France · Côte d'Azur
Yacht Charter Nice
The Baie des Anges, a seven-kilometre promenade, and the airport that puts the whole coast within half an hour.
Nice is the capital of this coast and the reason the rest of it is reachable: the airport sits on the water at the western end of the bay, twenty minutes from Villefranche, twenty-five from Monaco and forty from Cannes. Behind the promenade is a city that was Italian until 1860 and still cooks like it, with an old town of ochre lanes and a market that has been running since 1861.
The bay and the old town
The Baie des Anges is a seven-kilometre curve of pebble beach with the Promenade des Anglais along it, laid out by the English colony in the 1820s. From the water the whole arc reads at once, with the Alps standing behind the city on a clear morning.
Vieux Nice behind is Ligurian rather than French: narrow ochre streets, the Cours Saleya flower and produce market, and socca — a chickpea pancake cooked on a copper disc — sold from stalls that have not changed method in a century.
Where the boats go
Port Lympia at the eastern end of the city takes yachts and sits directly under the Colline du Château, which has the best view on this coast and no château on it at all.
From here Villefranche is fifteen minutes, Cap Ferrat twenty, Monaco twenty-five and the Îles de Lérins about two hours west. Nice is where a Riviera week tends to begin because of the airport, and where it tends to end for the same reason.
Practical notes
- Nice airport sits on the water at the western end of the bay — the whole coast is within forty minutes of it
- Port Lympia at the eastern end takes yachts and sits under the Colline du Château
- Villefranche is fifteen minutes east, Monaco twenty-five, the Îles de Lérins about two hours west
- The Cours Saleya market runs every morning except Monday, when it turns into antiques
Reached from: the Balearics and the western Mediterranean
Where to dine
A table by the water
Le Chantecler
NiceIn the Negresco on the promenade, and the most serious kitchen in the city since 1913.
Chez Pipo
NiceA socca counter near the port that has been cooking chickpea flour on copper since 1923.
Cours Saleya
Vieux NiceThe flower and produce market every morning but Monday, and the reason to be ashore before nine.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
The Baie des Anges
Seven kilometres of curve with the Promenade des Anglais along it, laid out by the English colony in the 1820s.
Vieux Nice
Ligurian rather than French: ochre lanes, a working market, and socca sold from stalls that have not changed method in a century.
Colline du Château
Twenty minutes up from the port, with the best view on this coast and no château on it at all.
Port Lympia
The yacht harbour at the eastern end, directly under the hill and fifteen minutes from Villefranche.
The fleet
Yachts available for Nice
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 Nice
- Why start a Riviera week at Nice?
- The airport. It sits on the water at the end of the bay and puts Villefranche at fifteen minutes, Monaco at twenty-five and Cannes at forty — no other transfer on this coast is close.
- What is worth doing ashore?
- Vieux Nice and the Cours Saleya market in the morning, and the Colline du Château for the view over the bay — twenty minutes up, and the best on this coast.
- What does a yacht charter in Nice 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 in Nice
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.