Things to do in Villefranche-sur-Mer and Cap Ferrat

Villefranche-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat sit on the Basse Corniche between Nice and Eze, a coastal stop rather than a hilltop village. Villefranche's deep natural rade brings in cruise ships, and the harbourfront Chapelle Saint-Pierre, decorated by Jean Cocteau, opens for limited hours (check before you go).

The town beach is sand and fine gravel, not the pebbles you get in Nice, a useful distinction if you are choosing between the two. On the Cap, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its themed gardens make a half-day visit on their own, and a coastal path (sentier du littoral) circles the peninsula for those who want to walk rather than drive.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer and the Villa Kerylos, a few minutes further east, extend the same outing.