A Day-Charter Itinerary from Cannes by Yacht
Depart from the Vieux Port and trace the coast from the Lérins Islands east to Cap d'Antibes — roughly 18 nautical miles of sheltered Riviera cruising.
From the port outwards
- 01
09:00 · Cast off — Vieux Port de Cannes
Board at the Vieux Port where your crew has already loaded provisions from Marché Forville. A short safety briefing on the aft deck, then the skipper eases out past the harbour wall. Morning light on La Croisette makes a fine backdrop as the boat turns south toward open water.
- 02
10:00 · Swim and snorkel — Île Sainte-Marguerite
Anchor in the turquoise shallows off the island's north shore, where the seabed is Posidonia sand at three to five metres. The tender drops you near the old Fort Royal for a walk through eucalyptus forest. Morning is best here — afternoon swell from the south can make the anchorage less comfortable.
- 03
13:00 · Waterfront lunch — Cap d'Antibes
Cruise east for roughly 45 minutes and pick up a mooring near the Garoupe beach area. The crew serves a chilled lunch on the flybridge or you take the tender ashore to a seafood restaurant along the cape. Book a table in advance during July and August — shoreside spots fill quickly.
- 04
16:30 · Scenic cruise — Corniche de l'Estérel
Head west past Théoule-sur-Mer toward the red volcanic cliffs of the Massif de l'Estérel. The coastline is best appreciated from 200 metres offshore where the colour contrast between rock and sea is most vivid. Swell is typically gentle on summer afternoons, so the passage suits an open-air aperitivo on the foredeck.
- 05
19:30 · Sunset and nightcap — Golfe de la Napoule
The skipper positions the yacht in the Golfe de la Napoule for a westward sunset view across the bay. Champagne service on the aft deck while the Estérel ridge turns amber. From here the return to Port Pierre Canto takes under 20 minutes, setting you ashore in time for a late dinner along the Boulevard de la Croisette.
About Cannes
Cannes sits at the centre of the western Riviera's finest cruising grounds. The Vieux Port and Port Pierre Canto together berth several hundred charter vessels from April through October, making this one of the Mediterranean's most active embarkation points. Within 12 nautical miles you can anchor off Île Sainte-Marguerite, lunch at a waterfront table in Antibes or swim beneath the red porphyry cliffs of the Massif de l'Estérel. Push east for 30 nautical miles and you reach Monaco — a comfortable half-day passage in settled conditions.
Most yacht rentals here fall between 12 and 35 metres: open day boats for coastal sprints, flybridge motor yachts for family weeks, and sailing cats for quieter passages. Med mooring stern-to is standard in every port from Saint-Tropez to Villefranche, so your crew handles lines and passerelle while you step ashore. Summer swell rarely exceeds half a metre inside the Golfe de la Napoule, which keeps tender transfers smooth. Ashore, the Marché Forville supplies the morning's produce — your onboard chef can provision there before cast-off.
A private boat charter from this stretch of coast suits couples marking an anniversary, multi-generational families who need flexible cabin layouts, and corporate hosts entertaining during the Cannes Lions or MIPIM conferences. Consider a three-day loop: depart the Vieux Port, overnight in the Îles de Lérins, then cruise to Saint-Tropez before returning via the Corniche de l'Estérel. Our brokers shape every itinerary around tide, wind and your guest list — contact us to start planning.