Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, a thousand-year-old castle and Le Corbusier's Cabanon

Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is the French commune that sits between Monaco and Menton, and it’s really two separate places. Up above, a medieval village perched at around 300 metres with one of the oldest castles in France. Down below, a cape of pines, villas and coves where Eileen Gray and Le Corbusier left two of the most studied houses of the 20th century. Here’s what to see in each half, how to get about and how long I’d give it.

Two villages in one, the rock and the cape

The village up top grew around its fortress on a rocky spur, and you still get about it through vaulted passages and stone lanes. From place des Deux-Frères or place Capitaine Vincent the view opens over Monaco, the cape and the sea, and to me those two squares are the best spot for taking in the coast at a glance.

Cap Martin is another story. Claude Monet painted the Bay of Monaco from here in 1884, Coco Chanel had the villa La Pausa built between 1928 and 1931 and, according to Menton’s tourist office, Jacques Brel used to compose on the beach at Golfe Bleu. With a single day, I’d spend the morning up top and the afternoon down below.

The castle and the olive tree, what I’d climb up for

The town hall dates the castle to around 970 and presents it as one of the oldest medieval keeps still standing in France. You go through it from the rooms to the terraces, it opens 10:30 to 18:30 from April to October and 10:00 to 17:00 in winter, and it costs €5. For what you pay, I think it’s the best ticket on the whole coast, and I cover it in detail in Roquebrune’s medieval castle.

A few minutes’ walk away is the ancient olive tree, between 1,800 and 2,200 years old according to the town hall and more than 23 metres round. In the centre of the village, the church of Sainte-Marguerite holds a reproduction of Michelangelo’s Last Judgement and has been a listed historic monument since 2023. To get up there, Zest buses 21 and 24 stop at Le Lavoir, and since July 2026 every other journey on line 13 continues to the village.

Cap Moderne, by booking only

Plenty of visitors trip up here. Cap Moderne brings together villa E-1027, built by Eileen Gray between 1926 and 1929, Le Corbusier’s Cabanon from 1952, the Étoile de Mer bar and the camping units from 1957. The Cabanon is 3.66 by 3.66 metres and 2.26 metres high, following the Modulor, and together with the camping units it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can only see it on a guided tour booked online, at €19 (€10 concession), from 1 April to 31 October 2026, and it’s closed on Mondays in October.

The meeting point is the forecourt of Cap Martin-Roquebrune station, on avenue Le Corbusier. Pushchairs aren’t allowed, the tour isn’t recommended for under-7s and there are no photos inside the Cabanon. Without a place on a tour, you can still follow the Le Corbusier path, which runs past it for free.

Which beaches are there in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin?

The Le Corbusier path, the old customs officers’ trail, rounds the cape through rocks, pine woods and coves. The town hall reckons on 60 to 90 minutes, and Menton’s tourist office at five kilometres. Along the way are the beaches the town hall itself singles out, Golfe Bleu for sunset, La Buse, a cove with very clear water, Carnolès, with restaurants and water sports, and La Barme, quieter and facing Monaco. I’d walk it in the afternoon and stop at Golfe Bleu to watch the sun go down. If you’re after more outings that cost nothing, they’re in Monaco on a budget.

Two Monte-Carlo names that sit on French soil

Two things everyone links with Monaco are actually here. The venue of the Monte-Carlo Masters, the Monte-Carlo Country Club, is at 155 avenue Princesse Grace in Roquebrune, and in 2027 the tournament runs from 3 to 11 April. The Monte-Carlo Beach, one of the Société des Bains de Mer’s four hotels, a five-star opened in 1929, is on the same avenue, also in France. Its 2026 rates and what’s worth paying for are in the Monte-Carlo Beach hotel and club.

That has a practical upshot for anyone on a UK phone plan. At the tennis or on the hotel’s beach you’re in the EU, and the moment you cross into Monaco, EU roaming regulation no longer applies. British providers each deal with that differently, so check what yours charges in Monaco.

Getting there and where to stay

The commune has two railway stations. Carnolès, in the centre, and Cap Martin-Roquebrune, by the beaches and Cap Moderne. The ZOU! 600 bus from Nice to Menton via Monaco also passes through, with a €2.20 ticket. From Monaco, taxis charge a fixed €25. It’s all in getting around Monaco and nearby.

For somewhere to sleep, the tourist office lists hotels such as the Regency, the Victoria, the Maybourne Riviera and the Alexandra, without prices. I’d mainly consider it for the Masters, and on other dates I’d compare it with Menton and with hotels in Monaco. A full day gives you a proper look at Roquebrune.