Rives de Beauvallon, les environs: Nice, Saint Paul de Vence, Saint Jean Cap Ferrat...

There are lots of interesting site seeing places to visit from Les Rives de Beauvallon. I propose the following day trip: Saint Paul de Vence and Saint Jean Cap Ferrat.

If you leave the villa before 08:00, traffic will be fluent. You will drive along the Golfe of Saint Tropez towards Sainte Maxime and then head for Le Muy. From there you will take the motorway to Nice. It will take you about one hour to reach Nice. On the trip I propose now, you will not visit Nice.  
Nice is a great city to visit, so please do so next time..

((When I think about Nice, I think about the famous Boulevard des Anglais with beaches “Azur” blue water and the famous Negresco Hotel, the favorite place of the stars of the world. I particularly like the “old” part of Nice, which has an Italian atmosphere. Place Masséna will give you this feeling and the Museum Masséna reflects 19^th century Italy. Walking through the streets you will come across the “marché aux fleurs” at Cours Saleya with its boutiques and restaurants. To art lovers I recommend the Musée Chagall, which is a little North from the centre and Le Musée de Matisse, in Cimiez, a beautiful residential area North from Nice, where the Romans already had their baths and still existing theatre.))

Like I said, this trip you will not visit Nice…
Before arriving to Nice, you will head for Saint Paul de Vence. A small village 20 minutes drive North from Nice, nestled on a hill. You will arrive there at around 09:30.

Just before entering Saint Paul I propose to visit one of my most favorite places in the world: La Fondation Maeght.

This Museum was founded by the art lover Aimé Maeght, who had as an objective to create, together with the architect José Luis Sert and artists, like Jacometti, Miro and Braque, a place of harmony where the art lover could soak the atmosphere of the Provence and absorb their works of art. The museum is still one of the most modern architecture and totally integrated in the beautiful park with pine trees, where the crickets claim their presence.

After one and a half hours you will leave for Saint Paul de Vence, which is 10 minutes around the bend. There is an underground parking just left before entering the village.

Saint Paul is well preserved from the Middle Ages and a favorite tourist place. Painters like Signac, Modigliani, Picasso and Bonnard chose this village as their favorite place to work. They stayed in a bed and breakfast place called La Colombe d’Or. Some even paid their stay with paintings. Now La Colombe d’Or is very renowned Hotel and Restaurant with a wonderful collection of paintings.

Have lunch in La Colombe d’Or (50 meters before entering the village) or in Le Thilleul which is located immediately on the left after you passed the gate of Saint Paul. After lunch, have a stroll in the little alleys of Saint Paul, which is known for the numerous Galleries, art shops and painters studios in a medieval setting.


It is now 14:00 and I propose you will leave Saint Paul and head for Saint Jean Cap Ferrat (let your GPS do the work).

Saint Jean is located East of Nice and is one of the most beautiful places I know on earth.

Saint Jean is located on a peninsula with a splendid view over the Mediterranean sea. You will find the most sumptuous villas in this place (if you can see them) and lovely beaches at Beaulieu, the red rocks plunging into the Mediterranean at Eze or the great little fishing port of Villefranche sur Mer. But no time for all that!
This time I want to take you to the Fondation  Ephrussi-de-Rothschild. Baroness Ephrussi-de-Rothschild created this magnificent villa in 1934 in the middle of the peninsula with splendid gardens overlooking the Mediterranean on both sides.

Make sure you will leave Saint Jean before 16:30 and set your GPS for “motorway” and safely return towards Sainte Maxime and then Les Rives de Beauvallon. I suppose you will arrive around 19:30 in the high season and after the beach traffic. Relax, your villa is waiting for you.
Enjoy the BBQ, a good local wine and the terraces…

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