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Nice Boat Tours › Things to DoUpdated 2026-09-26

Things to Do in Nice from the Water

Hours, prices and access verified by the Nice Boat Tours team — last checked 2026-09-26.

The best of the coast east of Nice is easier to see from the sea than from the road. Before you choose boat trips in Nice, know which bays and capes you want, because each boat passes, stops at or lands at a different set of them.

The coast east of Nice, in the order the boats pass it

Nearly every boat from the Port of Nice turns east. The coast here is a run of bays and capes, each only a short hop from the next. Here they are in the order you meet them.

  1. The Baie des AngesNice's own bay, with the Promenade des Anglais along it.
  2. Cap de NiceThe headland east of the port, where the sunset boats turn.
  3. Villefranche bayA wide, sheltered bay, where most boats anchor to swim.
  4. Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratThe wooded cape of villas that closes the bay.
  5. Beaulieu-sur-MerA small town and marina, where the solar boats start.
  6. Èze-sur-MerThe shore below the hill village, and Port Silva Maris.
  7. Cap-d'AilPlage Mala, its cliffs and the Mala cave.
  8. MonacoPort Hercule and the Rock, the end of most runs east.

An hour on the water gets you as far as Villefranche bay and the cape. Two to three hours reach Cap-d'Ail and the Mala cave. Monaco is the far end of most runs. The one exception sails west: the catamaran from Cannes, to the Lérins Islands.

The Baie des Anges and the Promenade des Anglais

The Baie des Anges is the bay Nice sits on, a long curve of pebble beach. The Promenade des Anglais runs along the whole of it. From a boat you see the city as a single sweep, from the airport end to Castle Hill.

You will see it on your way out and again on your way back. The 1-hour cruise from Quai Lunel shows it to you with live commentary in French and English. The morning catamaran from Quai Amiral Infernet sails past it too.

Villefranche bay: anchor, swim or land

Villefranche bay lies just past Cap de Nice. It is wide and sheltered, and the old town of Villefranche-sur-Mer climbs the hill above it. Most boats that stop to swim, stop here.

The sunset RIB from Port Lympia anchors in the bay with wine and snacks. The sunset catamaran anchors here too, with paddleboards. If you want to set foot in Villefranche, one shared trip lands there: Nissa Croisières' 3-hour Mala cave trip gives you 45 minutes ashore.

Painted houses crowding a harbour front, small boats at the quay
Painted houses crowding a harbour front, small boats at the quay

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is the wooded cape that closes Villefranche bay on the east. Its shore is lined with villas, and the boats slow down to show you them. The snorkel boat from the Port of Nice anchors off its coast for about 1.5 hours.

On the cape stands the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. It is a Belle Époque palace between Nice and Monaco, set in themed gardens that look out over the sea. No boat trip lands you there. It opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00 this season, at 1 Avenue Ephrussi de Rothschild, and you reach it by road.

Beaulieu, Èze and the Mala cave

Past the cape comes Beaulieu-sur-Mer, a small town with a marina. The silent solar boats start here. Then the coast rises to Èze, with its village high on the hill and Port Silva Maris at sea level, where some charters start.

Next is Cap-d'Ail and Plage Mala. The town describes it as a cove of fine sand and small round pebbles, set in the rocks. You reach it on foot by the coastal path or the Mala stairs. From a boat you reach the Mala cave beside it, which is why the shared RIBs stop here to swim and snorkel.

Monaco from the water

Monaco is the end of the run east. From the sea you see Port Hercule, its yachts and the Rock standing above them. How you see it depends on the boat you choose.

The Monaco speedboat runs to Port Hercule and turns back to Nice without landing. For a day ashore, the Trans Côte d'Azur ferry leaves Quai Lunel at 09:30 and gives you nearly seven hours in Monaco. It sails until 31 October in 2026. The choice between the two is set out on the FAQs.

West of Nice: Cannes and the Lérins Islands

The Lérins Islands lie off Cannes, west of Nice. One catamaran sails out to them, anchors and lets you swim, paddleboard and snorkel. It leaves from Cannes itself, from the wooden jetty at Pointe Croisette, so you get yourself there first.

The listing puts Cannes 25 minutes from Nice by train. Build that into your day before you book, and keep the train fare in mind: the boat fare does not include it.

Which trip shows you what

Use the table to match a sight to a boat. "Sails past" means you see it from the water. "Stops to swim" means the boat anchors there. "Lands" means you step ashore.

What you want to seeSails past itStops to swim thereLands there
The Baie des AngesThe 1-hour cruise, the morning catamaran——
Villefranche bayMost boats eastThe sunset RIB and catamaran, chartersNissa's 3-hour Mala trip, 45 minutes
Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratThe 1-hour cruise, the RIBs, the catamaranThe snorkel boat, charters—
The Mala caveThe Monaco speedboatNissa's Mala cave RIB—
MonacoThe Monaco speedboat, one charter—Only the day ferry from Quai Lunel
The Lérins Islands—The Cannes catamaran—

Landing is rare. Apart from the day ferries, the only shared trip that puts you ashore is the Mala trip's stop in Villefranche. If standing in Monaco matters to you, the ferry is the one to book.

Know which bays you want?

Compare the boats that pass, anchor at or land at each of them, with the fees beside each price.

See the Nice boat toursCompare every boat trip

On land in Nice after the boat

Your boat brings you back to the Port of Nice, and the best of the city starts at the quay. Fill the rest of the day on foot.

Questions about the coast

What can you see from a boat in Nice?
The Baie des Anges and the Promenade des Anglais, then Villefranche bay and the villas of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat to the east. Longer trips go on past Beaulieu and Èze to Cap-d'Ail and Monaco.
Which trip lands in Villefranche-sur-Mer?
Nissa Croisières' 3-hour Mala cave trip gives you 45 minutes ashore there. The other trips sail or anchor in the bay without landing.
What is the Mala cave?
A sea cave at water level by Plage Mala in Cap-d'Ail, below the cliffs east of Èze. You reach it by boat or down the coastal path, and several shared trips stop there to swim and snorkel.
Can you see Monaco from a boat without landing?
Yes. The Monaco speedboat runs to Port Hercule and turns back to Nice, and nobody goes ashore. To spend the day there, take the ferry from Quai Lunel.
Is the Cannes catamaran a Nice trip?
It leaves from Cannes, not Nice: from the wooden jetty at Pointe Croisette. The listing puts Cannes 25 minutes from Nice by train, and the fare does not include getting there.
Can you visit the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild by boat?
Not on a boat trip: the boats pass below Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat without landing for the villa. It opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00 this season, and you reach it by road.

Where these facts come from

The villa's address, hours and gardens are its own site's; Plage Mala, the path and the stairs are the town of Cap-d'Ail's, checked 26 September 2026. What each trip passes, anchors at or lands at comes from its own listing. The ferry times are Trans Côte d'Azur's 2026 pages.

Boats that pass these places

French Riviera Private Boat Trip

French Riviera Private Boat Trip

Your own boat for two and a half to three hours from the small harbour below Èze, with a swim stop, wine and a live guide. Local fees of €300 are paid on site.

From $341 per person plus €300 local fees, paid on site

Check Availability

Next: see the coast in pictures, read the visitor guide, or compare every boat trip on Nice Boat Tours.