A Full-Day Yacht Itinerary from Cannes
Depart from the Vieux Port and trace a 25-nautical-mile loop that sweeps past the Lérins Islands, hugs the Esterel cliffs and returns along the Croisette as the lights come on.
From the port outwards
- 01
09:30 · Cast off — Vieux Port de Cannes
The crew welcomes you at the quay with coffee and a briefing on the day's weather. Morning departure avoids the midday tender traffic around the harbour entrance. Within ten minutes you are clear of the breakwater and heading south toward the islands with flat, calm water ahead.
- 02
10:15 · Swim and snorkel — Île Sainte-Marguerite
Anchor in the sandy shallows off the island's north shore, where Posidonia meadows create clear turquoise water barely three metres deep. The crew sets up the swim platform and water toys. Visit the Fort Royal on the tender if time allows — it is a five-minute ride to the stone jetty.
- 03
13:00 · Lunch at anchor — Anse de la Figueirette
Cruise west along the Esterel coast to this sheltered cove framed by red porphyry rock. The chef serves lunch on the aft deck while the yacht sits in the lee of the headland. Swell rarely reaches this bay before mid-afternoon, making it the calmest lunch spot between Cannes and Théoule-sur-Mer.
- 04
16:30 · Aperitivo ashore — Plage de la Croisette
Return east and drop anchor off one of the private beach clubs along the Boulevard de la Croisette. The tender puts you on the sand in under two minutes. Order a glass of Bandol rosé and watch the late-afternoon promenade before the crew calls you back for the final leg.
- 05
19:30 · Sunset and nightcap — Cap de la Croisette
Round the cape at golden hour for an unobstructed view of the sun dropping behind the Esterel ridge. The stewardess pours champagne as the sky shifts from amber to deep violet. From here the Vieux Port is barely ten minutes away, so you arrive back at the quay relaxed and well before any late dinner reservation ashore.
About Cannes
Fleet fit depends on where you want to go. A short crossing to Île Sainte-Marguerite or Île Saint-Honorat suits day boats, motor yachts and sailing catamarans, since the water stays calm and the run is quick. Heading east toward Cap d'Antibes and the Golfe Juan anchorage works on a similar scale. A day at Monaco, or an overnight with a berth at Port Hercule, is a different proposition better matched to larger crewed yachts with a dock arranged in advance, since the distance past Nice and Cap-Ferrat and the customs of a cross-border stop change the planning.
Departure point shapes the day as much as the destination. Port Canto is the main marina for charter guests, with fuel and provisioning on site and a water taxi link to the Vieux-Port; it is the practical base for most fleet departures. The Vieux-Port itself is busier and suits smaller boats or serves as a tender landing point for guests joining later. Timing matters too: in July and August the Lérins anchorages fill by midday, so an earlier start keeps the crossing and the anchorage itself unhurried, while May sees berths booked out months ahead around the Film Festival and June through September carries the heaviest general demand.
Guest numbers and the shape of the day usually decide the vessel. Couples booking a half-day at the Lérins islands, families wanting sheltered water for children to swim, and corporate hosts arranging a catered lunch at anchor off Sainte-Marguerite each call for a different size and layout, which is why capacity and cabin or deck configuration are checked against the group before confirming a boat. On cost, a short round trip to the Lérins islands keeps fuel spend modest within the APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance, the working budget for fuel, food and port fees), whereas a full day out to Monaco adds meaningfully to that figure and should be budgeted accordingly.