June is the perfect month to explore the South of France by sea — warm water, long days and harbours that aren't yet at high-summer capacity. Here are the anchorages worth setting your itinerary around, and the yachts to do it on.
There is a narrow, golden window on the French Riviera before the summer crowds arrive in force — and it falls squarely in June. The sea has warmed enough to swim, the days stretch past 9pm, the mistral has usually settled, and the most coveted anchorages still have room to drop the hook. For anyone chartering a yacht, it is arguably the best month of the year to explore the South of France by sea.
Below is the itinerary I recommend to clients planning a June charter — a run east-to-west along the coast, from the glamour of the Côte d'Azur to the wild, pine-scented islands and the dramatic limestone of the Calanques. When you're ready to match these waters to a boat, you can browse our crewed yachts or search the fleet by size and style. If you are deciding how hands-on to be, our guide to crewed versus bareboat versus skippered charter sets out the options.
Why June is the sweet spot
- Warm but comfortable. Sea temperatures climb to around 21–23°C, and air temperatures sit in the high twenties — hot enough for the swim platform, mild enough for long lunches ashore.
- Long days. Sunset after 9pm means unhurried passages and golden-hour anchoring.
- Fewer boats, better berths. July and August fill the marinas of Saint-Tropez, Cannes and Monaco. In June you can still secure prime berths and quiet bays.
- Settled weather. The spring mistral generally eases by June, leaving gentle thermal breezes that are ideal for sailing.
If this is your first charter, it's worth reading our yacht charter checklist before you pack — June on the Riviera calls for both swimwear and one smart outfit for an evening ashore.
The French Riviera's headline anchorages
Saint-Tropez and the Gulf of Pampelonne
Still the spiritual home of Riviera yachting. Anchor off Pampelonne Beach for lunch at a legendary beach club, then move into the old port at golden hour to watch the village come alive. June lets you enjoy Saint-Tropez before its peak-season intensity — explore the destination and the yachts based there on its destination page.
Cannes and the Îles de Lérins
A short hop from Cannes, the Îles de Lérins — Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat — feel a world away: turquoise channels, a working monastery, and shaded anchorages perfect for a swim and a long lunch at anchor. It's the easiest "wild meets refined" day on the whole coast. If you are planning a charter based out of Cannes specifically, the Cannes charter guide covers the port, anchorages and typical weekly costs in more detail.
Cap d'Antibes and Juan-les-Pins
The wooded peninsula of Cap d'Antibes shelters some of the prettiest anchorages on the Riviera, with grand villas peering down through the pines. Tuck into the Baie de la Garoupe for calm, clear water within tender distance of Antibes' old town.
Villefranche-sur-Mer and Nice
The deep, protected Rade de Villefranche is one of the great natural harbours of the Mediterranean — a postcard amphitheatre of pastel houses where you can anchor close to shore and stroll the waterfront. Nice's Promenade des Anglais is a tender ride away.
Monaco
End the eastern leg in the Principality of Monaco — berth in Port Hercule beneath the palace, and you're steps from Monte-Carlo. June often coincides with the tail end of the Grand Prix buzz without the full-blown chaos of race week.
Wild and quiet: the Îles d'Hyères
West of the glamour, the Îles d'Hyères ("the Golden Islands") are where the Riviera trades its sparkle for serenity.
Porquerolles
The largest of the islands is a national park of vineyards, white-sand beaches and eucalyptus. Anchor off Plage Notre-Dame — regularly rated among Europe's finest beaches — and cycle the car-free interior in the afternoon.
Port-Cros
A fully protected marine reserve with some of the clearest water in mainland France. The snorkelling here is exceptional; the island's strict conservation rules are exactly why it has stayed so pristine. (Worth knowing how marine reserves shape a charter — our piece on a safe way to travel touches on how crews navigate protected waters responsibly.)
Further west: the Calanques
Between Cassis and Marseille, the Calanques National Park delivers the most dramatic scenery on the French coast — sheer white limestone cliffs plunging into impossibly blue inlets. Anchor in Calanque d'En-Vau or Port-Pin for a swim beneath the cliffs. These bays are tender-and-swim territory; your captain will pick the right window, as some are exposed to afternoon wind.
Yachts for a June Riviera charter
The "best" boat depends on how you like to travel. Here are three favourites from our Mediterranean fleet — one for each style of cruising. All can be positioned for a French Riviera itinerary on request; browse the full fleet or tell us your dates and we'll shortlist more.
A sailing catamaran for families and shallow bays
A catamaran's shallow draft lets you tuck closer into spots like Pampelonne and Porquerolles, and the wide deck space is hard to beat for a relaxed week at anchor.
Lagoon 55 ESPERANCE — Catamaran · 16.5 m · 10 guests · 5 cabins · 3 crew · from €26,500 / week. Stable, spacious and effortless for families, with a vast flybridge and shaded cockpit for long lunches at anchor. View this yacht →
A sailing yacht for the purist
For those who want to feel the coast. June's reliable thermal breezes make for beautiful afternoon sailing between the Lérins and the Îles d'Hyères, with the engine off and the water glittering.
Jeanneau 64 LIFE TIME — Sailing yacht · 19.7 m · 8 guests · 4 cabins · 2 crew · from €15,000 / week. A nimble, elegant monohull that's outstanding value for a week of real sailing along the Côte d'Azur. View this yacht →
A motor yacht for range and glamour
For covering the full Saint-Tropez-to-Monaco stretch in a week — with a stable platform for water toys and effortless beach-club hops — a crewed motor yacht is the easy choice.
Azimut 85 Flybridge LA FENICE — Motor yacht · 26.8 m · 10 guests · 5 cabins · from €39,000 / week. Classic Italian flybridge styling, generous sun decks and the speed to island-hop the Riviera in comfort. View this yacht →
Not sure which suits your group? Contact the Yachtzap team and we'll match the right boat to your dates, party size and itinerary.
Extend your trip across the Mediterranean
A French Riviera charter pairs naturally with the wider Med if you have more than a week. A few of the most popular onward cruising grounds from our destinations catalogue:
- Amalfi Coast, Italy — an easy eastward continuation into Italy's most cinematic coastline, with Positano, Capri and Sorrento on the itinerary.
- Split, Croatia — for those drawn further east, the Dalmatian coast offers hundreds of islands and our largest concentration of crewed yachts.
- Corfu, Greece and Dubrovnik — two more standout Adriatic and Ionian bases worth building a longer voyage around.
Still weighing whether a yacht is the right call versus a land-based holiday? Our comparison, Land vs. Sea, lays out the trade-offs.
Plan your June charter
June rewards those who book early — the best crews and boats on the Côte d'Azur are reserved months ahead. When you're ready, browse our yachts, explore the destinations we cover, or get in touch and we'll build an itinerary around the anchorages above.
Tip: leave your schedule a little loose. The magic of a June charter is being able to chase the calm water — and on this coast, the calmest, clearest bays are often the ones you find a day later than planned.