Antibes to Saint-Tropez: A 5-Day Riviera Sailing Route

Sixty nautical miles. No open-water crossings. Monastic islands, volcanic red cliffs, a canal village that looks like someone designed it on a fever, and the most photographed harbour on the western Mediterranean. The coast between Antibes and Saint-Tropez packs more contrast into a short stretch than most routes manage in twice the distance. A standard 5-day charter week, Saturday handover to Wednesday return, covers it properly. Daily passages are short enough that you're swimming by early afternoon.

If you're new to chartering, start with our step-by-step booking guide. For a broader look at the full Riviera region, see our complete French Riviera sailing guide.

Route Overview

Day	Leg	Distance	Highlight	Overnight
1	Antibes → Îles de Lérins	8 NM	Monastery island, Iron Mask fort	Mooring buoy / anchor
2	Lérins → Fréjus / Saint-Raphaël	18 NM	Red Estérel cliffs, Calanque d'Agay	Marina Fréjus
3	Fréjus → Port Grimaud	12 NM	Canal village, café-side mooring	Port Grimaud marina
4	Port Grimaud → Saint-Tropez → Pampelonne	5 NM	Iconic harbour, beach clubs	Anchor Pampelonne Bay
5	Pampelonne → Antibes (direct return)	30 NM	Downwind run along the coast	Antibes Port Vauban

Day 1 , Antibes → Îles de Lérins (8 NM)

Charter handovers at Port Vauban typically wrap up by 17:00 on Saturday. That gives you a straightforward evening hop to the Îles de Lérins, two small islands sitting 1.5 NM south of Cannes. Even in a Beaufort 2–3, the crossing takes under 90 minutes. Arrive before sunset, pick up a mooring buoy at €30–40 per night, payable to the Marinières patrol boat, and you can count the fish from the cockpit.

Île Sainte-Marguerite

The larger island is known for Fort Royal, where the Man in the Iron Mask was held from 1687 to 1698. The fort opens daily from 10:00 to 17:45, entry €6. Behind the fortress, trails cut through eucalyptus and Aleppo pine, one of the few genuinely shaded walks anywhere on the Riviera. The south shore offers excellent swimming, sandy patches between Posidonia seagrass beds. Anchor on sand only. French law is clear on this, and fines for anchoring on Posidonia reach €1,500.

Île Saint-Honorat

Dinghy the 500 m across to the smaller island and visit the Abbaye de Lérins, a working Cistercian monastery founded in the 5th century. The twenty-odd monks tend vineyards producing seven wines and a distinctive liqueur called Lérina, around €18 a bottle at the monastery shop. The rosé sells out before July. Buy it here. The island closes to visitors at 17:00, and the silence zones near the abbey are genuine, not decorative.

For anchoring technique, see our step-by-step anchoring guide.

Day 2 , Lérins → Fréjus / Saint-Raphaël (18 NM)

The longest passage of the trip, and the most visually striking. Leave by 09:00 and head southwest with the Massif de l'Estérel to port. Volcanic porphyry cliffs in deep red, ochre, and rust fall straight into turquoise water. The coastline is protected as a Classified Natural Site, which is why it still looks the way it does.

Calanque d'Agay

About 13 NM into the day, the Rade d'Agay opens up to port. Good holding on sand in 4–6 m, sheltered from westerlies, with a small beach worth the swim. Water temperature in summer runs 24–26°C. If an easterly is pushing in, which is rare in high season, skip Agay and head 2 NM further west to the Calanque du Dramont instead.

Fréjus Marina

Port-Fréjus has 750 berths and charges €55–80 per night for a 40-foot yacht in July and August, dropping to €35–50 in June or September. That's roughly half what you'd pay in Cannes. The marina is a short walk from Fréjus's Roman-era amphitheatre, surviving aqueduct fragments, and what is believed to be the oldest baptistery in France, dating to the 5th century. Dinner on Avenue de la Libération runs €14–22 for a main course at the bistros and crêperies along the street.

Summer afternoons along the Estérel typically bring a Beaufort 3–4 thermal sea breeze from the southeast. Morning departures get the calmer water. Check our wind and weather reading guide before you go.

Day 3 , Fréjus → Port Grimaud (12 NM)

A gentle morning sail around Cap du Dramont and into the Golfe de Saint-Tropez. The wind usually fills in from the east by 11:00, setting up a pleasant beam reach for most of the passage.

Port Grimaud: The "Venice of Provence"

Architect François Spoerry drew up Port Grimaud in 1966 as a lakeside village built on canals. It now has 2,500 houses, each with its own mooring. Visitors berth in the central marina for €60–90 per night in high season on a 40-footer. The appeal is simple: you step off the boat onto a café terrace. No dinghy, no long walk down a pontoon. The church of Saint-François-d'Assise has a rooftop terrace with views across the entire gulf, and entry is free.

