Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens on Cap Ferrat, the bays on either side
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Luxury in France

Cap Ferrat

The most exclusive peninsula on the Riviera: villas among the pines, the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, the gardens of the Rothschilds, and Villefranche and Èze at its door.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratPhotograph: Hugo Richard

Bienvenue

The peninsula of the villas

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a wooded peninsula between Nice and Monaco, and for more than a century it has held some of the most valuable houses in the world. King Leopold II of Belgium bought land here, and Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild built her pink villa and its gardens on the narrow neck of the cape in the early twentieth century.

Next door, the bay of Villefranche is one of the deepest natural harbours on the coast, and the village of Èze stands on its rock high above the sea. Further along, Beaulieu and Menton keep their Belle Époque villas and lemon gardens.

The cape itself is best walked: a coastal path circles it past hidden coves and the walls of villas whose owners are rarely named. Its harbour at Saint-Jean is still a fishing port, and the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, at the cape’s tip, has its own pool cut into the rocks above the sea.

A few words of French
EnglishFrenchSay it
HelloBonjourbohn-ZHOOR
PleaseS'il vous plaîtseel voo PLAY
Thank youMercimair-SEE
Good eveningBonsoirbohn-SWAHR
The bill, pleaseL'addition, s'il vous plaîtlah-dee-SYOHN, seel voo PLAY

Stay

Luxury hotels in Cap Ferrat

The finest hotels in and around Cap Ferrat: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel

This Belle Époque palace stands in six hectares of gardens at the tip of Cap Ferrat, the Riviera's most exclusive peninsula, and has welcomed guests for more than a century.

Visit website ↗
Èze

Château de la Chèvre d'Or

Since 1953 the Chèvre d'Or has occupied a cluster of stone houses at the top of Èze, a medieval village on a limestone peak between Nice and Monaco, with the Mediterranean far below.

Visit website ↗

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

  • La Réserve de BeaulieuBeaulieu-sur-Mer

    A Belle Époque hotel on the water between Nice and Monaco, with two MICHELIN Keys.

  • Château EzaÈze

    A cluster of medieval houses on the edge of the perched village of Èze, with two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website ↗

  • The Maybourne RivieraRoquebrune-Cap-Martin

    A modernist clifftop hotel looking across to Monaco, raised to Forbes Five-Star in 2026 and holding two MICHELIN Keys. Visit website ↗

Dine

The best restaurants in Cap Ferrat

The finest tables of Cap Ferrat and around.

Three MICHELIN stars

Two MICHELIN stars

Sail

Yachting in Cap Ferrat

Yachting at our standard in and around Cap Ferrat.

Refit and maintenance

  • Monaco MarineFrench Riviera and Provence

    A network of nine yards from Marseille and La Ciotat to Antibes, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Monaco, servicing superyachts up to about 160 metres and 6,000 tonnes, with 30 years in refit and maintenance. Visit website ↗

Cruises

Cap Ferrat by sea

How the ships arrive in Cap Ferrat, and the luxury lines that call.

Ships anchor in the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer, across the water from Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and bring guests ashore by tender.

The luxury lines that call here

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise LinesSuites at Sea

Travel

First-class travel in Cap Ferrat

The chauffeurs at our standard.

Chauffeurs and self-drive

  • Luxury RivieraVillefranche-sur-Mer

    Self-drive luxury cars and a chauffeur service from an office at 19 avenue du Général de Gaulle in Villefranche-sur-Mer, with a second office for the French Alps. Visit website ↗

Experience

Events and things to do in Cap Ferrat

The finest things to do in and around Cap Ferrat.

Weddings and celebrations

  • Villa Ephrussi de RothschildSaint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

    Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild's Belle Époque palace stands between Nice and Monaco with nine themed gardens over the sea. It takes private receptions and weddings. Visit website ↗

Live

Luxury real estate in Cap Ferrat

A home in Cap Ferrat: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Michaël Zingraf Real EstateCannes

    Founded in Cannes in 1977 and the exclusive Christie's International Real Estate affiliate for Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur since 2012, with agencies in Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Cap d'Antibes, Mougins and Nice. Visit website ↗

  • Côte d'Azur Sotheby's International RealtyCannes

    The Sotheby's affiliate for the Riviera from Saint-Tropez to the Italian border, with six offices including Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Visit website ↗

All the leading agencies in France ›

Looking for a home in Cap Ferrat? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Architects and designers

  • Wilmotte & AssociésParis, France

    Jean-Michel Wilmotte's firm designed The Maybourne Riviera at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and restored the Hôtel Lutetia in Paris, and takes on private residences as well as hotels. Visit website ↗

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Cap Ferrat and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Cap Ferrat

Where is Cap Ferrat?

On the Côte d’Azur between Nice and Monaco. Nice airport, which takes private jets, is about 25 minutes by road; Monaco is about 20 minutes east.

What is Cap Ferrat famous for?

Its villas, among the most expensive in the world, the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, and its neighbours Villefranche, Beaulieu and Èze.

Which are the best restaurants in Cap Ferrat?

The three-MICHELIN-star table on our list for Cap Ferrat: Mirazur (Menton).

Do you tip in Cap Ferrat?

Service is included in menu prices by law (service compris), so a tip is a gesture: about 5% (€1 per €20), and 5–10% for exceptional service at high-end restaurants. Round up taxis. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.

What should you wear in Cap Ferrat?

Dress respectfully in churches. On the Riviera, several towns, including Nice, Cannes, Menton, Saint-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Raphaël, ban swimwear and bare chests in town, with fines. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart, polished dress for fine dining.

Beyond Cap Ferrat

More in France

Saint-Tropez, Cannes and Corsica, and the Mediterranean beyond.

FranceLuxury French Riviera Holidays & HotelsExplore FranceThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Cap Ferrat, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Cap Ferrat

How France does things.

Language
French. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels and leading restaurants on the Riviera and in Paris.
Greetings
A handshake on first meeting. Among friends, la bise (cheek kisses); the number varies by region, two being most common. Always say bonjour (or bonsoir in the evening) on entering a shop or speaking to staff; use monsieur / madame.
Dress
Dress respectfully in churches. On the Riviera, several towns, including Nice, Cannes, Menton, Saint-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Raphaël, ban swimwear and bare chests in town, with fines. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart, polished dress for fine dining.
Dining
Lunch typically 12–2 pm; dinner from about 7.30–8 pm. Book ahead at good restaurants. The bill comes when you ask.
Tipping
Service is included in menu prices by law (service compris), so a tip is a gesture: about 5% (€1 per €20), and 5–10% for exceptional service at high-end restaurants. Round up taxis. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.
Good to know
Many shops close on Sundays, and in smaller towns for a long lunch. Restaurants often stop serving lunch around 2 pm.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

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Where to be, every season

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