Apartment Bleu, Beaulieu-sur-Mer

This newly built apartment is exceptionally quiet and yet conveniently located on the first floor of a modern building on one of the main boulevards with nearby cafes, restaurants and shops, and within five minutes’ walking distance of both of Beaulieu’s beaches.   Buses stop almost outside the block, going towards Nice in one direction and to Monaco and on to Menton the other way. The train station is a five minute walk away and there is the possibility of renting a garage space in the building during the duration of your stay.

There is 85 sq.m. of immaculate and well presented accommodation with a large living/dining area with French windows leading onto a good sized 20 sq.m., west facing terrace.   Two good double bedrooms one with an ensuite shower and WC, a family bathroom with a half bath and separate shower and a separate WC in the hall which also has really good cupboard space.

A great bonus is the pool complex on the ground floor, with a good sized and, again, immaculate, swimming pool for the block with plenty of sun loungers on the surrounding terrace, sauna and changing rooms. An apartment building with a pool is quite a rarity here. Also a few steps away is one of the oldest original tennis clubs of the Riviera. Everything is within walking distance – no need for a car!

Beaulieu sur Mer

Located between Nice and Monaco, nestled in a curve protected by tall, grey slabs of the rocky foothills, Beaulieu-sur-Mer has kept its old-world charm while being a welcoming and attractive tourist city. This is Riviera life at its most genteel!

The seafront gardens are ablaze with brightly coloured flowers and shaded by tall, thin, graceful palms. As you wander round, you’ll see ancient magnolia trees with an impressive tangle of gnarled roots, wind-swept parasol pines, exotic flowering succulents, giant rubber trees, cypresses and violet bougainvillea. The crisscross of three main streets is all lined with citrus trees, sagging with ripe fruit.

Just across from the sea, there’s a sprawling grassy park with a century-old olive grove where summer concerts are held. At the eastern edge of town, next to the yacht-clogged little port and a row of restaurants, is another hot spot, La Petite Afrique – Beaulieu’s mini-stretch of coast and a palm-shaded beach – which boasts a microclimate several degrees warmer than its neighbours. According to local lore, it was here that the first banana tree was planted in Europe. Beaulieu sur Mer is very much a year-round holiday destination.

But that’s only part of the draw. Beaulieu’s unique jewel-box vibe comes from its dazzling, ornate Belle Époque architecture. Gaze upwards in about any direction and you’re bound to spot a postcard-perfect white villa decked out with curvy turquoise balustrades and ceramic friezes.

This is no coincidence. Ever since the 1880s, when the Calais-Mediterranean Express and luxurious Wagons-Lits connected Nice with Europe, Beaulieu became one of the most favoured destinations for European crowned heads and aristocrats. The most notorious was Leopold II, King of the Belgians, who bought up an enormous chunk of land in the wooded hills overlooking the bay of Villefranche – now known as the celebrated Villa Leopolda estate, whose colourful history includes a failed attempt by a Russian oligarch to acquire the villa for £392 million in 2008. Back in 1898, there were no fewer than 82 hotels in Beaulieu. Today, a handful of those elegant winter palaces – The Hôtel des Anglais and Le Bristol – are still standing and have since been divided into residential apartments.

Beaulieu’s ever-present, large British community still frequents the turn-of-the-century St Michael’s Anglican Church. Others hang out at the Gran Caffè sipping cappuccino and reading the Financial Times!

All year round, the real hub of activity in Beaulieu is the main square, Place Marinoni, named after the town’s first mayor. The square is a multi-function rendezvous spot, bordered by towering plane and olive trees strung with festive little lamps. At the centre is an old-fashioned, grey-green, wrought-iron kiosk where bands occasionally play music; in the summer, out comes a stage for live groups and weekly balls and fireworks. The year-round daily morning produce market on the square is outstanding, shared by two rival marchands de légumes.

On Saturday mornings, the Provençal market attracts a more cosmopolitan crowd. Bentley convertibles with foreign plates double-park while Cap Ferrat matrons poke about the racks of silky tunics, scooping up bargains. It’s a joyous jumble of wares: authentic espadrilles, handcrafted jewellery, leather handbags, Italian cheeses and sausages, woven straw baskets, flowing linen skirts, Provençal quilts, and a stand for piping hot socca – a flat, savoury chickpea flour and olive oil crèpe sprinkled with pepper.