Saint Jean-Cap-Ferrat

The village setting is very nice, on the eastern shore of the peninsula on the bay usually filled with yachts and sailboats.

The area is heavily residential, with the very expensive homes mostly hidden behind high fences with ubiquitous signs about being protected by the local security company monopoly.

The village itself is rather small, but there are a lot of nice terrace café-restaurants; most along the port. The port, like many along this part of the coast, was once a small fishing port that's evolved into a somewhat larger yacht harbor.

Like most of the other ancient Mediterranean villages along the coast of the modern French Riviera, the harbor as adapted to a co-mingling of modern yachts with the classical pointu fishing boats, still in use to provide local restaurants with fresh local seafood.

Beaches

The three beaches are probably the best attraction for the casual visitor (apart from the 4-star hotels, of course).

Paloma beach southeast of the port, on the north side small peninsula (St Hospice). Being on a northeast-facing shore and at the base of some tall cliffs, this beach is the most protected from winds, and has less sun in the afternoons. The location is about a 5-10 minutes walk from the port. From the Port, walk south and up the road past La Voile d'Or; straight, past the hotel Brise Marine, to the junction of Ave Claude Vignon; left, towards "Chapelle St. Hospice", for about 300 m.

Passable beach is on the northwest side of the main peninsula, past the Office de Tourisme and past the zoo (parc zoologique). It's west-facing, with a view across the Rade de Villefranche.

Cro de Peï Pin is the biggest beach, located just north of the port at the Anse Lilong (the bay between the main peninsula and the smaller Ste Hospice peninsula), facing eastward into the Baie des Fourmis and the Tete de Chene. There's a public parking lot alongside the beach.

Museum and Gardens

The Ephrussi de Rothschild (or Villa Ile de France) is a mansion of the Baronness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild. It's a museum in itself (the building and furnishings) and has an enormous art collection. The villa grounds have an extensive set of 7 gardens designed in different styles: French Traditional, Florentine, Spanish, Exotic, Lapidary, Japanese, Provencal. The villa is located at the northern end (entrance) of the peninsula.
Open very day, year-round. 15 Feb-1 Nov: 10h-18h (19h July-Aug); 2 Nov-5 Feb: weekends and school holidays, 10h-18h.