Antibes by Boat: Port Vauban, Cap d’Antibes and Juan-les-Pins (2026)

Few stretches of the Côte d’Azur pack so much into so little water. Within a few nautical miles of Antibes you pass the ramparts of the old town, the star shaped Fort Carré, a harbour where some of the world’s largest private yachts tie up, and then the pine covered headland of Cap d’Antibes, ringed by rocky coves, belle époque villas and the cliff top pool of the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc. Juan-les-Pins and Golfe-Juan sit on the western side, the Lérins islands just beyond, and Antibes itself is a working hub of the superyacht crew world. Here are the harbours, four routes, the rules that actually apply in 2026 and what a skippered day includes.

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This guide is part of our France by Boat series; the hub on French Riviera yacht charter compares every stretch of coast from Saint-Tropez to Monaco, plus Corsica.

Harbours and marinas: where boats leave from

Nice Côte d’Azur airport lies between Antibes and Nice; the drive to Antibes usually takes around half an hour, much longer in summer traffic.

• Port Vauban, Antibes: the big one, right below the old town. The Antibes Juan-les-Pins tourist office heads its page “the largest marina in Europe” and gives 1,501 berths for boats from 4 metre fishing pointus to 165 metre yachts. Other sources give between 1,500 and 1,700 berths and a lower superyacht limit, so treat the figures as approximate. Its superyacht pier, the Quai Camille Rayon of the International Yacht Club d’Antibes, is known locally as the “billionaires’ quay”. Most day boats are based here.
• Port Gallice, Juan-les-Pins: a smaller, smarter marina at the eastern end of Juan-les-Pins bay. Antibes town hall figures give about 525 berths for boats up to 43 metres. Ideal if you stay in Juan-les-Pins.
• Port du Crouton: a small fishing and leisure harbour at the entrance to the Cap, for boats up to 10 metres.
• Golfe-Juan (Vallauris): two harbours side by side, the Vieux Port and Port Camille Rayon, the latter built in 1989 with a focus on larger yachts. Golfe-Juan is where Napoleon landed on his return from Elba in 1815. It is the closest start for the Lérins islands.
• Marina Baie des Anges, Villeneuve-Loubet: north east of Antibes, beneath the wave shaped residential towers. Handy for Nice and Villefranche.

Four routes in detail

Times assume a fast motor boat in calm seas. A sailing yacht covers roughly half the distance in the same time, and wind or swell can change any plan.

1. Half day: round Cap d’Antibes from Port Vauban

Leave Port Vauban past Fort Carré, the 16th century fortress on its headland north of the harbour, then turn south along the ramparts and the Plage de la Salis. The Anse de la Garoupe, below the lighthouse and chapel on the Cap’s highest point, is the classic first swim stop, with clear water over sand and rock; it is easily reached in well under half an hour. Continue round the southern tip, where the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc’s rock carved seawater pool and pontoon are visible from the water, and into the Baie des Milliardaires by Villa Eilenroc and the Anse de l’Argent Faux. Allow three and a half to four hours, including two swims.

A note on names: a beach database places the Baie des Milliardaires on the Cap’s western side by Villa Eilenroc, while a French sailing magazine describes it on the eastern coast. Our research turned up contradictory information here and it was not clear which is correct, so ask your skipper which bay they mean.

2. Half day: Juan-les-Pins, the western Cap and Golfe-Juan

From Port Gallice, follow the western shore of the Cap south towards the Pointe de l’Ilette, a dive site popular with local clubs, swim in the lee of the rocks, then cross the bay to Golfe-Juan for a harbour stroll or drinks. Around three hours.

3. Full day: Cap d’Antibes and the Lérins islands

Combine route 1 with the short crossing to the Île Sainte-Marguerite and the Île Saint-Honorat off Cannes, roughly 20 to 30 minutes from the Cap by fast boat. Swim in the channel between the islands, take lunch ashore on Sainte-Marguerite or Saint-Honorat, and return via Golfe-Juan and Juan-les-Pins in the late afternoon. The Lérins have their own mooring and anchoring regime, covered in our guide to Cannes and the Lérins islands by boat. Plan on seven to eight hours.

4. Longer: Antibes to Villefranche, Cap Ferrat and Monaco

Head north east past Villeneuve-Loubet and the Baie des Anges, round the port of Nice and stop in the Rade de Villefranche, then continue along Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat towards Monaco for lunch. A long full day by motor boat, or two days with a night in a marina. See Monaco, Villefranche and Cap Ferrat by boat. Westwards, Saint-Tropez and Porquerolles are covered in Saint-Tropez by boat; eastwards, Italy begins just beyond Menton, and our guide to sailing from the Italian Riviera to the French Riviera covers the crossing.

Rules: anchoring, swimming zones and speed limits

There is no national park on this stretch. The rules come from the Préfecture maritime de la Méditerranée, the town halls and the Natura 2000 site “Baie et Cap d’Antibes, îles de Lérins”, which protects Posidonia seagrass meadows. The key points:

