Journey: South of France: the most beautiful destinations on the Côte d'Azur

The Côte d'Azur is one of Germany's favourite holiday destinations. However, relatively few German charter sailors and owners can be found on the water. Yet the stretch of coast between Marseille and Monaco is extremely worthwhile; it is also a good starting point for trips to Corsica.

The great attraction of the area is its versatility: between Marseille and the Îles d'Hyères, the fjord-like bays of the Calanques and the Îles d'Hyères offer beautiful natural spots where you can anchor in solitude à la Robinson on turquoise-coloured water.

Just a few nautical miles further east, on the stretch of coast between Saint-Tropez and Nice, the Côte d'Azur shines with harbours full of luxury yachts, jet-set hustle and bustle and inviting coastal towns. In addition, excursions into the Provence hinterland, for example to the region's vineyards, are possible from almost every harbour.

The area is also well suited for beginners: The distances to the next harbour or anchorage are always short. However, swell builds up quickly in bays when the numerous motorboats and yachts in the area return to their harbour in the afternoon or when an old wind sea from the Mediterranean meets the French coast.

The Mistral, which blows from the north-west and reaches gale force with corresponding swell, should not be underestimated: if it is forecast, you should quickly seek shelter in a harbour protected from the north-west - and expect to be caught in the wind for a week. In the summer months, however, the wind tends to be light with a breeze from the south-east, which makes for pleasant light wind sailing in the afternoon.

Twelve tips on which harbours, bays and activities ashore should not be missed when cruising along the southern French Mediterranean coast can be found in the new YACHT 9/2022, which is available from today.