Monaco to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat boat cruise: what to see in 1 day?
Here is a quick guide to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, which will answer your questions: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to sunbathe. All the best things to do in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, up-to-date photos of places to see, monuments to visit, and beaches for your comfort.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is known as the quietest and most fashionable resort on the Côte d'Azur, as much of it consists of luxurious private villas, closed to the public. The resort is situated close to Nice on the picturesque Cap Ferrat peninsula. There are coves of white sand where the cliffs drop steeply into the sea and the shores are lost in a thicket of pine trees.
Fenix list of 6 useful tips:
1. A bit of history about the place
The fertile stretch of Cap-Ferrat with its pine and eucalyptus trees was discovered by King Leopold II of Belgium, who built a villa on the peninsula for his beloved Caroline Lacroix in 1902. By the mid-20th century the villa belonged to Italian industrialist Giovanni Agnelli. Film buffs know it well from the post-war films The Red Shoes (1948) and To Catch a Thief (1955).
Declared the most expensive villa in the world, Villa Leopold is today protected by the French state as a monument of cultural and historical heritage.
Following in the footsteps of the Belgian crown, the aristocracy of the Old World also appreciated the charms of the seaside resort of Cap-Ferrat. Since then, only the wealthiest of people have settled here, who liked to surround themselves with artists, poets and intellectuals of their time:
Isadora Duncan
Somerset Maugham
Friedrich Nietzsche
Jean Cocteau
The Rothschilds and other celebrities loved to stay at Cap Ferrat.
Today it is a welcoming world of natural Mediterranean luxury which can be enjoyed as you stroll along the many coastal paths.
2. Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat attractions
Are you a keen hiker? Then walk the 14 km with breathtaking views of St Jean Cap Ferrat, paved pathways rising up from the sea to pine forests and luxurious manicured villas.
Several rocky promontories, the Napoleon III lighthouse with its panoramic view of the Côte d'Azur, the old port and the Boulevard Maurice Rouvier, which is lined with some of the most expensive villas in the world and stretches all the way to Beaulieu-sur-Mer.
The views from the sea are spectacular and can be enjoyed on a yacht cruise from Monaco or other coastal towns on the Côte d'Azur.
Along the way you'll also come across the Chapel of Saint Hospice, built in the 11th century on the site of the ruined Tower of Saint Monk. It was completely rebuilt in the 17th century by Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy, and then, thanks to the generous hand of King Charles Felix, became a pilgrimage site for sailors who venerate Saint Hospice as their patron saint.
In 1900 a bronze sculpture of the Virgin Mary by Italian sculptor Tranquilo Galbuzzieri, known as the 'Black Virgin', was installed next to the chapel.
But the two most impressive places in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat are the Grand Hotel du Ferre and the Villa Beatrice Ephrussi Rothschild.
3. Main Hiking Routes of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Maurice Rouvier Promenade
Cape Hospice route
Route around the Cap Ferrat Peninsula
4. The famous Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat
An example of Belle Epoque architecture, the Grand Hotel is situated on the highest point of Cap-Ferrat, in a beautiful park with several rows of paths.
A cable car leads to Le Club Dauphin, the hotel's beach oasis, with an open-air summer restaurant and a heated pool floating above the sea.
The hotel's legendary Golden Book includes Mel Brooks, Jerry Lewis, Roger Moore, Jack Nicholson, Eddie Barclay, Paul McCartney, Boy George, Elton John, Tina Turner, the Emir of Bahrain, King Baudouin and the Duke of Connaught.
