Our time in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France was brief, but the one day we spent in this sunny, coastal town was a highlight of our time in the French Riviera. Deep blue ocean, hiking trails along the cliffs, luxury resorts, full-service beaches, breathtaking views – it is paradise. I didn’t know enough about the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferratt peninsula before visiting. If I had known how beautiful it was or how much there was to do here, I would have planned an extra day. If you are visiting the French Riviera and, like me, are limited in the time you can spend in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, here is my one day itinerary. You may want more time at the beach, or more time exploring. But however you choose to spend your time here, you really can’t go wrong. This is a place to relax and wander, not to stick to a schedule.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France is a beautiful peninsula in the French Rivera. It’s located just across the water from Ville-Franche-Sur-Mer and close to Nice and Monaco. The area is known for its jaw-dropping views, luxury villas and gated estates, and the ritzy Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat. Sounds fancy, and it is, but the area is very accessible and welcoming to those staying elsewhere. It can even be budget friendly. Regardless of how much time you have or your budget, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a top destination for any trip the the French Riviera.
Getting to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
We stayed at the Welcome Hotel in Villefranche-sur-Mer, which is located directly across the harbor from Cap Ferrat. I would recommend the Welcome Hotel and one of the perks was an included shuttle boat to the Plage de Passable.
We scheduled a boat pickup time with the front desk (it is best to do this before your stay). The hotel even provided towels for a small fee to bring to the beach.
The shuttle boat picked us up in the harbor right outside the hotel and we were quickly taken across the water to Plage de Passable. The boat ride itself was a highlight. When we arrived at the beach, we arranged to be picked up by the same boat at 5pm.
If you are not staying at the Welcome Hotel , you can also reach Cap Ferrat by bus or Uber. I did not use the bus system, but Bus 100 and Bus 81 will take you from Nice and Villefranche-sur-mer to Cap Ferrat. Be sure to check this information, as it may have changed.
One Day in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Itinerary
Plage de Passable (10:00am-12:00pm)
After breakfast at the hotel, we took the shuttle boat across Villefranche-sur-mer Harbor to Plage de Passable. If you have the option of taking a boat to the beach, I would recommend this. It was an amazing experience!
When we arrived, we stopped by the office to reserve two beach lounge chairs and open a tab. It was pricey (e$40 per person at the time), but having a comfortable lounge chair, umbrella, and beach-side service made the experience relaxing and memorable.
There is a small free beach right next to the beach club, but it was very crowded when we were there.
By getting there early (just after 10am), we had our pick of lounge chairs. We chose a spot right on the water with spectacular views of Villefranche-sur-mer across the harbor. The staff took our order for drinks and food right from our lounge chairs.
TIP: Bring enough water! You can order water from the beach club, but the combination of sun and jet lag made us spend a lot more on bottled water than we planned. Also, we didn’t know this at the time, but it is polite to give the waiter a small tip for each drink and food item delivered, rather than a larger tip at the end. Whoops! Bring small bills!
Lunch at Restaurant Jean Cap Ferrat (12:00pm-1:00pm)
For lunch, we left our belongings on our lounge chairs and walked a few steps to Plage de Passable Restaurant. We had a view of our lounge chairs from our table and did not feel nervous leaving our things.
The restaurant has amazing views. You can have food delivered to your lounge chairs on the beach, but it was fun to get up and sit at one of their cafe tables.
I would recommend you take a look at what others are ordering before you order. The tables around us ordered beautiful seafood dishes that we wish we had seen before ordering. Our fried seafood was great, but we wish we had chosen one of the pastas or fresh fish dishes we saw going by us.
We felt like we were staying at a luxury beach resort by spending the morning at the Plage de Passable. But note that this is a rocky beach, not a sandy beach. We chose to swim and relax by the water, but I also saw people stand up paddle-boarding and snorkeling.
Walk the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Coastal Pathway (1:00pm-5:00pm)
Update March 2023: The Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Coastal Pathway is currently closed between Passable beach and the lighthouse due to safety work. Check the tourism website for information about the path’s reopening or alternative walk options.
By 1pm we were ready for a break from the sun so we set off toward the dock to reach the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Coastal Pathway. We walked uphill along a paved road until we reached a dirt trail. It took us a while to find the trail and we ended up walking through the neighborhoods on paved roads. We enjoyed seeing the beautiful homes, but the views from the path are much better.
When taken at a slow pace, the path is not too difficult. But it took way longer than we expected! There are steep drop-offs, uneven rocky surfaces, and steep stairs, but overall the pathway is very pleasant for a coastal walk. The views were breathtaking and the path was not crowded when we were there. We did not complete the entire path due to time and stopped walking when we reached the lighthouse and Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat.
Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat
A stop at the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat was not on our itinerary. I just hoped to catch a glimpse of the hotel, but we decided to walk up the garden path for a better view. We were pleasantly surprised to find an outdoor bar, Le Bar. The staff was incredibly friendly and made us feel very comfortable. We decided to stop for a drink before walking back to catch our boat. The drinks were expensive, but it was an unforgettable experience sitting in the garden with a view of the ocean beyond the gates.
TIP: Wear a beach coverup that you are comfortable wearing if you happen upon a situation where nicer clothing is expected, just as we did.
We lingered a little too long with our drinks at Le Bar and had to walk very quickly along the coastal path (not recommended!) back to Plage de Passable to catch the return boat to the hotel. We were about 30 minutes late for our 5:00 pickup time, but they were very nice and waited for us at the beach.
TIP: It takes about 50 minutes to walk at a fast pace between the Plage de Passable and Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat. I would recommend allocating a leisurely hour and thirty minutes for this walk each way. There are many swimming spots along the path that we sadly did not have time to try out. We did not see any restrooms on the path, but there are restrooms at the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat.
Final Thoughts on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
You will need a full day (at least!) to explore Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. We chose to have a leisurely morning at the beach, but there is so much more to see. Plan for more time than is expected to complete the coastal pathway walk, as well as extra time for unexpected stops along the way.
One Day in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Highlights:
- Beach day at Plage de Passable
- Lunch at Plage de Passable Restaurant
- Walk the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Coastal Pathway
- Drinks at Le Bar at the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat
Next Time
I wish we had more time to explore Cap-Ferrat. Next time, I would spend less time at the beach and more time walking around the peninsula. There is so much to see! I would love to visit Villa Ephussi de Rothschild, wander through Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Village, and spend time at Paloma Beach to compare to Plage de Passable. Ideally, I would spend two days here – one day relaxing on the beach and one day exploring.
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