In short
Yacht charter in Antibes centres on Port Vauban, home to the IYCA superyacht quay and the largest concentration of yacht-industry services on the Riviera. Cannes is about thirty minutes west by sea, Monaco an hour east, and the Baie de la Garoupe on Cap d'Antibes is the signature day anchorage.
Last reviewed 3 September 2026 · By the concierge desk, Luxury Yacht Charter Monaco · Monaco
Antibes charter — key facts
| Main harbour | Port Vauban, including the IYCA quay |
|---|---|
| Cruise to Cannes | About 30 minutes |
| Cruise to Monaco | About 60-75 minutes |
| Airport transfer | Nice Côte d'Azur, 25-30 minutes by car |
| Signature anchorage | Baie de la Garoupe, Cap d'Antibes |
| Best months | May to early October |
Why charter a yacht in Antibes
Port Vauban is the largest marina on the French Riviera by berth capacity and the only one on the coast that reads as a working yachting town rather than a resort harbour. Its eastern arm, the IYCA quay, holds the largest yachts; behind the port sit the refit sheds, the chandleries, the crew agencies and the provisioning firms that keep the season running. For a charter guest this is invisible infrastructure, but it is the reason captains like the port.
The old town, enclosed by Vauban's seventeenth-century ramparts, is one of the most attractive on the coast. The covered Provençal market on Cours Masséna runs every morning outside winter Mondays; the Château Grimaldi houses the Picasso Museum, built around the work he made in the building in 1946; and the ramparts walk gives a sea-level view of the port that explains the town's shape better than any map.
Cap d'Antibes, immediately south, is the quiet counterweight. Pine woods, private estates, the Garoupe lighthouse, the coastal path around the headland, and at its tip the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc. The Cap divides two very different bodies of water: Garoupe to the east, sheltered and sandy; the open approach to Golfe-Juan and the Lérins islands to the west.
As a charter base Antibes offers the shortest average leg lengths on the Riviera. Cannes and the Îles de Lérins are a half-hour cruise; Nice and Villefranche around forty minutes; Monaco an hour. A charter based here rarely needs a long passage day, which suits guests who want to swim and eat rather than travel.
Ports, marinas & berths in Antibes
Port Vauban
The principal harbour, with capacity across a wide size range and stern-to berthing on most quays. Access to the old town is immediate — the market and the museum are a few minutes' walk from the pontoons.
Peak-season allocation is competitive, particularly in the weeks around the Cannes festivals when Antibes absorbs overflow demand from further west.
The IYCA quay (Quai des Milliardaires)
The dedicated superyacht quay on the eastern side of Port Vauban, capable of taking yachts far beyond what most Riviera ports can accommodate. Berths here are limited in number and booked well ahead; where a charter requires one, we establish availability before anything else is agreed.
Port Gallice and Golfe-Juan
Port Gallice at Juan-les-Pins and Port Camille Rayon at Golfe-Juan are the smaller neighbouring harbours, suitable for yachts up to roughly 40 metres and useful when Vauban is full. Both sit on the western side of the Cap, closer to Cannes.
Cannes, Nice and Monaco as alternates
Vieux Port and Port Canto at Cannes lie half an hour west; Port Lympia at Nice about forty minutes east; Port Hercule in Monaco an hour. Charters regularly embark in one and disembark in another, subject to the terms in the charter agreement.
Signature anchorages & day cruises
Baie de la Garoupe
The sandy bay on the eastern flank of Cap d'Antibes and one of the classical Riviera lunch anchorages. Sheltered from westerlies, shallow enough for easy swimming, and served by beach clubs including Plage Keller and Plage Joseph, which take tender arrivals by reservation.
Off the Eden-Roc
The water off the western tip of the Cap, below the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc pavilion. Yachts lie off for lunch ashore or simply for the view; the anchorage is more exposed than Garoupe and is a settled-weather stop.
Îles de Lérins
Forty minutes west, the channel between Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat is the best day anchorage between Antibes and Cannes — turquoise water, pine shade, the Fort Royal on one island and the Cistercian monastery estate on the other.
Golfe-Juan and Île Sainte-Marguerite's south shore
Useful alternatives when the main Lérins channel is crowded in August, both offering good holding and a shorter tender run to shore than their reputation suggests.
When to charter from Antibes
May through early October, with June and September the best balance of warm water and manageable crowds. September is particularly strong here: the sea is at its warmest and the town relaxes once the Yachting Festival traffic clears.
Mid-May brings the Cannes Film Festival, which fills Antibes as well as Cannes; early September brings the Cannes Yachting Festival with the same effect. Late May is Monaco Grand Prix week, when yachts stage along the whole coast.
Winter charters from Antibes are unusual but the port itself never closes — it is one of the few Riviera harbours with a genuine year-round working population.
Sample Antibes yacht charter itineraries
Itinerary 1
Antibes and the Lérins — three nights west
Short legs, long lunches, and the two best island anchorages on the coast.
- Day 1Board at Port Vauban after a morning at the Cours Masséna market. Short cruise round the Cap to the Baie de la Garoupe for a swim and lunch at anchor; evening back in port and dinner in the old town.
