How to Hike the Sentier du Littoral of Cap Ferrat, France

Located close to the bustling yet laidback city of Nice and not far from Monaco, the Sentier du Littoral is a pathway that hugs the perimeter of the large Cap Ferrat peninsula. You’ll walk by rocky coves and small inlets, past hidden beaches, tall lighthouses, and grand villas, all while enjoying gorgeous sea views.

I’ve visited France 10 times, and the French Riviera three times, and hiking the coastal pathway, or Sentier du Littoral, of Cap Ferrat was one of the most delightful surprises I’ve experienced in the country.

If you are short on time or don’t want to do a long walk, you can easily just do a section of the trail. If you’re up for a longer adventure, the entire peninsula is a beautiful (yet still easy) hike

It’s basically the definition of a hidden gem, and if you love a scenic walking trail, this is definitely a spot you’ll want to visit!

Where is Cap Ferrat

Cap Ferrat is a long, skinny peninsula on the French Riviera, about 15 minutes from Nice. The closest towns are Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Villefranche-sur-Mer.

A Few French Language Notes:
1. For the name Cap Ferrat, Cap is pronounced like the English word, and Ferrat is pronounced like “fur-ah”
2. In French, “plage” means beach.
3. “Sentier du Littoral” means coastal pathway

Where Does the Trail Start and End + Overall Trail Map

The trail follows almost the entire perimeter of the peninsula, including the small peninsula off the peninsula on the eastern edge of the cape. You can see the dotted line work its way around the peninsula on the map, above.

On the eastern side of the peninsula, the trail starts at the Baie des Fourmis. On the western side of the peninsula, the trail starts at Plage des Passable.

This is the official map (the picture above) that I picked up from the tourism office, and while I did end up using Google Maps while I was walking to track my progress, it was nice to have this paper map as well.

You can grab a map from the Tourism Offices in many nearby cities – I grabbed mine from the one in Nice (right outside the train station), but certainly Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Villefranche-sur-Mer would also have them as well (or feel free to just save the picture of the map from this post).

Cap Ferrat From the Sea

A deep blue water cover with gray rocks covering the entire area with big chunks of rocks barely surfacing over the water by the white speedboat.

While walking by the sea on this trail is gorgeous, there’s nothing quite like being on the sea. Before or after you walk the Sentier du Littoral, you can also take a small, private boat cruise from Beaulieu-sur-Mer, and experience the rocky coves, inlets, and villas from the water.

This experience is a one-hour private cruise on a solar-powered boat, taking you along the French coast. Want a longer cruise and time to take a dip in the sea? There’s also a fantastic 2 hour option for a private cruise.

A Breakdown of What You’ll See and Experience on the Trail

While you can do the hike in either direction, I’d recommend hiking clockwise on the trail. You’ll start in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, which has a train station, so if you’re staying in Nice, Cannes, Monaco, or anywhere else right along the coast, it’s very easy to get here via train.

It’s about a 15 minute walk from the train station to the start of the trail, but before you start walking, I’d recommend you stop and visit Villa Kerylos, which is just a couple minutes from the trailhead.

Villa Kerylos

Villa Kerylos was built in the early 1900’s by a wealthy German archaeologist who was fascinated by Greek culture and architecture. The villa is based on the style of houses on the Greek island of Delos and the estate feels like you’re transported back to ancient Greece.

A white and red house built on the end of the land in the middle of the bright blue water with a large grassy mountain in the background.

The architecture, style, mosaics, and even artwork, sculptures, and furniture, and fabrics are all reminiscent of a quintessential Greek villa. The grounds aren’t large, but they are right up along the sea.

You can walk through a small “museum” of Greek sculptures and replicas of famous Greek sculptures in the basement, before entering the main house and admiring all the beautiful rooms.

A marble house with black and white granite marble pillars leading into a small tile room with three large chandeliers.

A large white roman statue at the end of the tile hallway with the sun coming in between the pillars

Hours: 10am-6pm from May-August, 10am-5pm all other months. The villa is open every day of the week
Entrance Fee: 11,50 €

First Section of the Trail – Promenade Maurice Rouvier

From Villa Kerylos, walk along the Plage des Fourmis beach – at the far side of the beach, you can find the first part of the Sentier du Littoral trail. This section is formally known as Promenade Maurice Rouvier.

The large coastline with clear blue water leading across the whole peninsula with people laying under white umbrellas and swimming in the water. — Looking at the beach from the start of the coastal pathway on Cap Ferrat. Villa Kerylos would be on the far right, upper side of the picture.

