Naturally, it goes without saying – the South of France needs little introduction as a charter destination. Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Monaco, all of these destinations are names that have shaped and defined yachting along the Côte d’Azur for generations, and rightly so. But there is a South of France Yacht Charter itinerary that goes much further, and considerably deeper than the famous quais and the beach clubs of Pampelonne. One that rewards charterers who are open to cruising further than the well-traveled hotspots and postcard anchorages, and explore a coastline that offers much more variety than its reputation may suggest. From the dramatic limestone calanques west of Marseille to the relatively untouched islands of Les Îles d’Or, the South of France is home to several destinations that are as unique, diverse, and wildly beautiful as anywhere else in the Mediterranean. Here, we look at some of the quieter, perhaps unexpected, and genuinely uncrowded charter destinations in the South of France.
The Côte d’Azur is inevitably part of any South of France charter itinerary, but the stretch of coastline between St Tropez and Monaco offers considerably more than its most famous addresses. Cap Ferrat, a wooded peninsula of grand villas, clear water, and a slower pace of life, is one of the more genuinely quieter parts of the French Riviera. An afternoon anchored off the coast here tends to feel like a world removed from the bustle and activity of Cannes or Nice. Villefranche-sur-Mer, with its sheltered deep-water bay and ochre-painted waterfront buildings, consistently surprises first-time visitors with its scale and beauty. Further west, the bay of Juan-les-Pins and the historic old town of Antibes, home to the Picasso Museum and Port Vauban, one of the largest yacht harbours in Europe, are often viewed as more laid-back, relaxed, and culturally rich alternatives to the better-known ports. Now, for those who are keen to visit spots like St Tropez or Monaco, we recommend arriving at dawn, before the day-trippers cross from the mainland or neighbouring cities. The early hour transforms these cities entirely, creating a sense of quiet, golden glow, and briefly belonging only to those who came by water.
West of St Tropez lies the three islands of Porquerolles, Port-Cros, and Île du Levant, also known as Les Îles d’Or, or the Golden Isles, which represent the South of France at its most unspoilt. Porquerolles is the largest and most accessible of the three, with a car-free village, turquoise lagoons, and a clear network of biking trails through the forest that extend to the clifftop viewpoints above the southern coast. Port-Cros is a national marine park, home to some of the finest snorkelling and diving in the western Mediterranean. Both islands are ideally located within a straightforward day’s cruise of Saint-Tropez, yet they feel, and are, entirely different in character: quieter, wilder, and more genuinely restorative.
For the charterers who wish to extend their itinerary further than the French Riviera proper, two destinations in particular are well worth the additional cruising. The Calanques are a series of sheer limestone fjords cutting into the coastline between Marseille and Cassis. Accessible only by boat or on foot, their combination of white rock, pine forest, and improbably turquoise water is unlike anything else on the French coast and a stunning sight to behold. Further from there lies Corsica, a destination that calls for a full week’s cruising in its own right. Corsica offers countless sites to explore, from the medieval clifftop citadel at Bonifacio, to the UNESCO-listed Scandola Nature Reserve accessible only from the sea, to the sheltered bay at Calvi with the Genoese fortress rising above the old town, and dozens of remote inlets along the west coast, many of which receive close to no traffic outside July and August.
Whenever you choose to visit, whether it be the warm months of June, July, and August, or the calmer shoulder months of May, September, and October, the South of France remains one of the few charter destinations in the world that delivers on every level, and one that always reveals something new to those who return to it.
