Why charter a yacht in Cannes
Cannes is one of the two anchors of the French Riviera charter market, and the natural western partner to Monaco. A yacht charter Cannes itinerary works particularly well as a weekend or short-week charter, because the Lérins islands, the Cap d'Antibes anchorages and the red-rock Estérel coast are all within an easy day-cruise radius of the harbour. Guests can pack a lot into three or four days without ever spending more than ninety minutes at sea in a single leg.
The Cannes waterfront itself is one of the more photogenic on the Mediterranean. La Croisette runs a full two kilometres of palm-lined promenade, hotels (the Carlton, the Martinez, the Majestic), beach clubs and restaurants; the Vieux Port sits at its western end, framed by the old town of Le Suquet climbing the hill above. From a yacht anchored a mile off, that skyline at dusk is one of the classical Riviera images.
As a charter destination, Cannes rewards guests who plan around the two festivals that define its calendar. The Cannes Film Festival in mid-May and the Cannes Yachting Festival in early September both fill the harbour and the hotels — and both are, for many clients, precisely the reason to be there. Outside those weeks, the port is calmer, the anchorages emptier and the restaurants more available.
Ports, marinas & berths in Cannes
Vieux Port
The historic municipal harbour at the western end of La Croisette. Vieux Port accommodates yachts of a wide range of sizes, though the largest superyachts typically anchor off. Stern-to berths on the eastern quay are the most sought-after and — during Festival weeks — nearly impossible to secure without significant advance planning.
Vieux Port's location is unmatched. Every restaurant on La Croisette, the Palais des Festivals, the old town of Le Suquet and the Marché Forville are within a short walk. For evenings ashore, this is the harbour to be in.
Port Canto
The quieter, more residential harbour at the eastern end of La Croisette, closer to Palm Beach and the Villa Rothschild. Berth allocation is more relaxed than Vieux Port and the ambience is closer to Antibes' Port Vauban than to the working atmosphere of Vieux Port during a festival.
Guests staying multiple nights in Cannes and prioritising a calmer evening on board often prefer Port Canto — the yacht is still within a ten-minute drive of La Croisette but noticeably removed from the crowds.
Anchoring off Île Sainte-Marguerite
For yachts unable to secure a berth, or preferring to remain at anchor, the sheltered water east of Île Sainte-Marguerite is the working anchorage for Cannes. Depths are workable, holding is generally good, and the tender run into Vieux Port takes fifteen minutes. Most professional captains prefer this to a Vieux Port berth in high season.
Neighbouring ports — Antibes and Golfe-Juan
Port Vauban in Antibes (with IYCA for larger superyachts) is a natural overflow harbour for Cannes charters, particularly during Festival weeks when Cannes itself is oversubscribed. Golfe-Juan and Port Camille Rayon at Vallauris are smaller alternatives that hold yachts up to roughly 40 metres.
Signature anchorages & day cruises
Îles de Lérins — Sainte-Marguerite & Saint-Honorat
The two Lérins islands are the signature day anchorage for any Cannes yacht charter. Sainte-Marguerite is the larger of the two — pine woods, walking paths, the Fort Royal where the Man in the Iron Mask was held, and quiet coves for a swim. Saint-Honorat is home to the Cistercian monastery, the Lérins wine estate and some of the most turquoise water on the coast. The channel between the two islands is the most-used anchorage and lends itself to a full day on board.
Baie de la Garoupe & Cap d'Antibes
Fifteen minutes east of Cannes, the sandy Baie de la Garoupe on the eastern side of Cap d'Antibes is one of the classical French Riviera lunch anchorages. Beach clubs (Plage Keller, Plage Joseph) welcome tender arrivals with pre-arranged tables. The Eden-Roc pool, on the western side of the Cap, is a short tender ride further round and remains one of the most photographed lunch venues on the coast.
The Estérel coast — Théoule, Anthéor, Agay
Twenty minutes west of Cannes, the coast turns dramatic. The red porphyry cliffs of the Estérel massif drop straight into the sea, creating a chain of small red-rock coves — Théoule, Anthéor, Agay — that are almost the exact opposite of the developed Cannes-Nice waterfront. A morning at anchor in one of these coves, followed by a return east for lunch in Cannes, is a very popular day plan.
Golfe-Juan & Îlots des Moines
The bay of Golfe-Juan between Cannes and Antibes offers sheltered anchorage close to shore, with the small Moines islets providing a private feel. A quiet afternoon alternative when the Lérins channel is busy.
