If you head a short distance out of Nice, France, to the northeast, you'll come to St. Jean Cap Ferrat, a seaside village in a beautiful location—on a peninsula jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea just between the cities of Nice and Monte Carlo. It boasts old-style Riviera glamour and has long attracted the rich and famous, but remains remarkably unspoiled.
There are three main beaches—Paloma, just southeast of the port and most protected from winds; Passable beach on the northwest side of the peninsula past the zoological park; and the largest beach, Cro de Pei Pen, just north of the port.
St. Jean Cap Ferrat's highlight is Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, a must-see for its lovely gardens overlooking the sea and its namesake belle-epoque mansion. The mansion is bursting with ornate furniture and artwork, but the gardens are the real draw. There are nine in all, boasting musical fountains, temples, symmetrical beds of colorful flowers and dramatic views of the sea.
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