This part of the trail is really pleasant and easy – the entire path is paved and mostly flat. You’re right along the coast, and the further you walk, the more rocky and craggling the coastline becomes.

A cement walkway leading down across the buildings to the blue sea with a large palm tree coming up from the golden sand below.

You’ll get great views back towards Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Villa Kerylos, as well as some beautiful villas right along the coast in Cap Ferrat. This super cute pink villa stands out along the coast for quite a while during the walk, and you’ll eventually pass right next to it on the path.

A large pink house at the edge of the water washing up onto the rocks with lots of greenery at the edge of the coasst

Distance: About 1.5 km (0.9 miles)
Estimated Time: 20 minutes

Plage Cros dei Pin

The Promenade Maurice Rouvier, the first section of the coastal path, ends at another beach, the Plage Cros dei Pin in the village of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. The view of the beach and the port and village behind is fantastic!

Right about where this picture was taken, the path divides. You can go down some stairs, which will take you directly to the beach, or continue forward, which will take you above the beach and more directly into town. Of course, there are other access points between the beach and town closer in, as well.

The view from the path looking out at the beach and harbor with the large sailing ships and the city in the background.

The sandy beach with lots of palm trees coming up from the sand and looking over the blue coast.

This is a beautiful beach in southern France, and the best beach on Cap Ferrat if you want to be close to a variety of amenities.

For example, the beach has a little playground for children, a variety of water rentals (kayaks, etc), showers and lockers, a little snack shack, and even a parking lot. Plus, you are just steps from the town, where you can find more shops and restaurants to enjoy after your beach time.

The beach itself is made up of coarse sand and fine gravel, which you can walk across in bare feet without much difficulty (many beaches in southern France are much rockier, so this is actually pretty good for the Riviera). The water is pretty nice and the views out back to the coastline are lovely.

Village of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (yup, it’s a mouthful!) is the tiny little village on Cap Ferrat. The main attraction in town is the beach, but there are a few other charming things to do in town before you continue on your way:

The harbor with small speedboats and large sailing boats floating on the blue water with a cement walkway going past the harbor that extends down the city.

Wander through the charming port
Grab a gelato at one of the restaurants lining the port
Stop by the Eglise Saint Jean Baptiste church (and notice the historic cannons right outside the church!)
Visit the Musée des Coquillages (The Seashell Museum)
Admire the statue of Winston Churchill painting on an easel. Churchill loved painting and apparently he loved visiting the village of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat!

An orange cathedral with a large spire at the top and a white arched door frame leading into the church with two blue flower stands on either side

A chocolate gelato in a glass cup and a stroopwaffle at the top.

A rusting brown statue at the edge of a walkway looking out at the harbor and mountains in the background and the French flag next to the walkway.

Getting to the Second Section of the Coastal Path

There is only one road that goes through the village of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, which is Avenue Denis Semeria, which turns into Avenue Jean Mermoz. If you’re walking along the port, you’ll just keep walking up the street, there’s really not anywhere else to go.

Small tables with tan umbrellas attached with peoples sitting at the tables eating food and looking out at the blue water.

You’ll walk on the actual street for a few minutes, until you reach the small Jardin de la Paix gardens. This little area has a cafe and tables to relax at, the Co-Exist Fountain, and views down over Plage des Fossettes. This is also where you’ll pick up the 2nd section of the Sentier du Littoral of Cap Ferrat!

A stone drinking fountain with a cross and a Magen David on the top of the stone plaque.

Access down to Plage des Fossettes is right off the Jardin de la Paix and is a much less crowded beach on Cap Ferrat. The beach is in the deep alcove of Cove Fossettes, and the beach is gravelly with some bigger rocks.

There are showers here and great sea views, and because the beach is at the bottom of the cliffside, it feels really isolated.

A beach at the edge of a cliff side with some people sitting on the brown sand and some people wading into the blue water — Plages des Fossettes

Hiking the Second Section of the Sentier du Littoral of Cap Ferrat

This section of the trail is around the perimeter of a little peninsula (a peninsula on the peninsula which is Cap Ferrat). You can hike in either a clockwise or counterclockwise loop, and you’ll end up back at the Jardin de la Paix when you are finished.

Since I hiked in a counter-clockwise section, that’s how I’m going to detail the trail here.

A stone path leading throughout the mountain while looking out at the trees and ocean

The first part of the hike down is under the shade of some trees. There are a few sections where you can walk down to the rocky shoreline and look back at the inlet (named Fossettes Cove.)

