Cap Ferrat’s Great Estates: Inside One of the World’s Most Expensive Peninsulas

Why buyers choose Cap Ferrat

The peninsula is covered in lush Mediterranean vegetation, and its relief gives many houses outstanding sea views. A single road leads onto Cap Ferrat, which adds to its sense of privacy and security.

Cap Ferrat is quiet, and those who enjoy going out head to Monaco, a 20-minute drive away, for nightlife and shopping. Residents also benefit from the beautiful neighbouring towns of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Eze and Villefranche-sur-Mer. Unlike many Riviera resorts, Cap Ferrat lives all year round.

Cap Ferrat and Saint-Tropez: two very different scenes

Cap Ferrat and Saint-Tropez are often mentioned together, but they are very different places.

Size: Cap Ferrat is extremely limited in size. Saint-Tropez is geographically much larger, since most people consider Saint-Tropez and neighbouring Ramatuelle, a very large area, as one.

History: Cap Ferrat is classical and historical, and many of its great villas date from the early 20th century. Saint-Tropez is more recent, becoming well known in the 1960s.

Choice of properties: because Cap Ferrat is so small, very few properties are available. Saint-Tropez offers far more choice across a wider range.

Atmosphere: Cap Ferrat is quieter. Saint-Tropez is livelier and tends to be more seasonal, although more restaurants now stay open all year.

Surroundings: on the Saint-Tropez peninsula, life tends to centre on Saint-Tropez and Ramatuelle themselves. Cap Ferrat residents have Monaco and several neighbouring towns close by.

Clientele: both are very international and both attract families, but the buyers in each are simply different.

The Cap Ferrat property market

According to Capital, prices on Cap Ferrat rose around tenfold from the early 2000s to 2015. Until then, homes on the peninsula were mainly French and Italian owned. Today, buyers are mainly international.

There are around 500 villas on the peninsula, and the finest estates very rarely come on the market, as their owners are reluctant to part with them.

The most sought-after houses face west, for the light, especially in winter, and the sunsets. Depending on the property and its height, west-facing houses look out over the Rade de Villefranche, Nice Côte d’Azur airport and the Cap d’Antibes, and some as far as Saint-Tropez. Houses facing east towards Monaco are also appreciated. The most prized addresses include Boulevard Général de Gaulle, Chemin du Roy and Chemin du Sémaphore.

The great estates of Cap Ferrat

Villa La Fiorentina

Built in 1919 on 4.5 hectares at the eastern tip of the peninsula, Villa La Fiorentina offers 2,500 m² of living space over two levels.

Its gardens were designed by the renowned landscape designer Jean Mus and took four years to create. They feature Aleppo pines, Florentine cypresses and other Mediterranean species, some of which were brought in by helicopter.

The estate has its own small private port, created by cutting through a 300-tonne blockhouse built at the water’s edge during the Second World War. Under French coastal law, walkers can follow the path along the estate’s boundary wall.

Villa Les Cèdres

Once the property of King Leopold II of Belgium, Villa Les Cèdres was bought in 1924 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle, founder of Grand Marnier.

Its 14-hectare park is the largest on the peninsula. In 2015, Capital reported that it was home to more than 14,000 species of tropical plants.

Read more about its history in our articles on Villa Les Cèdres and King Leopold II.

Villa Maryland

Built in 1904 in the Florentine style for Arthur Wilson, of the Wilson Line shipping company, and his wife Mary, after whom it is named, Villa Maryland is known above all for its gardens by the English landscape architect Harold Peto. In the Belle Époque, its receptions drew King Edward VII’s circle and a young Winston Churchill.

Read its full story in our article on Villa Maryland.

Villa Primavera and Le Petit-Rocher

Villa Primavera stands at the entrance to one of the peninsula’s promontories, between two small coves. Le Petit-Rocher has its own small private port, a rare feature even on Cap Ferrat.

Life behind the gates

The great estates of Cap Ferrat support hundreds of local professionals: architects, interior decorators, caterers, wine merchants and florists. A specialist firm builds custom panoramic lifts linking villas to the beaches below.

Many estates employ staff all year round, including butlers, housekeepers, chefs, gardeners and security, even when the owners are away. In 2015, Capital reported that some houses employed around 30 people.

Selling a property on Cap Ferrat

With so few exceptional properties coming on the market, sales on Cap Ferrat are discreet and rely on trust. Alexandra is a licensed French real estate agent with over 23 years of experience on the Côte d’Azur, and offers owners a free, confidential property valuation.