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In 2012 the Cap Ferrat peninsula was named as the second most expensive residential location in the world after Monaco!! This walk takes you around it’s beautiful coastal path, with stunning views out into the Mediterranean. You will pass countless sets of stone steps on your way round, tempting you down towards the turquoise waters of the peninsula’s many hidden coves and bays.
Parking available on Chemin de Passable (chargeable) just north of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Route: From the west side of the car park follow Chemin de Passable downhill (W). Go down the steps onto Plage de Passable. Walk past the little restaurants on the beach and follow the track SW through a car park and onto Chemin du Lido. Go down the set of steps on your right taking you down onto the coastal path. From here follow this well-trodden footpath around the peninsula. You will pass the lighthouse on the far southern tip (approx halfway). The path then continues E then N around the peninsula. It will lead you through a residential area and onto Avenue Claude Vignon. Continue straight ahead (N) into the main hub of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Turn first left (W) onto Montée du Cap then first right (NW) onto Traverse de la Ferme de May. At the end of the road continue straight ahead (N) onto M25/Boulevard de la Libération. At the fork on Boulevard de la Libération, turn left onto Avenue Denis Semeria. 200m along look out for a footpath on your left which heads down some steps (SW) towards the botanical gardens but then cuts across to Chemin de Passable. Turn left (W) onto Chemin de Passable. 200m along on your right, use the steps to cut out the corner. Turn right (N) at the bottom of the steps towards Plage de Passable and retrace your steps back to the car park.
WALK REPORT: 6th May 2016
This was a walk suggested by Stephen – my husband’s step dad – whilst we were visiting them in Nice. There were 6 of us in total: 4 adults and my 2 kids. Stephen & I had read the guide book and route description before setting off and it looked as though we could get away with taking the buggy for my youngest who had just turned 3. From what we could tell, the second half of the walk from the lighthouse onwards would be a flat, even surface and the first half more uneven ground but still ok to push the buggy along. It turned out that we were wrong about the first half! There are many sets of stairs and the ground is so uneven in places that it is almost impossible to push a buggy on it, especially when the weight of a pre-schooler is added to the equation…. This resulted in the buggy being folded back up and us taking turns dragging it along, with Thomas going between walking and riding on someone’s shoulders. Once past the lighthouse on the tip on the peninsula however, having the buggy was ideal and definitely helped us pick up the pace.
I found the wild, eastern side of Cap Ferrat (from the lighthouse to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat) to be less interesting than it’s western neighbour: it was mostly flat with much less vegetation, and not as picturesque as what we had experienced on the first half of the walk. Having said that, this is the side from which we got a glimpse of the peninsula’s famous mansions, and because it is more open to the elements there was a very welcome cool wind blowing. I definitely preferred the western side with it’s flora and fauna, tranquil rocky coves and quirky stair cases!
Some photos from the western side:
The eastern side:
Gillian's Walks 