A woman in a gray tank top stands at the edge of the dirt path looking out at the water and boats on the water. There are some buildings built along the coast.

A rock coast with the blue water washing up onto the rocks.

A woman stands at the edge of a dirt and rock path in front of the blue water.

The view looking out at the Mediterranean with two large boats in the middle of the bright blue water.

As you turn the corner to the backside of the peninsula, the trail becomes much more isolated. Craggly rocks line the pathway, and you are looking straight out to the Mediterranean. It’s incredibly rugged and scenic.

A white rock path leading by the Mediterannian sea and a rock wall on the other side of the people

Sites on the Second Part of Cap Ferrat’s Coastal Pathway

As you’re walking along the back edge of the peninsula, there will be a few intersecting streets where you can cut inland and visit a few points of interest. The route and sites are all well-marked, with signposts naming the different attractions and directions to them.

The main sites center around the Chapelle Saint-Hospice and the nearby Martin Cemetery and Belgian Military Cemetery.

A small garden with rock walls and assorted plants — The Cemetery

A large metal statue of a woman holding baby Jesus and they both are wearing gold crowns. This is next to the white building with red roof. — The chapel has an enormous statue of Madonna and baby Jesus next to it

A painted statue in a chapel of Saint Hospice Abbe kneeling with a soldier holding a sword about to kill the Saint. — Inside the really pretty chapel (you can see the paintings and marble in the background here – it really is quite lovely) is this rather intense statue of Saint Hospice Abbe about to be murdered by a soldier.

The surroundings are just gorgeous and the final section of the sentier du littoral leading up to Paloma Beach is truly the most adorable and charming section of the entire trail on Cap Ferrat.

A woman sits on a cement path with her feet sitting in the clear water .

A rock path leading to the edge of a cove with the water washing up onto the rocks

A woman sits on a small rock hedge on the edge of the water with the city and harbor in the background.

A woman walks along a rock cement path that goes right next to the sea.

The clear water going by the rural city and trees covering the small mountain

Plage de la Paloma

Paloma Beach is at the very end of this second section of the coastal pathway, and is undoubtedly the most picturesque beach on Cap Ferrat. The beach is nestled in a little cove, and is just so dang charming!

The view from the path looking out at the beach and the people sittings on beach chairs, going to nearby restaurants, or wading in the blue/green water. — I mean, come on – so cute!

The beach isn’t huge, but it does have a small beach club with loungers and umbrellas you can rent, plenty of free, public beach space, showers, and bathrooms. The beach is rocky, so make sure you have good water footwear if you want to go in.

The coast of the water with lots of people sitting on the sand going along the whole peninsula with different cities

The coastal pathway takes you right to the beach, and there’s also a staircase leading down here from the one road that goes through this part of the peninsula.

If you don’t want to do the entire sentier du littoral of this second section, you can also just walk in a clockwise direction from Jardin de la Paix and quickly arrive at Plage de la Paloma.

Distance For the Second Leg: 2 km (1.25 miles)
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Note that these time/distance estimates do not take into account any stops to go down on the rocks, visit the cemetery or chapel, or spend time on Paloma Beach. I ended up spending well over an hour on this section because I was having a great time enjoying the scenery and exploring.

Getting from the Second to Third Section of the Trail

When you finish up the second section of the Sentier du Littoral, you’ll be back in Jardin de la Paix. From here, you’ll have about a 10-minute walk through the streets, passing by Plage des Fossettes and Plage de la Fosse, before picking up the third and final section of the Cap Ferrat sentier du littoral.

The street walk is quite enjoyable because you’re walking by so many fancy and beautiful homes. What can I say, I like to gawk at pretty houses!

A white house with balconies and palm trees next to it.

A tan house with sculpting along the side.

The view looking over a semi abandoned beach with some people in the water or on the sand. — Plage de la Fosse

Third Section of the Trail

The final section of the Cap Ferrat coastal path starts on the far side of Plage de la Fosse. The path follows (almost) the entire rest of the perimeter of the peninsula, and is by far the most remote and isolated section of the trail.

A rock cement path going across the mountain and the ocean .

In the 1 hour+ that I walked this trail, I only passed a handful of people the entire time (but felt perfectly safe as a solo female hiker).

the path that leads throughout the peninsula with lots of jagged rocks on either side of the path with the ocean in the background

The southern tip of the peninsula is lined with craggy, almost pointy white rocks, and the horizon is filled with only the sea. The path is flat, smooth, and very easy, and as you round the very southern tip of the peninsula, a lighthouse comes into view. It’s just the most serene and peaceful walk.

