French Riviera sailing itinerary: Saint-Tropez to Cannes
Sailing the French Riviera between Saint-Tropez and Cannes packs a lot into short distances: Saint-Tropez harbour, the sandy bay of Pampelonne, the red cliffs of the Estérel and the two Lérins islands off Cannes, one with a fort, one with a working monastery. A week from the Gulf of Saint-Tropez means hops of 2 to 27 nautical miles, nights in marinas and buoy fields, and some strict local rules.
Where to charter a yacht for the French Riviera?
The main charter bases for this route are in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez: Les Marines de Cogolin and Port Grimaud, with more boats in Saint-Tropez and Cannes. You can compare all of them on the French Riviera yacht charter page. Charter weeks usually run Saturday to Saturday. For bareboat, the charter company must accept your qualifications (see our guides to the boat licence in France and the ICC). If not, hire a skipper or book a crewed yacht.
A 7-day sailing itinerary from Cogolin and Port Grimaud
The loop starts and ends in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. Distances are rough estimates: plan every leg with up-to-date charts and a pilot book, and keep a plan B for mistral days.
Day 1: Cogolin or Port Grimaud to Saint-Tropez (approx. 3 nm)
After the handover, a short hop across the gulf takes you to the harbour of Saint-Tropez. Boats under 18 m request a berth through Navily, larger yachts through the port's Magelan Eresa booking system, and the harbour office answers on VHF 9. The port's high season runs from 1 May to the start of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez regatta, so book well ahead.
Tip: if Saint-Tropez is full, spend the first night at your base (VHF 9 in both Cogolin and Port Grimaud).
Day 2: Saint-Tropez to Cap Camarat and Pampelonne (approx. 9 nm)
Round Cap Saint-Tropez, sail south to Cap Camarat and return to the bay of Pampelonne for the night. The bay is managed as a ZMEL (a legal mooring and buoy field) for the commune of Ramatuelle. According to the operator, it is open from 8 May to 5 October and booked online or on VHF 77. Only the Capilla sector (D) takes boats day and night. The large-yacht sectors B and C are for daytime only (08:00–22:00). Boats under 24 m may anchor on sand outside the buoy sectors for up to 72 hours, but they must register on the ZMEL app. Anchoring on posidonia seagrass is prohibited for every boat.
Tip: bookings for the buoys cannot be cancelled. Check the forecast before you pay.
Day 3: Pampelonne to Sainte-Maxime (approx. 7 nm)
A short sail back round the cape and across the gulf brings you to Sainte-Maxime on the north shore. The port has more than 800 berths, an online booking portal for passing boats, and a harbour office on VHF 9.
Tip: provision and fill the water tanks here before the Estérel.
Day 4: Sainte-Maxime to Agay and the Estérel (approx. 12 nm)
Pass Saint-Raphaël and follow the coast to the bay of Agay, where the red rocks of the Estérel start. The harbour of Agay only takes boats up to 8 m. The bay itself has buoy moorings, and visiting boats must contact the harbour office (VHF 9) before picking one up. Inside the mooring zones, the speed limit is 3 knots and sailing is prohibited. Anchoring is banned in the 300 m strip on the eastern and northern sides of the bay.
Tip: ask the harbour office whether your boat's length fits the visitor buoys before you arrive.
Day 5: Agay along the Estérel to the Lérins islands (approx. 12 nm)
The most scenic leg: along the Estérel's red cliffs and coves, past Théoule-sur-Mer and across to the Lérins islands. The night is spent in the Sainte-Anne buoy field (ZMEL) on the north side of Île Sainte-Marguerite. The town of Cannes says it has 30 buoys for boats of 6–20 m, inside a 43-hectare zone where anchoring is prohibited. It opens each year from 1 May to 30 September. You register with the Port du Moure Rouge office on VHF 9 or by phone, 09:00–18:00. Stays are limited to 7 nights in a row, and you must leave the buoy by noon on your departure day.
Tip: go ashore to the Fort Royal on Sainte-Marguerite, where the Man in the Iron Mask was held. The island is a state forest, so take all your rubbish back with you.
Day 6: Saint-Honorat and on to Cannes Vieux-Port (approx. 2 nm plus island hopping)
In the morning, cross the channel between the islands to Saint-Honorat. Its abbey is still home to monks, the island has its own vineyards and visitors are asked to dress decently. There is an anchoring ban south of the island, off the abbey. Then motor across to the Vieux-Port of Cannes below the old Suquet quarter, run for the town by IGY Marinas; contact the office in advance for a visitor berth.
Tip: with a spare day, Golfe-Juan and Antibes are a short hop further east; check berths with each port.
