The French Riviera—or the Côte d’Azur—is about as opulent as it gets, and nowhere embodies the glitz and glam of this diamond-studded coastline more than Cap Ferrat, nicknamed the "billionaire’s peninsula".
Aerial view of Cap Ferrat, French Riviera
This is Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Cap Ferrat’s main town of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat was once a sleepy fishing village that began its transformation into a hot spot for the international glitterati in the late 19th century. Since then, it has welcomed everyone from Somerset Maugham to Edith Piaf, not to mention the British, Swedish and Belgian royal families, to its sun-kissed shores.
The center of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is best known for its pretty pastel-colored houses and the brightly painted church of Saint John the Baptist (hence the name). But it is out on the peninsula that you get to gawk at the real mansions—or, at least, at their giant gates—each one more extravagant than the next. In 2012, the Wealth Report by Knight Frank named Cap Ferrat as the second most expensive residential location in the world after Monaco. It has dropped a few spots in the ranking since then, but its reputation is unchanged.
Paloma beach in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
What to do in Cap Ferrat
Cap Ferrat may have left its fishing village roots behind, but the stillness remains. Unlike some of the more hedonistic playgrounds along the French Riviera, early morning walks along the beach and long, leisurely lunches at the town’s waterfront restaurants tend to take priority.
Local attractions include Villa Ephrussi, an art-filled Renaissance-inspired palace surrounded by nine different themed gardens, built in the early 20th century by Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild, and the Saint-Hospice chapel, with its idyllically situated maritime and military cemeteries.
Coastline of Beaulieu-Sur-Mer, Cote d'Azur, France
Walking the Cap
There are three main walking routes in Cap Ferrat, and they all come with eye-popping sea views and soothing sounds of the waves included. The Cap-Ferrat circuit, a four-mile walk along an occasionally rocky coastal path (parts of which are currently closed); the shorter Pointe Saint-Hospice route through the pine forests and coastal roads around the Saint-Hospice peninsula; and the 30-minute stroll along the elevated Maurice Rouvier promenade. The latter runs along the shore the port of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat to the next town along the coast, Beaulieu-sur-Mer.
Fun fact about Beaulieu-sur-Mer: fans of the 1980s classic film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, starring Michael Caine, Steve Martin and Glenne Headly, may feel eerily at home here, although the town was given the fictitious name Beaumont-sur-Mer in the movie.
Where to eat
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat has two Michelin-starred restaurants, ritzy Le Cap set within the Grand-Hôtel du Cap Ferrat, and the less ostentatious but equally impressive La Table du Royal at Hôtel Royal-Riviera. There are plenty of more low-key options too—like the ever-popular Restaurant Passable with its enviable setting right on Passable beach and a menu that includes superb dishes of seafood pasta and fresh fish, as well as a private beach club. The poolside restaurant at La Réserve du Beaulieu is another local favorite, serving fresh fish tartares and its own take on the classic Salade Niçoise, along with some unrivaled sea views.
Where to stay
There is luxury accommodation aplenty in Cap Ferrat, from Four Seasons’ iconic Grand-Hôtel du Cap Ferrat, to Hôtel Royal Riviera, a grand dame who has been welcoming guests to the Riviera since 1904. If your preference is something more intimate, look no further than Villa O, a five-storey, five-bedroom Mandarin Oriental-branded villa that just joined the Mandarin Oriental Exclusive Homes portfolio of luxury private rental properties this April.
Villa O by Mandarin Oriental Exclusive Homes.
The contemporary design of the recently renovated villa includes floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the interior with light and offer jaw-dropping sea views from almost every room. A glass elevator connects the five floors, all the way up to the rooftop terrace and hot tub, while the larger pool is accessed via a pathway that weaves through the garden.
Activities on offer include a private chef service, as well as yacht chartering, sailing, wine tasting, helicopter tours, cooking classes, supercar driving tours, golf, tennis, water sports, and spa treatments.
Villa O overlooking Cap Ferrat.
About Mandarin Oriental Exclusive Homes
Launched in 2022, Mandarin Oriental Exclusive Homes is a collaboration between Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and StayOne. Together, they select the finest homes in the most popular leisure destinations, while also providing personalized service in keeping with Mandarin Oriental’s high standard of hospitality. In addition to Villa O in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, some of the new homes recently added to the portfolio include a restored masseria in Puglia, Italy, a dreamy villa in the hills of Marbella, Spain, and an exotic Balinese estate set on a cliffside in Uluwatu, Bali.
