France · Côte d'Azur
Yacht Charter Èze
A village on a rock four hundred metres above the sea, and a cactus garden where the castle used to be.
Èze is a medieval village built on a pinnacle of rock between Nice and Monaco, with the sea four hundred and thirty metres directly below. The lanes are too narrow for anything with wheels, the castle at the top was demolished by Louis XIV and its site is now a garden of cacti and succulents, and on a clear day the view runs from Saint-Tropez to the Italian border.
The village and the garden
Everything above the gate is stone and stairs — a single fortified entrance from the fourteenth century, then lanes that thread under vaults and open onto the drop without warning.
The Jardin Exotique occupies the castle site at the summit, planted with cacti and agaves that suit the rock and the exposure, and the terrace at the top is the highest viewpoint on this part of the coast.
Down to the water
The Chemin de Nietzsche drops from the village to Èze-sur-Mer in about an hour on foot — the philosopher walked it while composing part of Zarathustra, and it is steep in the way that suggests he was not strolling.
At the bottom, Èze-sur-Mer has a small beach and a landing, and Cap Ferrat is ten minutes west by sea with Monaco ten minutes east.
Practical notes
- The village sits four hundred and thirty metres above the sea; tenders land at Èze-sur-Mer and a car does the climb
- The Chemin de Nietzsche connects the two in about an hour on foot, downhill
- Monaco is ten minutes east by sea, Cap Ferrat ten west, Nice twenty
- The Jardin Exotique occupies the castle site and is the highest viewpoint on this part of the coast
Reached from: the Balearics and the western Mediterranean
Where to dine
A table by the water
Château de la Chèvre d'Or
ÈzeTerraces cut into the rock face of the village, with the drop directly under the tables.
Château Eza
ÈzeA former royal residence on the edge of the pinnacle, and the other terrace with four hundred metres beneath it.
Anjuna
Èze-sur-MerOn the pebbles at the bottom of the climb, where the tender lands and lunch runs long.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
The Jardin Exotique
Cacti and agaves on the site of the castle Louis XIV demolished, and the highest viewpoint on this part of the coast.
The village lanes
Stone and stairs above a single fourteenth-century gate, too narrow for anything with wheels.
Chemin de Nietzsche
The path from the village down to the sea, walked by the philosopher while composing part of Zarathustra.
Èze-sur-Mer
A small beach and a landing at the bottom, ten minutes from Cap Ferrat and ten from Monaco by sea.
The fleet
Yachts available for Èze
Vessels that operate here, from flagship motor yachts to smaller crewed boats. Every rate is quoted on enquiry.
Good to know
Questions we are asked about Èze
- How do you reach Èze from a boat?
- The tender lands at Èze-sur-Mer and a car climbs to the village, or you walk the Chemin de Nietzsche, which takes about an hour on foot and is much easier downhill.
- What is at the top?
- The Jardin Exotique, planted with cacti and agaves on the site of the castle Louis XIV pulled down, with a view that runs from Saint-Tropez to the Italian border on a clear day.
- What does a yacht charter at Èze cost?
- It depends on the yacht, the season, the crew and the positioning, so we quote on enquiry rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most weeks.
Destinations
Nearby destinations
Charter here
Enquire about a charter at Èze
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.