- Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is an exclusive community on the French Riviera that's been known as a vacation hotspot for the well-heeled dating back to the late 1800s.
- Its abundance of opulent historic villas owned by millionaires and billionaires has earned the seaside Mediterranean village the nickname the "Peninsula of Billionaires."
- Actors, politicians, royalty, and tech titans, from Winston Churchill to the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, have vacationed or owned homes in the French seaside town.
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The French Riviera is known to be a playground for the rich and famous.
But of all the seaside towns, the village of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat stands apart. The exclusive coastal community, known for its yacht-filled harbor and opulent historic villas, is home to only about 1,600 permanent residents.
"There are almost too many billionaires living here to count," Edward de Mallet Morgan of Global Super Prime Residential told CNBC in 2018.
Here's what it's like in the affluent seaside community of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
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 managed by the Four Seasons.
The 49-room hotel opened in 1908.
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 $970 for a suite.
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. 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.
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.
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 $16.50.
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.
Many other villas — like Villa Maryland — 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.
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 was purchased in 2019 for $221 million.
Ukraine's richest man, billionaire Rinat Akhmetov, was the buyer of the historic villa that sits on 35 acres of gardens.
In 2017, the mansion was on the market for $410 million, making it the most expensive home for sale in the world at the time.
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 are also among the area's high-profile visitors.
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
Today, the Mediterranean village is frequented by celebrities, including actress Gabrielle Union and her husband, Dwyane Wade, as well as singer and actress Rita Ora.
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Source: The Sun
Irish fashion designer Simone Rocha and her family have a summer home in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
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Source: Vogue
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat doesn't seem likely to lose its status as a haven for millionaires and billionaires anytime soon.
