A little-known walk "between sea and mountain" from Beaulieu-sur-Mer to the hill of Little Africa and the chapel of Saint Grat with a 180 ° view from the heights of Monaco to Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, the bay of Villefranche-Sur-Mer and Mont Boron in Nice ...
Balcony on Beaulieu and the bay of Saint Hospice
Leaving from the boulevard Alsace Lorraine marina will allow you to see the route to its summit. Strolling through the alleys of the Riviera city will give you the leisure to admire the particularly lush vegetation of this small residential town nestled between VilleFranche and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat to the west and Eze to the east, towards Monaco.
The walk does not require any particular physical form and has only about 200 meters of elevation gain, a little more than 300 if you continue to the small Saint Grat chapel.
The first part, urban, ends up rather quickly by giving way to a path and stairs, which run alongside a riou, a dry stream. You will then cross a district of houses and villas until you reach the scrubland between the seaside and the middle corniche. A sheet very well produced by the departmental council describes the route well and in detail.(unfornutally not in English !)
Unfortunately also, too few markers, arrows, indicate the way on the spot. We got a little lost and had to use the excellent tool of the National French Geographic Institute (IGN) Geoportal to be able to access the map at 25,000', which is very practical for finding your way here https://www.geoportail.gouv.fr
A quiet little hike
We recommend this walk in the spring to be able to enjoy the flowering plants and trees and avoid the heatwaves that are increasingly troublesome and entrenched in our beautiful region during the summer. The hike can also be done by running, jogging, in trail mode.
An intersection with wooden signs at an altitude of 191 meters above sea level will allow you to choose either to go down the eastern side of the hill through the upscale districts of Beaulieu to reach the sea, or to climb a little higher towards the Saint Grat chapel (closed), info here, through a steep path that winds in a valley exposed to the winds but also to possible rockfalls from the overhanging cliffs.
A panoramic view that rewards your efforts
In good weather, with a little north wind, especially in winter, you may see Corsica, in the distance, or at least its highest peaks, which rise above the horizon aided, pushed, by a tiny bit of refraction (also called optical mirage by purists).
Pointe of Saint Hospice, in front of you, marks the eastern end of the luxurious town of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. We recommend that you visit the gardens of the beautiful villa Ephrussi de Rothschild as well as, for the more athletic, the magical tour of the peninsula by walking or running the customs path, a haven of tranquility and nature, especially on the west side.
Further west in the direction of Nice you will see the Pointe des Sans Culottes and its steep path leading to the citadel of Villefranche but also Mont Boron and its fortifications, a true green lung of the Riviera capital.
Some photos
Virtuals tours
Click on the purple links to move in the virtual visit or on the globe to view a map of 360 ° views and access them.
Some video captures
For a better rendering : choose the maximum definition by clicking on the small gear serrated https://youtu.be/WXqVBXjYPB8