Cap Ail | French Riviera - Cote d'Azur

Cap Ail is linked to the Principality of Monaco and borders to the district of La Colle in the city.

It is a small town on the French Riviera. Beaulieu sur Mer is at 11 kilometres.

Beausoleil at 5 kilometres and Eze at 5 kilometres.

Between Nice and Monaco, the town can be reach by the highway A8, exit from Nice onto route RN7 (Moyenne Corniche).

Cap Ail can also be easily reached from Nice by train or by bus.

Its inhabitants are the Cap d'Aillois.

In Occitan Caup d'Alh and for its inhabitants read as capolhencs Cau d'Ai and read as Capouienc.

Its name comes from "small cap d'Ail".

The French dictionary Petit Larousse says that the correct pronunciation is "Cabdail" as [kabdaj] but that it can be also pronounced as [kap daj].

The town is known for its luxurious villas "Belle Époque", where a lot of personalities and stars arrived in the fist part of the 20th century.

Cap Ail stretches along a peaceful part of the coast, at the border with the principality of Monaco.

When you arrive take the road that overlooks the coast until you reach the Tête de Chien viewing point from where you will have a superb panorama of Italy and the Var coastline.

Cap Ail has been listed as a health resort since 1921.

The quality of its seawater has earned it the Blue Flag for its three beaches:

One of the three Marquet beach is best for families.
It slopes down gently to the sea and is easy to reach.
It has a yacht club and 2 restaurants.
Mala beach is surrounded by vegetation and can be reached by foot along a narrow path.
It is also suitable for families and has 2 restaurants.
This is for my family and I "The Beach", we go there in summertime very often when we are here.
Pissarelles beach is for the more athletic visitors.
It is surrounded by rocks and is reached along a path that is a little difficult for children.

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Cap Ail harbour covers an area of 47,000 sqm and provides 253 berths.

Regattas and sea festivals are organised during the holiday season, attracting many visitors.

There is a superb walk in an unspoilt bucolic setting along the coastal path.

This walk (approximately 4 km), will take you from Marquet beach to Mala beach, passing through the pine forest and looking down on the waves crashing against the cliffs and rocks.

Do not miss these other shady walking trails in the "calanques" and climbings at Barres de la Loubière, outings on the cave trail, Roman trail and Eden trail.

Visit also the Mediterranean centre with its amphitheatre designed by Jean Cocteau.

Right beside the sea is the Sacha Guitry Park which has been laid out in terraces beside the villa that used to belong to the famous author.

Moreover he is not the only one to have been enchanted by Cap d'Ail.

Its three kilometres of coastline have charmed many other personalities:

the Prince of Wales,
the Tsarevitch,
the Lumière brothers,
Greta Garbo,
Apollinaire,
and of course Cocteau!

Cap d'Ail, it is also the Saracen tower, the Château de L'Ermitage from the 19th century and the Lumière Manor.

A nautical centre, a scuba diving centre, yachting and climbing will make your holidays a memorable stay.

Entertainment and festivals take place every year from May to November with concerts of religious music and classical music and evening theatre.

Regattas, festival of the sea, beer festival are also a part of the daily lifestyle of Cap d'Ail.

Note:
For keywords purpose and to enable you to find this page on the search engines, I had to write sometimes Cap Ail instead of Cap d'Ail which is actually the correct word: Cap d'Ail. Internet is sometimes strange and we have to deal with it the way it is!

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Useful Links and Resources

• City council and Tourism official website.
• The Riviera Times Website (English newspaper).
• The Riviera Reporter Website (English magazine).
• Riviera Radio Website (English radio).
• International Radio Website (English radio).

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