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The Côte d’Azur’s most tranquil and luxurious resort

Cap Ferrat villa rental is becoming increasingly popular each year, and here’s why.

Because of its majority of luxurious private villas that are closed to the general public, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is known as the most peaceful and luxurious resort on the French Riviera. It’s on the picturesque Cap Ferrat peninsula, near Nice, where the bays are white sand, the cliffs drop steeply to the sea, and the shores are hidden by pine thickets.

The best way to get to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

You can get to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat by car along the scenic highway that runs along the sea towards Monaco, or by bus (No. 81, 35-minute ride, 6 times a day, 2 EUR one way, 3.40 EUR there-back) from Nice’s Gare Routiere, which is located between the Old Town and the Museum of Modern Art. More information is available on the website.

Amusements and attractions Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

The Grand Hotel

The Palace of the Grand Hotel, a beautiful example of Belle Epoque architecture, is located on the highest point of Cap Ferrat in a picturesque park with many enfilades. From here, take the funicular down to the hotel’s beach oasis, Le Club Dauphin, which features an open summer restaurant and a massive heated pool that appears to float above the sea. Mel Brooks, Jerry Lewis, Roger Moore, Jack Nicholson, Eddie Barclay, Paul McCartney, Boy George, Elton John, Tina Turner, the Emir of Bahrain, King Baudwin, Duke of Connaught, Picasso, Jean Cocteau, and many others have appeared.

Beatrice Ephrussi-Rothschild Villa

The Baroness’s villa Beatrice Ephrussi, from the birth of Rothschild, is a museum of Belle Epoque manners and tastes in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. The elegant pink palace, surrounded by a suite of seven themed gardens, is a kind of architectural ladies’ whim that combines the canons of the Italian palazzo and European art deco.

All of the rooms on the first floor are strung along the walkway like pearls on a necklace and lead to the internal patio with pink marble columns, which is covered by a glass dome. These private boudoir rooms now house the Baroness’s extensive private collection, which includes Italian art from the High Renaissance, French furniture from the 16th and 17th centuries, and valuable exhibits from the French Academy of Fine Arts.

Personal items from the French royal Bourbon dynasty can be seen in the “Louis XVI Hall.” The walls are covered in 18th-century paintings, including one by Tiepolo, and the floor is covered in a luxurious carpet from the Royal Chapel of the Palace of Versailles.

The main decoration of the “Louis XV Hall” is a unique carved table that belonged to the regent Philippe d’Orleans; the walls are decorated with tapestries and paintings from the 17th century French school, including “Columbine” by F. Boucher.

Everything in “Beatrice’s Apartments” has been preserved exactly as it was under the hostess. This light-filled room is decorated in the style of Marie Antoinette, whose belongings can be found in a tiny dressing room next door. A luxurious collection of Sevres porcelain is on display in the Hall of Porcelain.

The gardens surrounding the villa are particularly noteworthy: French, Provencal, Spanish, Florentine, Japanese, an exotic plant garden, and a rose garden. They are open all year, and there is always room for unexpected seasonal manifestations.

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