succulents, species capable of storing water in their tissues to survive prolonged dry periods. Alongside these, the site also cultivates and sells plants native to the Mediterranean region, well suited to the hot, dry climate typical of central Spain. This broad range of species turns the site into a living showcase of plant diversity adapted to extreme water-scarce conditions.

Why is Desert City considered the largest of its kind in Europe?

The scale of the cactus collection assembled at Desert City is what earns it the distinction of being Europe's largest of its kind. This sets it apart from other botanical gardens or nurseries specializing in succulent plants, which typically maintain far smaller collections. For anyone interested in desert botany and succulents, Desert City serves as a reference point on a continental scale, not merely a local or national one.

Where exactly is Desert City located?

The site is located in San Sebastián de los Reyes, a town in the northern metropolitan area of Madrid, Spain. Its proximity to the Spanish capital makes Desert City relatively easy to reach both for residents of the region and for visitors to Madrid looking to extend their trip with a stop at a distinctive, botanically focused destination.

Frequently asked questions

Is Desert City a botanical garden or a plant shop? Desert City combines both functions — it operates as a plant nursery with sales, while also serving as a botanical garden displaying a collection of cacti, succulents, and Mediterranean plants.

Who founded Desert City? It was founded by Jacobo García-Germán, an architect, and Mercedes García, a former pharmaceuticals industry executive.

What kinds of plants dominate the collection? Mainly xerophytic plants — cacti and succulents — complemented by species native to the Mediterranean region.

Is Desert City really the largest cactus garden in Europe? Yes, it is described as Europe's largest cactus collection, making it a unique destination on the continent's botanical map.

How far from Madrid is Desert City? It is located in San Sebastián de los Reyes, a town within Madrid's metropolitan area, making it a short trip from the capital.