Day 7: Cannes back to Cogolin or Port Grimaud (approx. 27 nm)
The long leg home runs back along the Estérel into the Gulf of Saint-Tropez; leave early. The mistral blows from the west along the Var coast, which would put it on the nose on this leg. If one is forecast, head back a day earlier and turn Day 6 into a spare day. Charter yachts must be back at base on time.
| Leg | Distance | Overnight | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cogolin/Port Grimaud – Saint-Tropez | approx. 3 nm | Port de Saint-Tropez (book ahead) | Old harbour and town |
| Saint-Tropez – Cap Camarat – Pampelonne | approx. 9 nm | Pampelonne ZMEL, Capilla buoys or sand anchorage (under 24 m) | Cap Camarat, long sandy bay |
| Pampelonne – Sainte-Maxime | approx. 7 nm | Port de Sainte-Maxime | Gulf crossing, provisioning |
| Sainte-Maxime – Agay | approx. 12 nm | Agay bay buoys (call harbour office first) | Red Estérel rocks |
| Agay – Lérins islands | approx. 12 nm | Sainte-Anne ZMEL, Sainte-Marguerite (1 May–30 Sep) | Estérel coast, Fort Royal |
| Lérins – Saint-Honorat – Cannes | approx. 2 nm plus | Cannes Vieux-Port | Monastery island, Le Suquet |
| Cannes – Cogolin/Port Grimaud | approx. 27 nm | Charter base | Long leg home |
Rules and safety on the French Riviera
- The 300 m strip. In the coastal strip within 300 m of the shore, the speed limit is 5 knots for every boat, sail or power, according to the Préfecture maritime de la Méditerranée. Swimming-only zones are marked with yellow buoys and closed to boats; reach beaches only through the marked access channels. In Cannes, these channels are limited to 5 knots and may only be entered from one end, and anchoring and swimming are forbidden inside them.
- Jet skis and busy water. Around Cannes, jet skis are banned in the marked 300 m strip, including around the islands and on the water between Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat. Passenger boats serve the island landing stage on Sainte-Marguerite; keep clear of it and of the marked channels.
- Posidonia and anchoring. Anchoring on protected seagrass is banned for every boat wherever it can damage the meadow (Préfecture maritime order 123/2019, art. 6); the mapped no-anchoring zones of the Var and Alpes-Maritimes orders apply to vessels of 24 m and more (in some Alpes-Maritimes areas, 20 m and more). Local rules add: no anchoring on posidonia anywhere inside the Pampelonne ZMEL, no anchoring in the 43-hectare zone around the Sainte-Anne buoy field or south of Saint-Honorat, and Cannes asks all boats at the Lérins to anchor on sand. The islands are a Natura 2000 site.
- Anchoring time. Under the current Mediterranean rule, you may stay at anchor in one spot for 72 hours. After that, boats under 24 m must move on and may not re-anchor within 500 m. A watch must be kept at anchor.
- Winds. According to Météo-France, the mistral blows from the west on the Var coast and reaches the Côte d'Azur when the low sits north of the Gulf of Genoa. It averages about 50 km/h with gusts of 80–100 km/h and can last several days, sometimes more than a week. It is often stronger in winter and spring. Easterly and south-easterly winds (the levant and the marin) are very humid and bring cloud and rain; the marin is often strong and regular.
- Emergencies. Call the CROSS on VHF channel 16. From a phone, 196 reaches it free of charge, but the Préfecture maritime stresses that VHF has priority at sea.
- Licence. In France, you need no licence to sail a sailing boat at sea, whatever its size. A motorboat over 4.5 kW (6 hp) requires a licence: the French permis plaisance or a valid licence from your own country, within its limits. For bareboat charter, the company will still ask for proof of experience (a sailing CV, often a licence or ICC) and can require a skipper. With a skipper you need none. See the France licence guide.
Best time to sail the French Riviera
The buoy fields show the season: Pampelonne opens early May to early October, the Sainte-Anne field 1 May to 30 September, and Agay welcomes visitors April to October. Saint-Tropez counts 1 May to the Voiles de Saint-Tropez regatta in late September as its high season. In high summer, reserve every night you can. Keep an eye on the mistral, which Météo-France describes as often stronger in winter and spring, and on the easterly winds of autumn.
FAQ
Can I anchor off Pampelonne beach overnight?
Only in the Capilla sector (on its buoys, day and night) or on sand outside the buoy sectors if your boat is under 24 m. In that case you may stay up to 72 hours and must register on the ZMEL app. Never anchor on seagrass.
Do I need to book the Lérins buoy field?
You don't book it online. You register with the Port du Moure Rouge harbour office on VHF 9 or by phone between 09:00 and 18:00, from 1 May to 30 September. There are 30 buoys for boats of 6–20 m.
Is the Saint-Tropez to Cannes route good for beginners?
Distances are short and harbours close together, but marinas and anchorages are busy. Bareboat still needs proven experience; otherwise hire a skipper.
Can I include Monaco or Nice?
This loop stops at Cannes; going further east means long legs back to the gulf. With extra time, Golfe-Juan and Antibes are the natural additions.
Plan your next leg
Heading further west? See our guides to the Hyères islands and Porquerolles and to Marseille and the Calanques, and pack with our yacht charter packing list.
