Private Boat Trip to the Lérins Islands and Cap d'Antibes

Golfe-Juan marina, between Cannes and Antibes

Your private boat trip starts at the marina of Golfe-Juan, a small seaside town on the bay between Cannes and Antibes, about 15 minutes by car from the centre of Cannes. It is a calm, easy place to board, away from the crowds of the larger ports, and your skipper welcomes you at the berth, explains the safety equipment and talks through the plan for the day.

This is where the private value of the trip begins: the boat, the skipper's attention and the timing are all yours. If you have small children, you can take things slowly; if you love snorkelling, you can spend longer in the water; and if you want photos of a particular coastline, your skipper takes you there. Transport to the marina is not included, but we can arrange a private transfer from your hotel.

Sainte-Marguerite Island and the Royal Fort

Crossing the bay, the first highlight is Sainte-Marguerite, the larger of the Lérins Islands, covered in a protected forest of Aleppo pines and eucalyptus. Above the shore stands the Royal Fort, a 17th-century fortress that later served as a state prison and now houses a sea museum with finds from Roman shipwrecks.

Your skipper can anchor near one of the calm coves of the north shore so you can swim, or drop you at the landing stage for a stroll under the pines. A private Lérins Islands boat tour is the best way to see the island's wild southern shore too, which ferry passengers rarely reach. Spring and early summer are especially beautiful, when the forest smells of pine and the water is already clear.

Saint-Honorat and the channel between the islands

Saint-Honorat, the smaller island, has been home to a monastic community since the 5th century. Its silhouette is unmistakable: a fortified monastery tower rising from the rocks at the water's edge, built in the Middle Ages to protect the monks from sea raiders, and a landscape of pines, olive trees and small chapels.

Between the two islands lies a shallow channel of sand and seagrass meadows, where the water turns a vivid turquoise in summer. It is one of the finest swimming and snorkelling spots on the Riviera, and with your own boat you can choose the quietest corner and stay as long as you like. Snorkelling gear and a stand-up paddleboard are on board, perfect for exploring the shoreline.

Cap d'Antibes and its rocky shore

Heading east, the boat follows the coast of Cap d'Antibes, a wooded peninsula of grand villas, pine-covered rocks and small coves between Juan-les-Pins and Antibes. Above it rises the Garoupe lighthouse, and along the shore runs a famous coastal path cut into the white limestone. From the water you see the hidden side of the cape, where the rocks drop into deep, clear water.

Your skipper finds a sheltered cove for another swim and snorkel, where fish gather around the rocks and the seabed is easy to see. Is Cap d'Antibes worth visiting by boat? Yes: much of its shoreline is private or hard to reach on foot, so the sea gives you the best views of the cape and its beautiful villas set among the pines.

Antibes and the Bay of Juan-les-Pins

On the way back, the route can include views of Antibes, with its ramparts along the sea, the old town and the star-shaped Fort Carré, built in the 16th century on a headland north of the harbour. On clear days, the snowy Alps appear behind the coast, one of the most beautiful sights of the Riviera.

The trip then crosses the Bay of Juan-les-Pins, with its sandy beaches and pine woods, back to Golfe-Juan. The best time for a private boat trip near Cannes is from May to October, with July and August the warmest for swimming and June and September offering calmer seas and fewer boats. The full-day option ends at the marina about six hours after departure.