938km (583 miles) S of Paris; 10km (6 miles) E of Nice

Of all the oases along the Côte d’Azur, no other place has the snob appeal of Cap-Ferrat. It’s a 15km (9 1/4-mile) promontory sprinkled with luxurious villas and outlined by sheltered bays, beaches, and sun-kissed coves. In the charming port of St-Jean, the harbor accommodates yachts, fishing boats, and a dozen low-key eateries.

It’s worth mentioning that Cap-Ferrat is seriously wealthy. As in seriously, seriously rich. Stars like David Niven and Gregory Peck called “Le Cap” home before a new generation of Russian oligarchs and finance industry titans moved in. It’s all very hush-hush, but we can tell you that Madonna is a regular visitor and Brad Pitt enjoys dinner on Paloma Plage, the best of St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat’s beach clubs. The world’s most expensive property, Villa Leopolda, went on sale here a few years back for a cool half-billion dollars. The BBC recently confirmed that the peninsula is the second most expensive location in the world (since you ask, Monaco came first). A wonderful coastal path loops past many of the world’s richest residents’ private homes.