SAINT JEAN CAP FERRAT - HOT 2012 DESTINATION ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA

Saint Jean Cap Ferrat is often chosen by celebrities as their holiday destination! It is a quiet village, and people like Jack Nicholson or Elton John choose to stay away from the hustle and bustle of Nice or Monaco.
Angelina Jolie and Brat Pitt chose Cap Ferrat to have a long vacation some time ago in Paul Allen's Villa Maryland (see picture), a huge property in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, while Elton John's villa is just a few kilometers away.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is a beautiful French Riviera Palazzo which you can visit for a price, together with its nine wonderful gardens adorned with patios, fountains, ponds, flowered and shaded paths.

Baroness Charlotte Beatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild (1864-1934) used to live in this villa. She was an art lover and sought out artworks all over the world, transforming the Villa at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat into a collector's paradise. In her will, she donated the villa to the Academie des Beaux Arts for use as a museum. The villa is today open to the public.

The villa overlooks the bay of Villefranche sur Mer and it is also a place for wedding and receptions organization.

-L'Oursin (3 stars)

- La Voile d'Or (4 stars)

-Grand Hotel Du Cap Ferrat (5 stars)

-Royal Riviera (5 stars)

The centre of St Jean is tiny. There are a few restaurants and small boutiques by the port. Recommended restaurants are La Civette and Le Skipper.

During summer there are plenty of events, concerts and festivals in the plaza and street vendors have their market stalls filled with fruits, jewelry and antiques.

Saint Jean Cap Ferrat is well known for celebrity spotting, it is a very exclusive place; the kind of place where you see many wonderful sport cars, yachts and luxury goods... and if you are thinking about buying a property there I hope you got the dough as it is quite expensive and house prices are skyrocketing!

However, the peaceful settings, small and traditional boutiques and cafes, breathtaking views and mouthwatering cuisine make it worth a stay.

Saint Jean Cap Ferrat has two faces: in wintertime it gets a bit lonely and cold, but as the spring comes, the town is reborn and in summer it is so lively, very different from that ghostly winter village with only 2000 inhabitants.