Cap Ferrat is certainly the most important cape of the entire Côte d’Azur, both from the point of view of navigation and from the point of view of the towns located along its coast. It offers an important shelter for all the prevailing winds in the area. The side facing Italy shelters very well from wind and sea coming from the west, while the other side, where it creates the Villefranche sur Mer fjord, offers shelter from wind and sea coming from the east. Sailing in the direction of Nice from Saint Jean, as soon as they leave, our skippers will show you the beautiful villa “La Fiorentina” which dominates the peninsula of Saint Hospice. One of the most spectacular villas in the area and one of the most beautiful in the world.
Beyond the tip of the Saint Hospice peninsula we find two magnificent bays with a mixed seabed of sand and algae and turquoise water: the Anse de Fossés and the Anse de Fossettes. During our entire days on a sailing and motor boat, our skippers almost always stop in one of these two magnificent coves for a nice swim and sometimes to prepare lunch on board!
This is also a must for sailing holidays on the Côte d’Azur, it’s too good not to stop!
Continuing navigation, passing the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat, a Four Season hotel, certainly one of the most exclusive hotels in the world, you reach the cape with its lighthouse and enter the natural fjord of Villefranche sur Mer, one of the anchorages most famous and popular in the whole world.
The medieval village of Villafranca marittima (let’s not forget that all this part of the coast, up to Nice, was part of the kingdom of the Savoy until 1860) is sublime, from the sea it climbs steeply up the hill above in a maze of alleys and colors. The houses are in Genoese style and at night the town is all lit up, creating a spectacular effect. The fort du mont Alban, also illuminated at night, overlooks the town and is also worth a visit.
In the citadel that overlooks the small port of Villefranche, an open-air cinema is installed during the summer and often, from the boats in the harbor, if not anchored too far away, it is also possible to watch the films projected against the walls of the fortified citadel itself, a real show!
Just below the village there is instead a dock where you can disembark with the tenders, here, our skippers during the weeks on a sailing boat and weekends, come down early in the morning to go to the bakery to buy the “pan au chocolat ”For the guests, probably the best in all of France.
Anchored well sheltered from the sea and winds in the bay of Villefranche, we can admire the famous villa “La Leopolda” which once belonged to the lawyer Agnelli, or go ashore on the Plage de Passable with the tender or SUP.
In this enchanted bay there are also some cult places for diving enthusiasts such as the “Door of History” a surprising underwater cave, the “Grotte à Corail” and many others. Many guests aboard our boats for day trips, weekends or week-long boat holidays turn to local diving centers to dive and discover these underwater wonders.
It is right here, in the unforgettable setting of Villefranche bay, that our crews normally prepare lunch on board during full-day outings on a motor boat or sailing boat.
Our skippers, knowing the area to perfection, will take you to discover the most beautiful and lesser known glimpses and anchorages in the area, making your boat holiday in this area unforgettable!
Villefranche: a dream place, romantic and unforgettable; will remain an indelible memory in your hearts!
Good wind!! (in the photo: a young guest of ours at the masthead on Nababbo, anchored in Fossettes).