By Garen Ajderhanyan · · 7 min read
In brief
Beaulieu-sur-Mer, between Nice and Monaco, owes much to natural shelter: its cliffs cut the northern winds and sustain a mild microclimate, to the point that a quarter planted with palms and banana trees was nicknamed 'Little Africa'. The Belle Époque made it a winter station, and what remains are the Rotonde, well-kept facades and the Villa Kérylos, a dwelling inspired by ancient Greece commissioned by Théodore Reinach, designed by Emmanuel Pontremoli and open to visitors. The town can be walked in its entirety, from the marina to the station.
Where does the nickname 'Little Africa' come from?
From Nice, one need only round the headland to feel the difference. Beaulieu-sur-Mer is backed against cliffs that fall almost into the sea, they close the horizon to the north and hold the warmth like a garden wall. The most sheltered quarter, facing due south between rock and water, received from Belle Époque winter visitors this nickname that remains in use: 'Little Africa'.
The name is not an affectation. Beneath these cliffs grow palm trees of considerable size and banana trees, vegetation one does not expect at this latitude. The microclimate is a geographical reality before being an argument: the air is milder than a few hundred metres away, and this can be read in the gardens.
What remains of the Belle Époque in Beaulieu?
Beaulieu was built as a winter station. People came to spend the cold season sheltered from the chill, and the town retains the architecture: the Rotonde, a former reception venue now a landmark on the seafront, and facades in the centre whose balconies, friezes and pale hues still tell of that era.
This heritage is not frozen as scenery. The buildings are inhabited, the ground floors are alive, and the town has the scale that goes with it: short streets, shaded squares, a continuity between the centre and the sea that more recent resorts lack.
Why is the Villa Kérylos worth visiting?
On the edge of the Baie des Fourmis stands the Villa Kérylos, a dwelling commissioned at the beginning of the twentieth century by Théodore Reinach, a Hellenist, and designed by the architect Emmanuel Pontremoli. It is not a pastiche but a learned reconstruction of a house from ancient Greece, conceived room by room, furniture included, facing the Méditerranée.
The villa is open to visitors. I return regularly, and what strikes me each time is less the decoration than the coherence: a man wished to inhabit an idea, and the house still honours that wager. To understand what the Côte d'Azur represented for the cultivated minds of the time, it is a more telling address than many museums.
How does one live in Beaulieu day to day?
Beaulieu can be walked, and that is perhaps its most decisive feature. The marina, the station, the centre, the beaches and the coastal promenade all lie within a perimeter one crosses without thinking. The station places Nice and Monaco a few train stops away, which changes the lives of those who do not wish to depend on the road in summer.
From Nice, where I live, Beaulieu appears as a quiet neighbour. One finds there what the large towns of the coast have gradually lost: local shops, a market on a human scale, residents who greet one another. Nothing dramatic, and that is precisely the point.
What are people looking for in Beaulieu when they come from afar?
International buyers who take an interest in Beaulieu are generally not seeking a showcase. They seek shelter, in both the literal and figurative sense: a climate held by the cliffs, a town where everything can be done on foot, discreet surroundings between Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Èze, and a heritage that gives depth to the address.
The town is sought after, that is not in question on the Côte d'Azur. But I would refrain from advancing figures here: a market this narrow is read file by file, not in averages. What can be said without risk is that Beaulieu offers something no longer made: a winter station that became a year-round town, without losing its proportions.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Beaulieu-sur-Mer situated?
- Beaulieu-sur-Mer is located on the Côte d'Azur, between Nice and Monaco, backed against cliffs that shelter it from northern winds. It neighbours Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Èze.
- What is 'Little Africa'?
- It is the nickname of the most sheltered quarter of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, at the foot of the cliffs. Its due south exposure sustains a mild microclimate where palms and banana trees grow, hence the name given by Belle Époque winter visitors.
- Can one visit the Villa Kérylos?
- Yes. The Villa Kérylos, a dwelling inspired by ancient Greece commissioned by Théodore Reinach and designed by Emmanuel Pontremoli, is open to the public on the edge of the Baie des Fourmis.
- Does Beaulieu-sur-Mer have a station?
- Yes. Beaulieu-sur-Mer station is located in the centre and connects the town to Nice on one side, to Monaco and the Italian border on the other, via the coastal line.
- Is Beaulieu easily visited on foot?
- Yes. The centre, the marina, the beaches, the station and the coastal promenade all lie within a restricted perimeter, the town can be walked in its entirety.
References
The author
Garen AjderhanyanEditor of La Gazette de la Promenade
Editor of La Gazette de la Promenade. He writes on Riviera property and the art of living, from Nice.