Best time for a Cannes yacht charter
Cannes runs a longer effective charter season than most of the Riviera. Water is swimmable from late May to mid-October, and shoulder-season weeks in early June and late September offer some of the finest weather of the year. April and October remain workable for day cruises and shorter charters, though many beach clubs are closed.
The two festival weeks — Film Festival in mid-May, Yachting Festival in early September — turn Cannes into the busiest yacht port on the coast. Berth prices multiply, restaurant tables need to be booked months ahead, and the entire ashore programme (premieres, brand events, industry parties) takes on a distinct rhythm. Both are exceptional weeks to charter, but only with real advance planning.
Outside festivals, June and September are the concierge's preferred months. July and August are entirely workable, but the Lérins channel is busy, the beach clubs are full and berth availability in Vieux Port is limited. A late-June or first-week-of-September charter tends to combine warm water and much lighter port traffic.
The Mistral can occasionally reach as far east as Cannes and will chop the water in the Rade de Cannes and out towards the Lérins. Your captain will adjust the day plan around it — often by anchoring on the eastern side of Sainte-Marguerite or moving over to Cap d'Antibes for lunch.
Sample Cannes yacht charter itineraries
Itinerary 1
3-night Cannes weekend from Monaco
A classical short charter for guests staying in Monaco who want to spend a weekend on the water around Cannes and the Lérins islands.
- FriEmbark Port Hercule 16:00. Cruise to Cap Ferrat for the swim platform and dinner at anchor. Overnight in the Rade de Villefranche.
- SatMorning cruise west along the coast, arriving at the Îles de Lérins by lunch. Anchor in the channel, long lunch on board and afternoon on the water. Evening ashore in Cannes.
- SunBaie de la Garoupe morning, lunch at Eden-Roc or Plage Keller, and a leisurely eastbound cruise back to Monaco. Overnight in Villefranche or Port Hercule.
- MonLate breakfast at anchor and disembarkation at Port Hercule by 11:00.
Itinerary 2
7-night Cannes & Estérel week
A full week built around Cannes as the base, with day cruises to the Lérins, Cap d'Antibes, the Estérel coast and a westbound sortie to Saint-Tropez.
- SatEmbark Cannes Vieux Port. Overnight in the Lérins channel.
- SunSaint-Honorat visit and monastery wine tasting. Afternoon at Anse de l'Argent Faux. Dinner in Cannes.
- MonCap d'Antibes day — Baie de la Garoupe, Eden-Roc lunch, evening in Port Vauban Antibes.
- TueEstérel coast day. Anchor at Anthéor, tender swim among the red rocks. Return to Cannes for dinner.
- WedOvernight westbound cruise to Saint-Tropez. Anchor Pampelonne for the day.
- ThuSaint-Tropez ashore, dinner in Vieux Port.
- FriReturn eastbound with a lunch stop at Îles de Lérins. Final dinner in Cannes.
- SatDisembarkation Cannes Vieux Port by 09:00.
Itinerary 3
Cannes Film Festival week
The most requested Cannes week of the year, built around the Palais des Festivals calendar. The yacht anchors off Vieux Port and acts as private hospitality, dressing room, and evening venue for the client party.
- Days 1–7Days at anchor in the Lérins channel or on Cap d'Antibes; evenings on the yacht anchored off La Croisette for pre-premiere drinks, red-carpet transfers by tender, and after-parties on board. Programme built by the concierge in coordination with client PR and hospitality.
Best yachts for Cannes
The signature Cannes charter yacht is a 30–45 metre semi-displacement or planing motor yacht (Sanlorenzo SD/SL, Sunseeker 116, Ferretti 1000, Azimut Grande) — fast enough to make the Monaco-Cannes cruise a comfortable ninety minutes, beamy enough for genuine at-anchor entertaining, and low enough on air draft to move discreetly in and out of Vieux Port.
For day-charter use around the Lérins, a smaller Riva or Wajer (24–30 metre) is often preferred — quicker in and out of the anchorage, easier alongside in Vieux Port, and perfectly sized for a family or small group.
For Film Festival week, the format shifts. Larger 40-metre-plus superyachts (Feadship, Benetti, Oceanco) anchored off La Croisette are the classical hospitality base — beach club at swim-platform level, generous aft deck for evening receptions, and dedicated tender crew running guests in and out of Vieux Port through the night. Browse our full fleet for representative examples.