• Large yachts: préfectoral order 205/2020 (14 October 2020) bans anchoring in designated Posidonia zones for vessels of 24 metres and over between the Pointe de l’Aiguille (Esterel) and the mouth of the Var, which includes the Antibes coast. East of the Var, order 204/2020, amended by order 122/2025, applies the same logic to vessels of 20 metres and over. A separate order (157/2024, last amended in June 2026 by order 177/2026) requires vessels of 45 metres or 300 gross tonnage and over to obtain authorisation before anchoring in French Mediterranean waters.
• Speed off Cap d’Antibes: order 086/2018 set a 10 knot limit in a defined zone around the Cap and 5 knots within 300 metres of the shore. The zone is not buoyed, so it relies on charts. Check with your skipper that it is still current.
• The 300 metre band: along the whole coast, keep to 5 knots within 300 metres of shore. Yellow spherical buoys mark swimming only zones, which boats may not enter; cylindrical and conical buoys mark the access channels to beaches.
• Swimming and water sports in 2026: Antibes Juan-les-Pins published a new municipal order in April 2026 regulating swimming and nautical activity in the 300 metre band, with some zones reserved strictly for swimmers. Ask the harbour office for the current beach plan.
• Organised moorings: Antibes has studied an organised mooring zone (ZMEL) in the Anse du Crouton for boats under 24 metres. We could not confirm whether it is operating in 2026, or any mooring fees, so check with the skipper or harbour.
• Posidonia: whatever your size, drop anchor on sand, never on seagrass, and avoid dragging.

Hotel pontoons and private beach clubs on the Cap are private. Arriving by tender for lunch is only possible where the restaurant accepts it, so ask before you go.

Boats, what a charter includes and licence rules

Day boats range from open motor boats and RIBs to classic wooden runabouts, sailing yachts, catamarans and crewed motor yachts. A private skippered charter typically includes the boat, the skipper, insurance, fuel for a set number of hours or miles, and snorkelling gear and towels; larger yachts add crew and soft drinks. Usually excluded, or charged as extras: additional fuel, lunch ashore or on board catering, marina fees if you stop at another harbour, tender transfers and any water toys. Ask for an itemised quote.

For bareboat hire, French rules require the permis plaisance coastal option for motor boats with engines above 4.5 kW (6 hp), valid up to 6 nautical miles from a shelter; beyond that you need the offshore extension. Sailing boats need no licence. Licence free boats are small and slow; with summer traffic, a skipper is the more relaxing choice. Charter bases decide whether they accept a foreign licence, so ask in advance.

Route comparison

Best months, winds and practical tips

June and September give warm water, long days and fewer boats. July and August are hot and busy: the Garoupe and the waters off the Lérins fill up from late morning, and the Port Vauban fuel dock can queue. May and October are cooler for swimming, and some hotels close outside the season.

The coast between Cannes and Nice is relatively sheltered, but wind direction decides which side of the Cap is comfortable. An easterly makes the Garoupe side choppy and favours Juan-les-Pins; a westerly or a mistral reaching this far east does the opposite and can make the Lérins crossing lively. Summer afternoons often bring a sea breeze, so swim early, and trust your skipper if the route changes.

• Bring: reef safe sun cream, a hat that stays on, a light layer for the return, soft soled shoes and swim shoes for rocky entries.
• Seasickness: choose a larger, more stable boat, take tablets before you leave, and sit aft and low.
• Booking: for July and August, secure your boat several weeks ahead, and the same for lunch tables on the Lérins.

If you know the Italian side, Antibes and the Cap compare well with Portofino and its headland, covered in Portofino and the Cinque Terre by boat, and our Italy yacht charter hub lists every Italian region.

Where to stay near the harbours

Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Cap d’Antibes

The landmark of the Cap, set in a nine hectare park at its southern tip, with a heated seawater infinity pool cut into the rock, a private pontoon, the Dior Spa Eden-Roc, five clay tennis courts and restaurants including Louroc. Port Vauban is around 15 minutes by car; ask the hotel whether your charter can collect you from its pontoon. Seasonal: the tourist office lists it as open from 20 April to 18 October 2026.

Best for: the classic Riviera stay, with boats met at the hotel’s own pontoon.

Check rates at Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc

Hôtel Belles Rives, Juan-les-Pins

The 1920s villa where F. Scott Fitzgerald began Tender Is the Night, still family owned, with 43 rooms and suites, a private beach and water sports club, the Michelin-starred La Passagère and Bar Fitzgerald. Port Gallice is a short walk along the bay. The hotel opened for 2026 in March; ask the hotel for its closing date.

Best for: Port Gallice departures and a beach of your own on return.

Check rates at Hôtel Belles Rives

Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel, Antibes

A five star Relais & Châteaux hotel on the western shore of the Cap, with 35 rooms including seven suites, a private beach, pools, the BABA beach restaurant and Les Pêcheurs, listed as Michelin-starred. Port Gallice is a few minutes by car. Seasonal: open from 2 April to 20 October 2026, according to the regional tourist board.

Best for: a small, beach led hotel on the calmer side of the Cap.

Check rates at Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel

Royal Antibes, Antibes

A four star hotel on the seafront boulevard between the old town walls and the start of the Cap, with a private sandy beach, a spa with sauna and hammam, and a restaurant and bar. Port Vauban and the old town are within walking distance. Open all year, so a useful base for spring and autumn cruising.

Best for: walking to Port Vauban and the old town, year round.

Check rates at Royal Antibes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I swim off the boat anywhere around Cap d’Antibes?

Generally yes, with the engine off and away from traffic. Boats may not enter the yellow buoyed swimming zones.

Can a superyacht anchor in the Anse de la Garoupe?

Vessels of 24 metres and over may not anchor in the designated Posidonia zones of this coast. The captain will choose a permitted spot or a buoy.

Do I need a licence to hire a boat in Antibes?

For motor boats above 4.5 kW, yes: the French coastal licence or an equivalent the charter base accepts. With a skipper, no licence is needed.

Is Antibes or Cannes the better base?

Antibes for Cap d’Antibes and the coast towards Monaco, Cannes for the Lérins and the Esterel.