Η εμπειρία του Yachting στη Γαλλική Ριβιέρα

Luxury yachting has its beginnings on the French Riviera in the late 19th century, when the sleepy, sunny Riviera was ‘discovered’ by the European royals and high society, who sailed their beautiful wooden yachts along the coast, competing in regattas at Cannes and dropping anchor off the crystal clear coves of Cap Ferrat and Cap d’Antibes.

But it wasn’t until Aristotle Onassis in the 1950’s that the superyacht lifestyle πραγματικά ξεκίνησε. Ο Έλληνας μεγιστάνας της ναυτιλίας αγόρασε μια φρεγάτα εν καιρώ πολέμου, την οποία επαναπροσάρμοσε ως την επιτομή της πολυτέλειας, ονομάζοντάς την Christina O. Προσκάλεσε μια σταθερή ροή φωτιστικών στο πλωτό παλάτι του, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, John F Kennedy και Marilyn Monroe.

The extravagant parties, the lavish décor, and the scandals that took place on this yacht were breathlessly reported in the world’s press, where it created a fever of interest in this new superyacht lifestyle. Owning a yacht like Christina O became the dream of the elite, and the luxury yachting industry was born.

ο French Riviera towns βρίσκονται σε μικρή απόσταση το ένα από το άλλο, που σημαίνει ότι η κρουαζιέρα είναι αβίαστη και ένα μηχανοκίνητο γιοτ στο Μονακό μπορεί να βρίσκεται στο Saint Tropez εγκαίρως για μεσημεριανό γεύμα. Τα ήσυχα νησιά της Μεσογείου βρίσκονται 15 λεπτά μακριά από κοσμοπολίτικες πόλεις και τα μεσαιωνικά χωριά σκαρφαλώνουν πάνω από παραλίες με λευκή άμμο και βοτσαλωτούς κολπίσκους.

Nowadays, many yachting events are hosted on the French Riviera, including the Έκθεση γιοτ του Μονακό και το Φεστιβάλ Yachting των Καννών, και το καλοκαίρι περίπου 600 από τα 4000 σούπερ-γιοτ του κόσμου (βάρκες μήκους άνω των 79 πόδια) μπορούν να βρεθούν στην Κυανή Ακτή.

Imagine It: The Yacht Experience

As you sit on the deck of your yacht, watching the French Riviera drift slowly past, you’ll witness a changing landscape of extraordinary beauty. In Monaco, gleaming skyscrapers and grand hotels cling to the steep hillside, and the Prince’s Palace sits high on the Rock above Port Hercules. As you leave Monaco on your yacht and turn to starboard, the rocky coastline carries on down to Cap Ferrat, where cliffs fall away into blue-green sea, and historic beach clubs still carry the glamour of a bygone era.

As the yacht comes around the glorious deepwater bay of Villefranche to the Italianate city of Nice, the coast flattens out and palm trees line the iconic Promenade des Anglais . Cruising along a little further to Αντίμπες, the old town’s tower and terracotta roofs cluster on the ramparts, the Alps towering up behind, while the Cap d’Antibes curves around the Bay of Angels, opulent villas shaded by emerald pines and rocky bathing platforms with steps leading down to the sapphire sea.

Σε Κάννες, the majestic belle époque facades and Palais des Festivals dominate the port of Cannes and stylish beach clubs line the sands, before the backdrop changes again as you move westward, into the red rock hills and turquoise seas of the Esterel.

As you approach the Gulf of Σεν Τροπέ, powder-white sands give way to the pastel facades of St Tropez and the rolling hills of Provence, and offshore from Hyeres, the Islands of Gold are like exquisite jewels in a blue-green sea. Floating westward still, you’ll find the vineyards of idyllic Cassis, the crystalline, fjord-like Calanques, and the ancient city of Μασσαλία.

What to do while yachting the French Riviera

On a French Riviera yacht charter, you can spa, shop, dine, and party in locations straight out a film set. Spend a morning shopping in the designer boutiques of Monaco, Κάννες ή Σεν Τροπέ, exploring the colorful Provencal market of Antibes, or buying artwork at the artisan studios of St Paul de Vence. Have a Provencal lunch on a terrace in a flowery hill village perched high above the coast, feeling the afternoon sea breeze lift off the distant sparkling Mediterranean, the leaves of the trees sending dappled shade across the white cloth table.

Spend a lazy afternoon in a sophisticated beach club, champagne fizzing softly by your deckchair and your feet in the sand, the DJ playing chilled summer beats. Indulge in a pampering session at a Riviera spa with breathtaking sea views, or have a massage on your yacht, listening to the water lap gently at the hull.

When the yacht drops anchor, the toys come out. Imagine jet-skiing beneath the cliffs of Μονακό, or fly-boarding off Plage Pampelonne, everyone watching from the beach clubs as you soar through the air on a jetpack. Spend your days on charter diving the wrecks and drop-offs in the Gulf of Σεν Τροπέ, snorkeling the pretty coves of the Cap d’Antibes, or wake-boarding off Καπάκι Ferrat. As the afternoon light starts to fade, the French Riviera has over 30 excellent marinas to dock in, and an abundance of lovely anchorages.

As evening falls, the chic rooftop bars of the Riviera await you, the pink and purple sunset fading into night, summer fireworks cascading across the skies. When it’s time to dine, there’s an abundance of Michelin star restaurants along the coast, from the famous 3 Michelin star Alain Ducasse at the hotel de Paris Monte Carlo , down to the 3 Michelin star La Vague d’Or in Saint Tropez . That is, of course, if you can drag yourself away from gourmet candlelit dinners on the deck of your yacht, the lights of the Riviera twinkling onshore.

After dinner, it’s off to enjoy the Riviera’s sizzling nightlife at some of the most iconic clubs on the planet: Jimmy’z in Monaco , Baoli in Cannes , and Caves du Roy in Saint Tropez , where vintage champagne flows like water and the dance floors fill with δισεκατομμυριούχοι and race car drivers, supermodels and movie stars.

There’s something for everyone on the Riviera. If you don’t care so much for the glamorous party scene, you’ll love the quiet islands, ο medieval hill villages, ο history, καιthe fabulous art museums. Ανεξάρτητα από το πάθος σας, η Γαλλική Ριβιέρα τα έχει όλα.

On a French Riviera yacht charter, you have a room with a view, and the view is always changing. You cannot say you’ve truly lived the superyacht lifestyle until you have cruised along the French Riviera in the long days of summer. So what are you waiting for?

Want more? Check out our guides to the Φεστιβάλ Yachting των Καννών και το Έκθεση γιοτ του Μονακό.