The unique position of the French Riviera, between the Mediterranean Sea and the French Alps, creates a micro-climate that makes the weather incredibly pleasurable. Warm sunny days can be found all year round – it’s common to lunch in the sun in January, and the months of June and September are usually glorious.
Dream destinations
Riviera Magic
12 Days
DAY ONE MONACO
Monaco is a great starting point. This is where some of the world’s most amazing luxury yachts are moored. Monaco is stunningly beautiful and those that like gambling should not miss the famous casino!
DAY TWO VILLEFRANCHE
A quaint and beautiful port between Nice and Monaco, Villefranche is a perfect port to spend the night when cruising the Cote d’Azur. The beautiful views of the town and surrounding hills and cliffs make this a fantastic stopover. The medieval port has the requisite red roofs, vaulted passages over cobblestone streets, and a distinctive church steeple.
DAY THREE NICE
Nice is both a very popular boating destination, as well as the main entry point to the French Riviera because of the Nice/Cote d’Azur airport. All kinds of restaurants and activities can be found, as befits a town of its size. If you don’t like pebbled beaches then Nice it is definitely not the right swimming destination for you but it is one destination that no one should miss. From the Promenade des Anglais, which is a long boardwalk curving along the entire waterfront, you still get a feeling for its early 1900′s splendour with the beautiful architecture. Nice retains its old world charm in the beautiful Old Port and the Old Town with its excellent markets.
DAY FOUR ANTIBES, CAP D’ANTIBES, JUAN LES PINS
Both an ancient Greek and Roman fortified town, today Antibes is a bustling port town and yachting centre. The most notable landmark is the castle in the Old Town, with its extensive ramparts. Antibes has many old winding streets, a good variety of restaurants, and is today heavily influenced by the yachting industry. It wouldn’t be uncommon to see some of the most luxurious yachts in the world moored here. The adjacent Juan-les-Pins is a typical French seaside resort, offering sandy beaches and good night life.
DAY FIVE CANNES
A visit to the French Rivera really wouldn’t be complete without a stopover in Cannes for some shopping, lunch on the Croisette, and people/yacht watching. The bay itself is gorgeous, surrounded by hills and rock formations that reach all the way to the French Alps, visible on clear days, and full of amazing yachts. The curving Croisette boardwalk, spanning the entire bay and connecting the two ports, offers a beautiful sandy beach. Cannes receives a massive dose of publicity each year because of the Film Festival, and there is a good reason why it resides there. The city offers the panache and glitz that the movie industry seeks, plus a whole lot more. The main shopping street – Rue d’Antibes, is just behind the Croisette.
DAY SIX ILES DE LERINS
Cruise around Santorini’s satellite islands of Thirassia, Palea and Nea Kameni for superior and secluded beaches, before stepping ashore to sample some of the island’s great wines and local cuisine but most of all, to discover the little villages which are situated on cliffs offering breathtaking views over the submerged volcano. Santorini boasts extraordinary landscapes, spectacular heights and breathtaking sunsets. After dinner at the island’s most idyllically appointed restaurant, Ambrosia, whose balcony has the best sunset view on the island, step back onboard for an overnight cruise back to Athens.
DAY SEVEN FREJUS/SAN RAPHAEL
San Raphael offers a bustling old town directly on the beach and the third largest marina on the French Riviera. Fréjus is well known for its beautiful long and white sandy beaches and the nearby Roman ruins. It also boasts a nice old town and is a very popular summer destination forboth th French and visitors from all over Europe.
DAY EIGHT SAINT TROPEZ
Saint Tropez gained its fame for the long expanse of private sandy beaches and its quaint old port town. The beaches are done the way the French do it – you purchase a chair and umbrella for the day and take a long lunch at Club 55, with plenty of rosé wine. Alternatively you can simply overlook the others while enjoying the beautiful waters in complete privacy aboard your yacht. The town offers a broad array of cuisine, from simple cafes to 3star Michelin restaurants, and numerous boutiques (from exclusive labels to souvenir shops).
DAY NINE PORQUEROLLES/ILES D’OR
Porquerolles is the biggest of the three islands of Or in the Hyères gulf (near Toulon). The north of the island offers beautiful sandy beaches, the south excellent cliffs and rock formations. Many visitors rent bikes to fully explore the island. Porquerolles is a very popular destination for all types of boats, as it offers many bays and harbours, and nearly unspoiled terrain (80% of the island is protected park). The island boasts a 3star Michelin restaurant, and several other places for excellent sea food.
DAY TEN BANDOL
Bandol is a seaside resort that offers sandy beaches, rocky coves and hills of pine trees. The port itself shelters 1,500 boats of all sizes and plenty of seaside cafes. Its nearby vineyards are famous and reputed to have the best reds in the South of France – worth a side trip if you have time.
DAY ELEVEN CASSIS
Cassis is a beautiful old fishing town near Marseille surrounded by stunning cliffs and rock formations. It is wekk worth a visit, for a relaxing lunch in the port, a hike in the hills, or a side trip to sample the best white wines in the area.
DAY TWELVE MARSEILLES
Marseilles is the perfect gateway for a Mediterranean cruise, as more and more airlines are now flying there and the other destinations of the Cote d’Azur are within easy reach. Marseilles has a beautiful old port, with a history of 2,600 years. It was started by the Phonecians in 600BC and then succeeded by the Greeks and Romans. It provides everything that a Mediterranean port city should, including the famous Bouillabaisse.