On board & ashore
Ashore in Cannes is the point. La Palme d'Or at the Martinez remains the destination two-star dining room; Baoli and La Môme are the late-night addresses; and every beach club along La Croisette — Nikki Beach, Miramar Plage, Bâoli Beach, C Beach at the Carlton — has a distinct crowd and rhythm. Reservations are held by the concierge before you arrive.
On board, the Cannes anchorage days lend themselves to a full watersports programme. The channel between Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat is protected enough for jet-skis, seabobs, paddleboards and the tender-driven towed toys that most 30-metre-plus yachts carry. Divers and instructors can join on request, and the water clarity around the Lérins supports genuine snorkelling.
Ashore excursions from a Cannes base extend well beyond the coast. Half-day trips inland to Grasse (perfumeries), Mougins (old-town Michelin dining) and Saint-Paul-de-Vence (the Fondation Maeght) are all within an hour's drive. A morning helicopter to Monaco for a Casino Square lunch, or to Saint-Tropez for a Pampelonne beach club, is a common way to pack in a second destination without moving the yacht.
Charter costs, APA and VAT
A Cannes yacht charter prices similarly to the wider French Riviera — the base yacht rate is set by the yacht itself, and Cannes as a port does not command a premium in the way Monaco's Port Hercule does during event weeks. Typical weekly base rates for a 30–40 metre motor yacht run from €140,000 to €280,000, with larger builds priced accordingly. Weekend and 3–4 night charters are available on many yachts at a pro-rata rate.
The exception is Film Festival week (mid-May) and Yachting Festival week (early September). During these weeks, base rates on yachts remaining in Cannes typically carry a 20–40% event premium, and berth costs inside Vieux Port multiply. Both are entirely worth planning for — but need to be committed six to twelve months ahead.
The APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) is budgeted at 30–35% of the base rate for a typical Cannes week, covering fuel, food, drinks, berths and shore transfers. French VAT is applied on the portion of the charter conducted in French waters. Full cost frameworks are set out in our Monaco yacht charter prices guide.
Cannes yacht charter FAQs
Where do yachts berth in Cannes?+
Vieux Port and Port Canto are the two municipal harbours. Both accommodate large yachts subject to availability. In peak weeks (Film Festival in May, Yachting Festival in September) many yachts anchor east of Île Sainte-Marguerite and tender guests into Vieux Port.
Can I charter a yacht for the Cannes Film Festival?+
Yes, and it is one of our most-requested weeks. Vieux Port and Port Canto berths during Festival dates are exceptionally tight — enquire eight to twelve months in advance, and expect Festival-week commercial terms.
How long is the cruise from Monaco to Cannes?+
Roughly ninety minutes to two hours on a typical 30–40 metre motor yacht, cruising at 12–14 knots. Faster planing hulls can make the trip in an hour; displacement superyachts in two and a half. Guests very often arrive in Cannes by yacht for lunch and are back in Port Hercule by dinner.
What are the best day anchorages near Cannes?+
The Îles de Lérins (Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat), the Baie de la Garoupe on Cap d'Antibes, and the anchorage off Théoule-sur-Mer and the red-rock Estérel coast to the west.
Can we visit the Lérins monastery?+
Yes. Saint-Honorat is home to a working Cistercian community, and guests can tender in for a monastery visit and to buy the Lérins wine and liqueurs made on the island. Your concierge can arrange a private visit outside public opening hours.
Which restaurants should we book in Cannes?+
La Palme d'Or at the Martinez, Baoli, La Môme, Astoux et Brun for shellfish, and the beach clubs along La Croisette (Nikki Beach, Bâoli Beach, Miramar Plage). Every table is coordinated by the concierge before you arrive.
Is a Cannes charter suitable for families?+
Very. The Lérins islands are shallow, sheltered and safe for tender excursions; Cannes itself has good beach clubs with children's programmes; and yachts in the 30–40 metre bracket typically carry appropriate toys and a crew comfortable with children on board.
What's the reciprocal charter from Cannes to Monaco?+
See our dedicated Cannes to Monaco yacht charter guide for the eastbound leg — timings, sample day cruises, and one-way commercial terms.
Related destinations & guides
- Yacht charter MonacoFlagship Monaco charter hub.
- Yacht charter French RivieraThe wider Riviera coastline.
- Yacht charter Saint-TropezWestbound partner destination.
- Cannes to Monaco by yachtReciprocal eastbound route guide.
- Monaco to Saint-Tropez by yachtWestbound leg brief.
- Day yacht charter MonacoShort-format day charters.
- Monaco yacht charter pricesRates, APA and VAT.
- Charter fleetFull Monaco charter fleet.
By the concierge desk · Monaco