Cap Ferrat is a unique site by its preserved beauty; a natural and sometimes wild setting for the most beautiful residences of the French Riviera. The best way to discover it is probably to walk through it, following itineraries that reinvent themselves over the seasons.

Let us salute the initiative of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Tourisme, which had the excellent idea of proposing several walking tours to discover the cape. Starting with the Promenade Maurice Rouvier: from Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat to Beaulieu-sur-Mer, this 1.3 kilometer (one way) itinerary takes about 20 minutes and starts in front of the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat’s town hall. The trail starts with a magnificent view of the port, the Cros deï Pin beach and the Pointe Saint-Hospice. After passing Fontettes Point, you will see the islets of Rompa Talon Point. On the right, on the heights of the cliffs, the villages of Eze and La Turbie stand out while below, the municipality of Cap-d’Ail can be seen along the coast. The last cape closing the horizon is Italy! You arrive on the David-Niven square, named after the great British actor who was until his death a passionate fan of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. It is then possible to reach the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild by taking the small traverse on the left. The path continues along the Bay des Fourmis, with the Greek Villa Kérylos on your right. A last bend and you will arrive at the beach of Beaulieu-sur-Mer and its port des Fourmis.

The splendours of the Pointe Saint-Hospice

From the Jardin de la Paix to La Paloma beach, this second itinerary, 1.8 kilometers long, is a little longer. It will take about 40 minutes or even 1 hour to visit the Saint-Hospice Chapel (currently still under construction, it should reopen in the spring of 2021). The walk begins at the Jardin de la Paix, from which you will have to follow the interpretation trail which, thanks to its 6 observation stations, invites you to discover the rich coastal heritage of this classified site.
You will walk along the maritime pines and arrive at the Pointe du Colombier, which offers an extraordinary landscape of limestone rocks cut by salt and sea breeze. A little further on your left, the Edmund Davis traverse leads to the summit of the Pointe Saint-Hospice (100 meters above sea level) to discover the Saint-Hospice chapel, the bronze Virgin Mary dating from 1903, the Belgian military cemetery and the marine cemetery (count 20 minutes round trip).
Nestled at the top of Pointe Saint-Hospice, the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat communal cemetery looks like it is at the ends of the earth. It was created in 1905, thanks to the generosity of Auguste Gal, a wealthy merchant from Nice, who donated the land. Located below the Saint-Hospice chapel, it overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and offers an exceptional panorama. It owes its name to the Belgian victims of the First World War who died at Villa Les Cèdres. This property of the former Belgian king Leopold II was then transformed into a military hospital by his nephew Albert I. Continue your walk until you reach the point from where you will see on your right the Cap-Martin, the Principality of Monaco and even Italy. You finally arrive at the cove of La Scaletta which shelters the beach of La Paloma, then you join the road to Saint-Hospice after having climbed a flight of stairs. Finish the loop by walking to the Jardin de la Paix, where one of the two COEXIST fountains is located. These fountains, located at the foot of the lighthouse and at the beginning of the Saint Hospice walkway respectively, were inaugurated in September 2007 in the presence of the COEXIST Foundation Director, James Kidner, of Cherie Blair, wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and singer Bono. The COEXIST Foundation, with its logo consisting of the Muslim crescent, the Star of David and the Christian cross, works to promote exchanges between different religions.

The great tour of Cap Ferrat

Change of rhythm with this 1h30 hike not recommended for people subject to vertigo! With a length of 4.8 kilometers, it starts from the Chemin de la Carrière and will lead to the beach of Passable via the lighthouse. The Chemin de la Carrière is so named because of an old quarry from which were extracted the stones that were used for the construction of the port of Monaco. You will walk along the coast, passing below the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat and its mythical seawater pool, before reaching the lighthouse and the Malalongue Point. At the foot of the lighthouse, discover a breathtaking view of the Cap de Nice and the Esterel on a clear day. Classified as a Historic Monument since 2012, the lighthouse was built in 1732. It was intended to replace the old fire tower of the 16th century. Destroyed in 1944, it was rebuilt in its present form after the war. It offers a unique panorama stretching from the Esterel to the Italian coast. The lighthouse is now closed to the public. The semaphore was built in 1862 by decision of Napoleon III. Belonging to the French Navy, its current missions include the regulation of maritime traffic and the surveillance of fire outbreaks on the coast. It culminates at an altitude of 143 meters. Here you are on the western side of the peninsula, whose creeks follow one another until the last stairs of the path. Turn left and follow the road that leads to the residence of the Lido then cross the parking lot to reach the beach of Passable!

Thanks to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat-Tourism