Beaulieu sur Mer | French Riviera - Cote d'Azur

Beaulieu sur Mer: There is no old town here, even though the town's history goes back, to prehistoric times.

First record of its name is Anao, mentioned in the itinerary of Antonin.

Neolithic artifacts have been discovered here and are on display in the museum in Menton.

Beaulieu was the Greek port of Anao, and was later enlarged by the Romans. The town was destroyed in the 3rd century.

A small monastery, built on the 3rd century ruins, was destroyed in the 6th century by the Lombard’s.

The cliffs that tower high above the town protect the back of the village.

You can well view them from the area of the harbour.

The local people took refuge high above on the Plateau Saint Michel in war times.

Where ancient people found refuge, a few perched villas now stand sentry over the town.

Around the 13th century, the town began shifting to its current seaside location.

This is a bustling place, with the scent of flowers in the air in the springtime.

This up-market seaside resort town in addition to being a year-round commercial and residential town has the added advantage of being pretty, and to be in a beautiful setting.

The lower part of the town has shops, shady tree-lined sidewalks and its Casino, as well as beaches and yacht basins.

The main part of town is above the railway tracks, inland from the station.

I love this station. Just sit there on a bench in summer and listen to the "criquets" (locusts) and birds and think how lucky you are to be in this magic place!

The name of the town means: “Beautiful Place” in French and the story says that when Napoleon arrived in the town, he said once “what a beautiful place” and this is how this town was named Beaulieu.

Return to top

Videos

Return to top.

Yachts and Fishermen

One marina is located at the east end of the beach on the Baie des Fourmis.

The main yacht basin, though, is past the east edge of town.

The large marina is packed with private yachts.

There is serious yachting here, with a Chantier Naval and other maintenance and support activities.

I travel a lot and I see a lot of yachts around the word but here some are really amazing.

The town has two small fishing ports where Fishermen sell their fresh fishes at small stalls on the seafront every morning.

The best is the one at the town-end of the harbour.

Return to top.

Miscellaneous

Situated on the eastern side of Cap Ferrat, the town is only six miles from Nice Airport. Along with Villefranche and Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, the town forms one of the most exclusive residential enclaves in the world.

The town is surrounded by steep hills and because of this has the warmest climate of all the coastal towns.

The town became popular as a holiday destination for the world’s aristocracy at the turn of the century and many extravagant "Belle Époque" hotels were built to cater to the new visitors.

Hotel "La Reserve de Beaulieu" is a good exemple, watch the video above , even if this video has been taken on a cloudy day, you will enjoy this unique place.

After all we need to have days without sun here on the French Riviera, but do not worry, it is actually very rare!

Some of these wonderful buildings remain although some of them have been turned into flats.

It changed a little bit the history of Beaulieu sur Mer and of its palaces.

Due to its warm climate even in winter, the town has become particularly popular with wealthy retired people and they make up a large percentage of the population of the town.

The town is very refined and is not the place to visit if you are looking for nightclubs and packed beaches.

The only real night life in the town is centred at the casino, with its many gaming rooms and a cabaret show.

The casino is extremely beautiful and if gambling is your thing then this is by far the most stylish establishment on the French Riviera.

The area around the port is a wonderful location for long walks.

The walk up to the Plateau St Michel offers superb views over the bay and Cap Ferrat, while the Promenade Maurice Rouvier leads all the way around the cap to Saint Jean Cap Ferrat.

This is particularly interesting as it allows one to see many villas and elegant gardens that are not visible from the road.

One of the highlights of a visit to Beaulieu is the Villa Kerylos.

Located on a small peninsula surrounded by the sea on three sides, the villa was built by Theodore Reinach in 1908 as a tribute to life in ancient Greece.

He spent twenty years here, conducting his life exactly as the people of ancient Greece would have done.

The villa is open to the public and is a great way to spend a few hours during a warn afternoon.

Another reason to come to Beaulieu is for its many excellent restaurants.

The restaurants, mostly situated near to the port are particularly well known for the quality of the fish that they serve.

The African Queen is especially recommended for its lively atmosphere, superb location and great value food.

Bono from U2 is a loyal client of the place for a long time!

He lives in Eze a part of the year with his family where he owns a property.

Return to top

Useful Links and Resources

• City Council Official Website (French only).
• Tourism Official Website (French only).
• The Riviera Reporter Website (English magazine).
• Riviera Radio Website (English radio).
• International Radio Website (English radio).

Return to top

Weather Watcher Live