The Jardin Exotique terraces

At the very top of Èze, where the castle once stood, the Jardin Exotique steps its cactus and succulent terraces around the ruins. Each terrace is a ready-made frame: agaves and sculpted figures in the foreground, the stone village dropping away beneath, and then nothing but the Mediterranean four hundred metres below, with Cap Ferrat stretched out along the coast to the west. There is an entry fee and posted opening hours — this is a garden, not an open ruin — so build both into the plan.

Light is a genuine choice here. Morning gives clearer air and a quieter garden; late afternoon rakes warm light across the coast and turns the sea silver toward Cap Ferrat, but check the closing time — in the shoulder seasons the garden can shut before the light peaks. Midday is the one honest no: the terraces have no shade to speak of, and the light goes flat and harsh.

The practical enemy is wind. At this height, on an exposed spur, it is rarely still — veils, loose hair and light dresses need a plan rather than an apology. And the paths between terraces are stone steps throughout: manageable, but not a place for heels.