What it's like to vacation in the exclusive community on the French Riviera nicknamed the 'Peninsula of Billionaires,' where royalty and tech tycoons live in opulent villas
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is a town of about 1,600 people in the south of France.
Source: INSEE
It's located on the French Riviera, on a peninsula jutting into the Mediterranean Sea, about a 25 minute drive from Nice.
Source: Google Maps
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is known for its striking coastal views, stately villas, ultra-luxurious hotels, and yacht-filled harbor.
Source: Four Seasons
It's been a vacation hotspot for the well-heeled dating back to the late 1800s, when the area's mild climate attracted wealthy British and Russian families, who soon turned it into a popular vacation destination.
Source: Saint Jean Cap Ferrat Tourisme
And in the 1950s and 60s, Saint Jean Cap Ferrat was a vacation destination for Hollywood actors like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Gregory Peck.
Source: Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Tourisme
One of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat's most iconic hotels for the well-heeled is the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, now owned by the Four Seasons.
Source: Four Seasons
The 49-room hotel opened in 1908 ...
Source: Four Seasons
... and in 2011, it was was one of just eight French hotels given "palace" status, a new industry classification for luxury hotels that goes beyond the usual five stars.
Source: Getty
The hotel is a go-to accommodation for the well-heeled during the nearby Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix. Nightly rates start at about $1,450.
Source: Forbes, Four Seasons
Another five-star hotel that's a magnet for celebrities is the Hotel Royal Riviera, a 94-room dusty-pink-hued hotel built in 1904.
Source: Hotel Royal Riviera
Nightly rates start at about $260.
Source: Hotel Royal Riviera
Beyond its luxurious hotels, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is known for its opulent historic villas.
One of the most famous is Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, built by Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild of the prominent French banking family between 1905 and 1912.
Source: Getty
After the death of the baroness in 1934, Villa Ephrussi was bequeathed to the Académie des Beaux-Arts, an organization charged with protecting France's artistic heritage.
Source: Académie des Beaux-Arts
It's now open to the public for visits to its gardens, shopping at the gift shop, or relaxing with some refreshments in the tea room. Entry is €15 or about $17.
Source: Académie des Beaux-Arts
But many of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat's most magnificent villas are privately owned by some of the world's wealthiest people.
"There are almost too many billionaires living here to count," Edward de Mallet Morgan of Global Super Prime Residential told CNBC in 2018.
Source: CNBC
Many other villas in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat are privately owned.
Late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen was the owner of the Villa Maryland, an 18-bedroom hilltop mansion in Saint-Jean Cap-Ferrat, from at least 1996.
Source: Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal estimates its current worth at about $100 million.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie reportedly stayed in the mansion during the Cannes Film Festival in May 2008.
Source: Curbed
Another of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat's most iconic villas is Les Cèdres, a 189-year-old, 14-bedroom mansion that sits on 35 acres.
In 2017, the mansion was on the market for $410 million, making it the most expensive home for sale in the world. It appears to have since been taken off the market.
Source: Bloomberg
High-profile individuals visitors to Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat include former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill ...
Source: Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Tourisme
... actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin ...
Source: Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Tourisme
... and Marie-Chantal, the crown princess of Greece.
Former US presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton also stand amongst the area's high-profile visitors.
Source: Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Tourisme
French writer Jean Cocteau and artist Pablo Picasso were frequent visitors to the Villa Santo Sospir in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, owned by socialite Francine Weisweiller.
Source: Boat International
The villa is now a tourist attraction and hosts star-studded art events.
Source: Santo Sospir
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat doesn't seem likely to lose its status as a haven for millionaires and billionaires anytime soon.
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