Visiting Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on foot: from Villa Ephrussi to the coastal path

Where to start

The route begins in front of Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, at the north of the peninsula. This pink palace and its nine gardens were built between 1905 and 1912 for Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild, who dismissed eighteen architects before choosing hers. The Rothschild, Passable and Pont Saint-Jean bus stops serve this starting point; the Murmure audio tour begins there.

The route does not return to the start: it crosses the peninsula without retracing its steps and ends towards the southern tip, near the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat. Arrange your way back before you leave.

What you will see on the way

Promenade Maurice-Rouvier, fully paved and step-free, follows the bay of Beaulieu to the village. Somerset Maugham lived there for thirty-seven years at the Villa Mauresque; David Niven walked to the harbour for his bread. That harbour of Saint-Jean, with its pointu boats, is the original heart of the commune, a fishing hamlet until the mid-nineteenth century.

After the Jardin de la Paix, the coastal path rounds the Saint-Hospice point: three metres of shoreline open to everyone by law, in front of villas that no one can close off. A short uphill detour leads to the Saint-Hospice chapel, where the hermit Hospitius lived in the sixth century, and to the eleven-and-a-half-metre bronze Virgin erected in 1904.

To the south, the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, opened in 1908, recalls the time when the Riviera was a winter destination. The route ends in front of Villa Santo Sospir, whose walls Jean Cocteau covered with frescoes from 1950 onwards, at the invitation of Francine Weisweiller.

How much time to allow

This is the longest Riviera route on Murmure: 6.9 km for seven stops. Allow two and a half to three hours of actual walking, not counting indoor visits. Promenade Maurice-Rouvier is 1.3 km, about twenty minutes; the Saint-Hospice loop 1.8 km, about forty minutes.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild (18 € per adult in 2026, gardens and audio guide included) opens daily from 10 am to 6 pm from February to early November, until 7 pm in July and August, with last entry half an hour before closing; in midwinter, check its opening days. Allow at least an hour for the villa and its gardens. The Saint-Hospice chapel is open from 8.30 am to 7 pm; the bronze Virgin can be seen freely.

Villa Santo Sospir is visited by reservation on certain days only, as a guided tour; the Grand-Hôtel is a private establishment reserved for its guests. The route describes both from outside.

Practical tips

Walking shoes, plenty of water and sun protection: the coastal path is exposed, with little shade beyond the pines. In heavy swell or strong wind the path is closed: check with the tourist office before you set off.

In 2026, the section of the path between the lighthouse and Passable beach, on the west side of the cape, is closed for safety works. It is not part of this route, which goes round the Saint-Hospice point to the east, but avoid extending the loop on that side.

To listen on site, bring headphones, a battery charged for three hours and an internet connection. Promenade Maurice-Rouvier suits pushchairs and wheelchairs; the coastal path and the Saint-Hospice detour do not.

Getting there and parking

From Nice, Lignes d’Azur bus 15 runs to the harbour of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, serving the Rothschild, Passable and Pont Saint-Jean stops; it is also the bus that brings you back from the village. The nearest station is Beaulieu-sur-Mer, two or three kilometres away and linked to the harbour by the same bus in about ten minutes; Promenade Maurice-Rouvier also lets you walk to the start from Beaulieu.

By car, the harbour and Passable car parks are paying from May to September and free the rest of the year. Since the route does not return to the start, the bus is the better choice.

The seven stops of the route

1. Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild
2. Promenade Maurice-Rouvier
3. The harbour of Saint-Jean
4. The coastal path, Saint-Hospice point
5. The Saint-Hospice chapel and its bronze Virgin
6. The Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat
7. Villa Santo Sospir

Plan your visit

Information checked in September 2026 with the tourist office, the town hall and the villa: Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, prices and hours · walks and paths in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat · partial closure of the path in 2026 · transport and car parks. Opening hours and prices may change: check them before you leave. The Murmure audio route is an independent offer.

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