- Day 2Cruise west to the Îles de Lérins. Anchor in the channel, swim, tender ashore for the Fort Royal on Sainte-Marguerite. Overnight off Cannes or in Vieux Port.
- Day 3Day cruise to the Estérel's red cliffs and Théoule-sur-Mer; return east for dinner ashore on La Croisette.
- Day 4Slow morning at Golfe-Juan, final swim, disembark at Antibes.
Itinerary 2
Antibes to Monaco — three nights east
The Cap Ferrat coast at charter pace, finishing in Port Hercule.
- Day 1Embark Antibes, cruise east past Nice to the Rade de Villefranche for a swim and overnight at anchor.
- Day 2Round Cap Ferrat to Paloma Bay for lunch; afternoon ashore for the Villa Ephrussi gardens; overnight at Saint-Jean or Beaulieu.
- Day 3Cruise the Cap d'Ail cliffs with a swim at Plage Mala, arriving Port Hercule in the late afternoon. Evening ashore in Monaco.
- Day 4Breakfast on board, morning in Monaco, disembark — or continue east to Menton and the Italian frontier.
Best yachts for Antibes
Superyachts above 50 metres, for which Antibes offers berthing and technical support unmatched elsewhere on the coast.
Motor yachts of 30-45 metres — the most common Antibes charter, well matched to short legs and anchorage-based days.
Fast open day boats for Garoupe, Lérins and Cannes lunches without an overnight commitment.
Sailing yachts and catamarans, which use Golfe-Juan and the Lérins anchorages particularly comfortably.
On board & ashore
Provisioning from the Cours Masséna covered market on the morning of embarkation.
Beach-club and restaurant reservations at Garoupe, in the old town and along La Croisette, with tender timings arranged.
Eden-Roc lunch requests, subject to the hotel's own availability and policies.
Watersports appropriate to the yacht, and instruction where the crew carries it.
Shore programmes: the Picasso Museum, the ramparts walk, Grasse perfumeries and the Cap d'Antibes coastal path.
Charter costs, APA and VAT
Rates are set by each yacht's central agent and depend on size, age, crew and season. We quote indicative 'from' figures only, and confirm the actual rate in writing before you commit.
MYBA terms apply on the French Riviera, with an Advance Provisioning Allowance typically 25-35% of the base rate covering fuel, food, drink, berthing and communications.
French VAT applies to charter fees, with reductions on qualifying itineraries that include international waters. The contract sets out the position; we make sure it is explained before signature.
IYCA and Port Vauban berthing in peak weeks is both costly and scarce — early commitment is the practical lever on both.
Antibes yacht charter FAQs
Why is Antibes considered the superyacht capital of the Riviera?+
Port Vauban holds the International Yacht Club d'Antibes quay — the so-called Quai des Milliardaires — which has berths for some of the largest yachts on the coast, alongside a dense cluster of refit yards, crew agencies, provisioners and technical suppliers. It is where the industry itself is based, not only where yachts visit.
How far is Antibes from Monaco by sea?+
Roughly one hour to an hour and a quarter on a 30-40 metre motor yacht at 12-14 knots, passing Nice and Cap Ferrat. Cannes is around thirty minutes to the west, and Nice airport about forty minutes by sea or twenty-five by car.
Can we lunch at the Eden-Roc from the yacht?+
The Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc sits on the western tip of Cap d'Antibes and its pavilion and pool terrace are among the most requested lunch venues on the coast. Tables require reservation well in advance and are subject to the hotel's own policies; your concierge arranges the booking and the tender timing.
What is the best anchorage near Antibes?+
The Baie de la Garoupe on the eastern side of Cap d'Antibes — sandy, sheltered from the west, with beach clubs that receive tender arrivals. Golfe-Juan to the west and the Îles de Lérins a little further on are the other regular day stops.
Is Antibes suitable for a family charter?+
Yes. The old town inside the Vauban ramparts is compact and safe to walk, the Provençal market on Cours Masséna is a genuine morning out, the Picasso Museum is small enough for children, and Garoupe is a shallow, calm swimming bay.
When is Antibes busiest?+
July and August, plus the Cannes Film Festival in May and the Cannes Yachting Festival in September, when Port Vauban absorbs yachts that cannot berth in Cannes. Berths in those weeks need to be secured many months ahead.
Can a charter start in Antibes and finish in Monaco?+
Frequently. Antibes to Monaco is a comfortable two or three-night cruise with stops at Cap Ferrat and Villefranche. One-way arrangements are agreed with the central agent in the charter contract.
Do you arrange technical support during an Antibes charter?+
The yacht's own crew and management handle technical matters, but Antibes' concentration of yards and suppliers means anything needed is close at hand — one practical reason captains like basing here.
Related destinations & guides
- Yacht charter CannesThirty minutes west, via the Lérins
- Yacht charter NiceThe nearest international gateway
- Yacht charter MonacoAn hour east, Port Hercule
- Yacht charter Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratPaloma and the Villa Ephrussi
- French Riviera charter itineraryA full week along this coast
By the concierge desk · Monaco