Pete Horton
Romantic couple photoshoot at Cap Ferrat on the French Riviera
Perhaps the most stunning location for a sunset couple shoot in France
For a long time I've been trying to convince couples to journey to Jean Cap Ferrat for their couple photoshoot, but with Nice's picturesque and charming old town much easier to get to - it can be a hard sell.
However, from the first time I laid eyes upon this surreal, wind-swept landscape I knew it would be the perfect photoshoot location, with the view towards the west incorporating the imposing Phare du Cap Ferrat and the sunset. This lighthouse (built on the order of Napoleon III in the 1860s), is the same one you can easily see in the distance from Nice's Promenade des Anglais (when looking the opposite direction to the airport). As the crow flies, it will be five or six kilometers away.
The environment reminds me of a romantic-era oil painting, and with the sky and sea holding much sway over the lighting and ambiance, there is a more than a menacing hint of the sublime about it. One could take a photograph of this view every day and no two images would be the same. Fortunately for this romantic photoshoot, every variable I could think of was on our side - the temperature was mild for February, the sky was clear, the sea calm, and the couple clearly on form, in love, and so much fun to be with.
This photoshoot location, which lies at the tip of Cap Ferrat, is now my favourite and it's clearly worth getting there if you want some once-in-a-lifetime romantic photography. If the weather's temperate, it's a 45-minute walk from Beaulieu Sur Mer train station - or you can simply use taxi service, which can get you close enough to one of the paths (some of which are not marked on Google Maps) that winds down to the rocks.
The beautiful harbour town of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat lies a 20-minute walk north, and it's the perfect addition to your plans if you fancy a rest, a meal, or apéritif while en route. The coastal walk (for which you'll need flat shoes), is a wonderful experience in itself - provided you bring some water and take sensible precautions and protection from the sun on hot days.
