The bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer from the air, yachts at anchor in deep blue water between Cap Ferrat and the old town

French Riviera & Corsica

Yacht charter on the Riviera and Corsica

Riviera harbours and Corsican coves, planned around the mistral.

The Riviera, then Corsica

The Riviera is short and busy. Monaco, Cap Ferrat, Antibes, Cannes and Saint-Tropez are all within easy reach of each other. Corsica is the opposite: granite coves, a mountainous coast and long stretches with no town at all.

Some clients want the restaurants and the harbour evenings, others want swimming and space. I ask which comes first, and whether the crossing to Corsica suits your week. It takes most of a day, so it fits a longer charter or a one-way week. Then I look at the wind and choose the yacht.

When to go

May and June: Quieter coves, sea still cool. Event weeks in Cannes and Monaco book early.
July and August: Warm sea and full harbours. Berths and yachts go early.
September and October: Warm water, softer light, space in the anchorages again.

The mistral

The mistral is a cold, dry northwesterly that funnels down the Rhône valley into the Gulf of Lion. It can blow hard for several days, most often in winter and spring but in summer too, and it brings very clear skies. It is strongest west of Toulon. The Riviera from Cannes to Monaco is more sheltered, while Corsica's west coast and the Strait of Bonifacio feel it fully.

When it sets in, I keep the week on the eastern Riviera or the east side of Corsica and wait for a calm day to cross. One local rule shapes every anchorage: large yachts may not anchor on the protected seagrass along much of the French coast, so the captain plans each stop in advance.

The old town of Bonifacio on white limestone cliffs above deep blue water, southern Corsica — Bonifacio, on the cliffs above the strait.

Three ways to spend a week

Starting points, not fixed plans. The final route follows the people on board and the forecast.

Monaco to Saint-Tropez
The classic Riviera week. Short runs, lunch at anchor off the capes and a different harbour town each evening.
Islands and harbours: Monaco · Villefranche-sur-Mer · Cap Ferrat · Antibes · Cannes · Îles de Lérins · Saint-Tropez
Port Hercule, Monaco
Southern Corsica
Clear water over granite and white sand, with Bonifacio for the evening. Sardinia's Maddalena islands are a short hop across the strait.
Islands and harbours: Porto-Vecchio · Rondinara · Lavezzi Islands · Bonifacio · Cavallo · Roccapina
From the Riviera this is a long crossing. I suggest it as a one-way week or a charter that starts in Corsica.
Lavezzi Islands
Calvi and the west coast
Red granite cliffs, deep water and very few towns. This coast takes the mistral head on, so I keep it for settled weather.
Islands and harbours: Calvi · Scandola · Girolata · Gulf of Porto · Ajaccio
Scandola is a nature reserve, seen from the water.
Scandola