A small cove with jagged rocks with trees on top with the blue water crashing onto the rocks.

Stairs leading down to the clear blue water washing up on the tan rocks with some fallen rocks at the edge stacking on top of the rock formation

Once you round the bottom of the peninsula and start heading north again, the terrain changes. The path actually becomes a dirt trail, with rocks and roots in the trail. You will also start passing inlets and coves along the coastline.

A cove at the edge of the blue-green water with sharp rocks making a small mountain

A sandy trail leading down to a small abandoned dock at the edge of the aqua clear water.

There are multiple spots along this section where you can walk down some stone steps and access the water, or there are flat rocks where you can lie out and enjoy the sun.

This is seriously one of the most idyllic sections of the coastline in the French Riviera.

Distance: Just under 5 km
Time Estimate: 1 hour

The End of the Trail

A sandy path leading around the blue water beach with palm trees and large hedges in the background.

The trail ends at Plage Passable, a smallish beach with a beach club, cafe, and some public beach space. From the beach, there is a staircase that takes you back up to the road.

You can try to call an Uber from here, but you may have some difficulty getting a driver to accept you. Alternatively, you can walk up the road for a few minutes until you reach the #15 bus stop, which will take you back to Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Villefranche, or further on to Nice.

Finally, you can also just continue your hike and walk on the road back to Beaulieu-sur-Mer or Villefranche.

Total Distance

If you include all the connections between sections, the total hiking distance of the Cap Ferrat Sentier du Littoral is 10km (about 6.2 miles) and will take you at least 2 hours and 15 minutes of hiking.

Of course, that’s if you hike the peninsula straight through, without making any stops. I visited Villa Kerylos at noon, and was starting the trail by 12:45pm. I spent just over 5 hours on Cap Ferrat in total, ending at Plage Passable just a little after 6pm.

I spent plenty of time enjoying the views and exploring different spots, but I never actually laid out a towel and went swimming.

I’d recommend you plan for at least 3-4 hours minimum to really enjoy the views and the different sites. Conversely, you could easily make a whole day out of it and spend some time relaxing on one of Cap Ferrat’s lovely beaches.

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

A gorgeous pink villa with pillars and arched entrances with large gardens leading up to the villa with the mountain in the background.

One final stop on Cap Ferrat that you can make is Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild! This beautiful villa is located just a few minutes from Plage Passable (in fact, it is right by the bus station I mentioned just above), and is a gorgeous pink villa surrounded by beautiful gardens.

You can tour through the rooms of the house, and eat in the charming café found inside – which is highly recommended for the ambiance.

There are 9 garden areas throughout the grounds – my favorite was the Provencal garden, with its fountains, hedges, and villa views, but they are all lovely.

Bonus: Villefranche-sur-Mer

A smiling woman in a white dress walks down an alleyway with pink, orange,and yellow houses and plants covering the street

Whether you visit right after hiking through Cap Ferrat or visit another day, you can’t miss the adorable village of Villefranche-sur-Mer, which is on the west side of the bay from Cap Ferrat.

Villefranche is filled with pastel-colored streets, a charming seaside promenade, an old port, a citadel, and a chapel covered in artwork.

For such a small village, there are a lot of things to see and do in Villefranche, and the laidback coastal vibes can’t be beat!

A Few Other Tips

Topless Women: Be aware that it is socially acceptable for women to go topless on beaches in France. While most people wear both pieces of their swimsuit, there’s usually a couple women on every beach who are topless.

Travel Towel: If you don’t have access to beach towels when traveling, consider grabbing a travel towel – they’re made of microfiber and are very compact, yet very absorbent and dry easily.

Pack Sunscreen: The French Riviera has very sunny conditions, and most of the hike has very little shade. Don’t forget to pack sunscreen and/or a hat.

Weather: While it probably goes without saying, don’t do this hike during stormy conditions (especially section 3 of the trail). There are signs out warning of dangerous waves and sea conditions during storms.

Maps: I’d recommend making sure you have offline maps downloaded before you start on the sentier du littoral so you can always access maps and see where you are, even if you get out of cell service areas.

Hiking on Cap Ferrat – The Wrap Up

The day I spent hiking Cap Ferrat’s coastal pathway is truly one of my fondest memories of my most recent French Riviera trip. The sun was shining, the views were amazing, and I loved exploring this hidden gem on the Cote d’Azur.