The Riviera: Porquerolles, Saint-Tropez, Bandol
The Riviera is Provence with a sea attached: an hour and a half to two hours between stops, and ashore the vineyards of Bandol, the Port-Cros national park and Saint-Tropez, which was a fishing village half a century ago and still looks like one. A loop of about 120 nm based at Saint-Mandrier near Toulon, with no leg longer than thirty miles.
Day by day
Saint-Mandrier (Toulon)
- Saint-Mandrier43.080, 5.928
The nearest airports are Toulon-Hyères at twenty minutes, Marseille at an hour and Nice at an hour and a half. Take over the yacht at the marina in Saint-Mandrier on the south side of the Toulon roadstead; do the big shop in Toulon or beside the marina.
Saint-Mandrier → Bandol
- Bandol43.135, 5.752
A short first leg west. Bandol is a resort with a palm-lined seafront and a wine appellation of its own: mourvèdre reds that cost half here what they do in Paris. The small island of Bendor lies opposite the town.
Bandol → Porquerolles
- Porquerolles43.001, 6.202
The longest leg of the week: back past Toulon and on east to the Hyères islands. Porquerolles is all but car-free, with vineyards, pines and the Notre-Dame beach that keeps turning up on lists of Europe's best. Berth in the port or anchor in the Courtade bay.
Porquerolles: Port-Cros
- Port-Cros43.010, 6.390
- Porquerolles43.001, 6.202
A day without a long passage. Neighbouring Port-Cros is Europe's first marine national park: an underwater trail off the Palud beach, forts on the heights and woodland with neither cars nor bicycles. Anchoring is not allowed everywhere, and boats usually come back to Porquerolles for the night.
Porquerolles → Saint-Tropez
- Saint-Tropez43.272, 6.637
East along the Maures coast. From the outside Saint-Tropez is still the same ochre village with a fishing harbour, except that hundred-metre yachts lie in it now; the myth is on the Place des Lices, and the quiet is next door in Port Grimaud, the 'French Venice' built on canals.
Saint-Tropez → Le Lavandou
- Le Lavandou43.137, 6.370
Back west around Cap Camarat. Le Lavandou is a calm town facing the Hyères islands with a long string of bays around it; after Saint-Tropez the change in volume is immediate.
Le Lavandou → Saint-Mandrier
- Saint-Mandrier43.080, 5.928
A last leg past the Hyères peninsula and into the Toulon roadstead. Refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- The mistral: a north-westerly that builds to 30–40 knots on this coast and holds for two or three days. It arrives on the forecast and under a clear sky, but nobody crosses to the Hyères islands in a mistral, and west-facing anchorages become untenable.
- Port-Cros and Porquerolles are a national park: anchoring is prohibited over posidonia meadows, several bays have buoys and part of the water is closed altogether. Buoys are booked online and the zoning changes every season — check before you leave.
- Berths: Riviera marinas are the most expensive in the Mediterranean, and Saint-Tropez in August costs several times what its neighbours do. Nights at anchor in the bays of the Hyères islands or off Cap Camarat save a serious share of the budget.
- Logistics: the nearest airport is Toulon-Hyères, but it has few flights; most crews fly into Marseille or Nice and take a transfer. From Nice the coast road takes over two hours — allow for it on handover day.
When to go and what it costs in France
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in France
All boats in France
How long is the Toulon — Saint-Tropez route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 120 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Toulon. Overnight stops in order: Saint-Mandrier, Bandol, Porquerolles, Porquerolles, Saint-Tropez, Le Lavandou. The longest leg is day 3, 32 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Toulon — Saint-Tropez route?
France's season runs May to October. July and August are the busiest and most expensive months; June and September bring warm water and fewer people. In any month the route is planned around the mistral, which can blow up to 30 knots for several days. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is November: a median of €246 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at €310. The most boats with 20% off or more are in October: 6%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in France for a week starts from €1,548 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in France”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
