Even though Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is known as a luxurious beach resort, it has kept its own style. A few shops are in the marina in the village, but if you want to go shopping, you should go to Nice, Cannes, or Monaco.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is more of a place to go for nature and outdoor sports than for culture, with the exception of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, which is a historic monument with beautiful gardens. The peninsula has one of the most beautiful stretches of coast and beaches on the Côte d’Azur. If it rains, you’ll realize there’s no reason to go to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
Paloma Beach
La Paloma is the beach that most people go to in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. It is one of the 10 most photographed beaches in France on Instagram. We can’t deny that the place in the middle of the forest is beautiful. The beach faces east, so you can see the cliffs and the village of Eze. Part of the beach is private because the Paloma Beach Restaurant is there. This is the perfect place to anchor if you want to rent a boat for the day. Due to the peninsula’s lack of relief, the beach is soon in the shade by the end of the afternoon. Because of this, we like to go to the beach at Fosses. But it is still one of the most beautiful places to visit in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
Tower of Ponite Saint-Hospice
If you don’t have time to see all of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, you should at least take this walk around Pointe Saint-Hospice. You’ll go by some of the most beautiful beaches, and it’s a great way to see a lot of the peninsula’s scenery. The starting and ending point is the port in the middle of the village. From the path, you can see the Saint-Hospice Chapel, which is a Historic Monument. If you don’t stop at the chapel, there isn’t much difference in height, and you can walk farther in 1h30.
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Baroness Between 1907 and 1912, Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild built the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on the cliffs of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. It is a palace in the style of the Renaissance. The inside of the villa is made up of Béatrice’s apartments, a patio with marble columns from Verona, and many luxurious lounges with Louis XVI furniture, tapestries, porcelain, and Chinese art. The Baroness has one of France’s most valuable collections of porcelain in her dining room.
The outside of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild can also be seen thanks to its beautiful gardens. There are nine different types of architecture, including a rose garden and gardens in French, Spanish, Florentine, Japanese, and exotic styles. I think it would be best to go there in the spring or summer, when the gardens are at their best.
In one of Beatrice’s old dining rooms, a charming restaurant tea room has been set up. It has a terrace with a view of the bay of Villefranche. Since a chef made the menu, the very high prices are understandable. Villas with the same style can be rented for the season, and they have all the amenities and views you could want.