If the marina is full, anchor for free in the Golfe de Saint-Tropez between Port Grimaud and Saint-Tropez. Good holding on mud in 5–8 m, though a southerly swell will make it rolly. A Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440 or similar handles those conditions well enough.

Day 4 , Port Grimaud → Saint-Tropez → Pampelonne (5 NM)

The shortest sailing day of the five, and probably the fullest ashore. The 2.5 NM hop from Port Grimaud to Saint-Tropez takes under 30 minutes.

Saint-Tropez Harbour

The Vieux Port has around 700 berths, but in July and August the mega-yachts claim most of them before breakfast. Call the Capitainerie on VHF channel 9 at 07:00 and arrive by 10:00. Expect €100–150 per night for a 40-footer. In peak August weeks, you may simply not get a berth. Honest advice: in high summer, anchor in the outer bay and dinghy in. In June or September, berthing is easier and 30–40% cheaper.

Ashore, climb to the Citadelle, built in 1602, for a commanding view over the gulf. Entry costs €4. At harbour level, Café Sénéquier has been here since 1887. Their tarte tropézienne, a brioche filled with cream, costs €8. Skip the restaurants right on the quay. Two blocks inland, Place des Lices has better food at honest prices.

Practise stern-to docking before you arrive. Saint-Tropez harbour in August is not the place to figure it out.

Afternoon: Pampelonne Bay

Sail 2.5 NM south around the headland to the Bay of Pampelonne, a 5 km crescent of white sand. Anchor in 4–6 m over sand; the Posidonia zones show clearly on modern chart plotters. Dinghy ashore to Club 55 (mains €35–60, book ahead) or Nikki Beach (day beds from €150). For something less punishing on the wallet, Plage de la Bouillabaisse on the north side of the headland does lunch from €18. Overnight at anchor is free and, in settled summer weather, generally comfortable.

Day 5 , Pampelonne → Antibes Direct Return (30 NM)

Leave by 07:00 to reach Port Vauban by early afternoon. The return leg follows the coast northeast. A Mistral, or its coastal cousin the Maestral, can turn this into a downwind run with sails wing-on-wing at 6–7 knots, covering the distance in five or six hours. In calm conditions, motor-sail and catch the Estérel cliffs in morning light. Worth it.

If 30 NM in a single day doesn't appeal, split it: Pampelonne to Agay is 15 NM, Agay to Antibes another 15. That works well if your charter return is Sunday morning, and it gives you one more night anchored beneath the red cliffs.

Most charter companies require the yacht back by 09:00 on the final day. Plan your last overnight at Port Vauban itself, or at the free anchorage off Antibes' Plage de la Gravette, 200 m from the marina entrance. See our handover checklist to avoid any last-minute surprises.

Practical Planning

Budget for 6 People

Total costs run €9,000 to €13,000 depending on season and yacht. A June or September charter can cut €2,000 off the yacht cost alone. For a full pricing breakdown, see our 2026 charter pricing trends. Split six ways, the per-person total comes to roughly €1,500–2,200 for five days, competitive with a decent hotel stay. Our provisioning guide will help keep the food bill in check.

Posidonia Rules

French law prohibits anchoring on Posidonia oceanica seagrass. The beds are mapped on all modern chart plotters. Anchor on sand or mud. Around the Lérins islands and along the Estérel, the sandy patches are well-charted and easy to find. Fines for violations start at €1,500 and can reach €150,000 for repeat offenders in protected marine zones.

When to Go

June and September give the best balance: air temperatures of 24–28°C, water at 21–24°C, manageable crowds, and lower prices. July is busy but workable. August is another matter. Saint-Tropez harbour becomes close to inaccessible, Pampelonne fills by noon, and charter rates are at their peak. For a month-by-month breakdown, see our Mediterranean timing guide.

Skill Level & Yacht Choice

This route suits first-time charterers. Passages are short, the coastline is well-marked, tidal currents are negligible, and the prevailing westerlies provide reasonable shelter. A 38–42 ft monohull with three cabins works well for a crew of six. A Beneteau Oceanis 38.1 or Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410 are both widely available from Antibes bases. If you don't hold an ICC certificate, consider a skipper at €180–250 per day. They'll also know the anchorages that don't appear on any tourist map.

Downsides to Know

The Riviera is heavily trafficked in season: motor yachts, jet skis, ferries, water taxis. Anchorages that look spacious on the chart fill by mid-afternoon. Wake from passing boats makes narrow spots like Agay uncomfortable at times. Saint-Tropez in August is more spectacle than sailing. If you're after quiet water, look at less crowded alternatives. Mobile coverage is good throughout. This is not a wilderness passage.

Related reading

• extended Marseille–Monaco route
• Port Vauban base guide
• Monaco by sea