The beaches of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: Paloma, Passable and the quieter coves

The beaches of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat: Paloma, Passable and the quieter coves

For a peninsula of just under two and a half square kilometres, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat has an unusually varied shoreline.

Its beaches face in different directions, have different characters and are used in different ways through the year, and for anyone choosing where to live on the peninsula, they are part of what distinguishes one address from another.

The commune’s tourist office lists five beaches. Two of them, Paloma and Passable, combine a public section with a private beach club. The other three are fully public. Here is what each is like.

Paloma

Paloma is one of the peninsula’s emblematic beaches, set in a cove on the eastern side of Cap Ferrat, at one end of the Pointe Saint-Hospice path. It has a public section and a private beach, Paloma Beach, with a restaurant, sunbeds and parasols. According to the tourist office, the Passable beach club and the restaurant at Paloma Beach are open from Easter to late September.

For residents, Paloma is less a destination than a habit: a swim before lunch, a table booked for guests, a walk along the Saint-Hospice path that finishes at the water. We describe that corner of the peninsula in more detail in our article on Saint-Hospice and its coastline.

Passable

Passable sits on the western side of the peninsula, looking across the Rade de Villefranche towards Villefranche-sur-Mer. Like Paloma, it combines a public area with a private beach club, which the tourist office lists with indoor and outdoor showers, changing rooms, towels, sunbeds, a bar and a restaurant. It is also the beach where the tourist office lists water sports, including waterskiing, jet skiing and kayaking.

Passable is also one end of the Tour du Cap coastal path. As of October 2026, the commune’s tourist office states that the path is closed between the lighthouse and Passable for safety works, with no reopening date given.

Cros deï Pin

Cros deï Pin is the beach by the port of Saint-Jean, in the heart of the village. It is public, with a gravel shore, and has showers, toilets, individual lockers and a snack bar, and the tourist office notes that dogs are allowed on part of it. Its ease of access makes it the everyday beach of the village, a short walk from the cafés and restaurants around the harbour.

Les Fosses and Les Fossettes

Les Fossettes lies below the Jardin de la Paix, on the Pointe Saint-Hospice, and Les Fosses lies on the southern side of the peninsula, by the old quarry where the Tour du Cap path begins. Both are public, with gravel shores. The tourist office describes Les Fossettes as the most preserved and discreet of the peninsula’s beaches, and Les Fosses as one of the most beautiful. The tourist office recommends both coves for snorkelling.

Neither has a beach club, and the tourist office notes that Les Fossettes is appreciated by regulars for its tranquillity.

The water around the peninsula

The sea around Cap Ferrat is protected as a Natura 2000 site, a marine area of almost 9,000 hectares that faces five communes, from Villefranche-sur-Mer to Cap-d’Ail. It covers Posidonia seagrass meadows and coralligenous habitats, among others.

The port of Saint-Jean, modernised between 2016 and 2019, has 550 berths, including one 50-metre berth in the outer harbour. For owners who keep a tender or a boat, it is the natural base for days along the coast.

The beaches through the year

The beach clubs at Paloma and Passable follow the season, from Easter to late September. Outside those months the clubs are closed, and the peninsula takes on a quieter rhythm: parking in the commune is free from 1 October to 30 April, and the coastal paths, where open, are at their most pleasant.

That seasonal shift is part of the reality of the market. According to INSEE, 64.1% of the homes in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat are second or occasional homes. For some owners, the peninsula is a summer address; for others, it is most enjoyable in spring and autumn, when the beaches are calm and the light is softer.

Choosing an address with the beaches in mind

Proximity to a particular beach is one of the factors buyers on Cap Ferrat weigh, alongside privacy, outlook, plot and the character of the immediate setting. The eastern side, around Paloma and Saint-Hospice, is often sought for its sheltered bays and its walking paths. The western side, around Passable, looks across the bay towards Villefranche. The village and port offer the most convenience, with Cros deï Pin and the harbour on the doorstep.

If you would like to understand how these differences translate into value, our article on why Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat remains one of the Riviera’s most sought-after addresses looks at what drives prices on the peninsula. You can also browse our current properties for sale in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and our rentals on the peninsula.

Sources: Office de tourisme de Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat (beaches and walks pages), Office de tourisme métropolitain Nice Côte d’Azur, Comité régional de tourisme Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, INSEE (2023 data, published August 2026). Opening periods and access can change; check with the tourist office before planning a visit.