The Riviera Journal · Towns and destinations
Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cap-Ferrat guide
Bay, old town, beaches and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat villas: plan a day between Villefranche-sur-Mer and the peninsula.
All Riviera Guide adviceAt a glance
- Suggested time
- Half a day to a full day
- Best for
- Sea, swimming, villas, walking and photography
- Access and getting around
- Villefranche has a train station; Cap-Ferrat beaches and villas are more spread out. Check local connections or plan a road transfer.
Local selection
Stops worth keeping
Easy swim
The bay with children
Villefranche-sur-Mer · 3 hours to 1 day
A sheltered bay, a charming old town and the long Marinières beach, convenient for a family day by the sea.
Exceptional gardens
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat · 2 to 3 hrs
A pink Belle Époque villa and nine gardens suspended between Cap-Ferrat’s two bays.
Adult €18 · reduced €12 · under 7 free
Imagined antiquity
Villa Kérylos: a Greek dream
Beaulieu-sur-Mer · 60–90 min · estimate
This twentieth-century villa draws on ancient Greece. Frescoes, mosaics and furniture shape its interiors.
Coastal trail · 4.8 km
Cap-Ferrat coastal loop
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat · 2 hrs · Free
A 4.8 km sea-level loop past limestone cliffs, the lighthouse, quiet coves and pine trees, finishing at Passable Beach.
Free access
Iconic cove
A turquoise cove
Paloma Beach · Cap-Ferrat · Half day
A small pebble beach beneath the pines, facing Èze’s cliffs and the peninsula’s clear water.
Sunset
Passable Beach
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat · At your own pace
Facing the Villefranche bay, lovely in late afternoon and at the end of the Cap-Ferrat path.
Itinerary advice
How to organise your visit
Explore the old town and Marinières in the morning, then choose one villa, coastal path or Cap-Ferrat beach for the afternoon.
Practical questions
Plan this outing well
How much time should you allow?
Half a day to a full day
What is the best way to get there?
Villefranche has a train station; Cap-Ferrat beaches and villas are more spread out. Check local connections or plan a road transfer.
What order works best once there?
Explore the old town and Marinières in the morning, then choose one villa, coastal path or Cap-Ferrat beach for the afternoon.