IMAGE: Villefranche-sur-Mer – view from Mediterranean including visiting cruise ship
Read all of JOY DODDS’ previous Mediterranean Musings – from Italy to Spain and France, and including gastronomic delights …
From Nice, the panoramic coastline of the Cote d’Azur towards Italy can be explored via three routes, the lower coastal road being the Basse Corniche.
The Basse Corniche, or Corniche Inferieure, follows the Mediterranean coast and the rail line, passing through the picturesque towns and villages of Villefranche-sur-Mer; St-Jean-Cap Ferrat; Beaulieu-sur-Mer; Eze-sur-Mer, Cap d’Ail and Roquebrune-Cap Martin. These pretty towns and villages are far more than just deep harbours mooring sumptuous yachts and the villa estates of the mega-wealthy. Everyone can feel at home here!
Villefranche-sur-mer
In the case of Villefranche, located 20kms east of Nice, its history goes back to the 14th century, with a citadel, Fort St-Elme, now an interesting museum, and Port Royal de la Darse on the harbour, among other old buildings.
Located just to the west of Cap Ferrat, this is one of the most atmospheric towns along the coast, its squares and narrow winding lanes a joy to explore. The tiny chapel, Saint Pierre Des Pêcheurs, by the harbour is decorated with joyful frescoes by Jean Cocteau. The picturesque harbour is visible from most of its houses, perched on the steep hillsides and overlooking the coast. For Eurail passengers, Villefranche-sur-Mer is effortlessly reached by train, its station located directly behind the beach.
Villefranche
In some respects, the fishing port of Villefranche-sur-Mer is more like an Italian hillside village than a French Riviera resort – and it attracts visitors in spades. Charming, yes, with its brown-roofed houses and narrow stepped alleyways, yet also an elegant resort with a fine beach and smart cafes and restaurants. Apart from its port and ancient citadel, there are small but fascinating elements including the baroque church of St Michel which contains a statue of St Roch and his dog.
Church and village – Villefranche-sur-mer
The tiny fishing village of St-Jean, the only town on Cap Ferrat peninsula, has long been a magnet for artists. Always attracting the glitterati, it is not surprising that Baroness Rothschild built a magnificent villa on the narrowest part of the peninsula. The Fondation Ephrussi de Rothschild houses works by Monet and Renoir. It is possible still to walk around the cape foreshore via paths, ending at Port de Plaisance for a well-earned coffee and croissant.
One of the Côte d’Azur’s most famous and elegant hotels, La Voile d’Or, is located near the tiny port of St-Jean. The holiday choice of the famous – from Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin to Catherine Deneuve – this luxury chic establishment caters for guests with panache, with an acclaimed restaurant and brilliant swimming pool which outlooks across the bay towards the Alpes-Maritimes.
Wonderful views of, and from, the peninsula are easily enjoyed by following one of the coastal paths. The stretch from St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat around the southern tip of the Cap is the wildest and most remote. From Cap d’Ail, the Sentier du Littoral is a walkway along the rugged coastline with great views. A more level, paved walk extends from Beaulieu to St-Jean. It is shaded by umbrella pines, and takes you past David Niven’s former home. Chapelle St-Pierre contains the artwork of Jean Cocteau, housed at Villa Santo Sospir.
Cap Ferrat near St-Jean and lighthouse
Heading eastwards, the next coastal village is among the most beautiful on the French Riviera – and one of the most painted. Beaulieu, or “Beautiful Place”, is surrounded by hills and flowers, creating a feast of colours. Its magnificent villas outlook across the Bay of Fourmis towards the mountains and in particular the striking town of Eze, which can be reached by car via the Upper Corniche route. Villa Kerylos is a fascinating reproduction of a Greek house from the era of Pericles, with marble and frescoes imitating antiquity.
Having explored the coastal towns east of Nice, it would be remiss not to mention a brilliant off-coast island experience – exploring the Iles de Lérins. Made famous by Alexandre Dumas’ novel, ‘The Man in the Iron Mask’, the enormous fortress on Ste Marguerite, Fort Royal, was built by Cardinal Richelieu, with its fearsome gate to deter escapees. The famous prisoner did exist, held captive by Louis XIII, yet his identity remains a mystery. Excavations near the fort have revealed the traces of an early Ligurian settlement, including ceramics, dating back to 3BC when the island was known as Lero. The Maritime Museum displays 1st century murals and remains of a Roman shipwreck, as well.
Historic Lerins Island ruins
The smaller island of St Honorat was named in honour of a saint who established a monastery there at the end of the 4th century. Today it is part of a Benedictine order that grows vines and distils its own liqueur, known as Lérina. The monastery is fascinating, its earliest parts now dating back to the 11th century, including a cloister and a gallery supported by white marble columns which leads to the Holy of Holies containing many sacred relics.
Both islands have restaurants and fishermen’s houses in the village, but Nature rules there amid pines and eucalyptus trees, with birds and the sounds of cicadas. Boats cross from Cannes (Quai Laubeuf, old port of Cannes) or from Quai Lunel in the Port of Nice. The journey takes 15 minutes from Cannes to Ste Marguerite and 30 minutes to St Honorat and one hour from Nice.
A smorgasbord of coastal exploration options are on offer between Nice and the Italian border. Next week, it’s the turn of the upper Corniche routes, including the much-loved village of Eze.
