★★★★★
The private solar boat
The quiet solar boat suited the three of them. Three hours of coast and three swims in the sea.
Ellen · United States · September 2026
Nice: Exclusive Tour - Outstanding Solar Boats - Pro Captain
The whole boat is yoursBeaulieu-sur-Mer marinaSwims on 2 hours or more
The boat is yours: your party, a captain who guides, and nobody else on board. It runs on the sun, so there is no engine noise and no smell of fuel, and it is slow and steady enough that you can take the helm. The hour-long trip is the cheapest way to have a boat of your own on this coast; the longer ones stop to swim.
A silent boat of your own
Just your party
No shared seats: the captain takes only your group.
No engine noise
Electric, charged by the sun, and quiet enough to talk over.
You can steer
The captain hands you the helm and talks you through it.
Close to the shore
The shallow catamaran hulls let it slip in near the villas.
5.0 from 405 reviews
Travellers praise the captains by name.
No fee paid on board
$86 a person is the whole fare, with no skipper or fuel charge.
Why a solar boat is different
SeaZen's boats are small electric catamarans charged by solar panels, and certified by the French maritime administration for private trips. With no engine running there is no noise, no fumes and no vibration. You hear the water and your captain, and you can talk at a normal voice. The two hulls make the boat steady for its size, and the shallow draft lets it cruise closer to the rocks and the villas than a bigger boat would.
The pace is gentle, which is the point. This is not a boat for racing along the coast to a far-off cove. It is for drifting past the shore with someone who knows it, and the pace is slow enough that the captain will let you take the wheel for a while.
One hour, or two and more with a swim
The fare you see first is for the hour-long trip, sold as a family option and as a couple's option. An hour takes you along the shore near Beaulieu and round towards the cape. It has no anchoring stop, so plan it as a cruise, not a swim.
From two hours up, you can ask your captain to anchor off a beach so you can swim. A ladder, foam noodles and snorkels come on board in summer, and blankets in winter. The 2-hour trip is the most booked. The 3-hour trip has up to three anchoring spots, and the 4-hour trip uses a larger boat and can reach as far as Nice or Monaco. One family of three on the 3-hour option swam three times.
The coast from Beaulieu
Beaulieu-sur-Mer sits between Nice and Monaco, and its marina is where you start. Close by is Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, the wooded cape of villas, where the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild looks down over the sea from its gardens. To the east the coast climbs to Èze, the village perched on its summit. Your captain shapes the route to your wishes and to the weather on the day.
Your hour on the water, and what longer adds
- Meet at Beaulieu-sur-Mer marina. The exact berth depends on the option you book.
- Shoes off, and aboard. The deck is cork, and you go barefoot.
- Along the shore with your captain. Villas, coves and the cape, with the story of each.
- A turn at the helm. Steer under the captain's eye, if you like.
- On 2 hours or more, anchor and swim. Off a beach you choose with the captain.
- Back to the marina. The trip ends where it started.
Who this suits: you want a boat of your own without a charter's bill
Book this if
You want privacy for a couple or a family, a quiet boat rather than a fast one, and a captain who talks you along the coast. At $86 a person with nothing added on board, it costs less than any charter from the Port of Nice, and it suits children who would like a go at steering.
Book something else if
You want to start in the Port of Nice and cover more coast in one go: the 4-hour charter from the Port of Nice is priced per group of up to four, with skipper and fuel already included. If a private boat is more than you need and you want to swim, the swim at the Mala cave is a shared 12-seat boat from $74. Every charter, with the fees each one adds, is on private boat tour Nice.
What the fare pays for, and what it leaves out
In the fare
- Private solar-powered electric boat with a professional captain
- An itinerary shaped to your wishes and the weather
- Ladder, foam noodles, snorkels in summer and blankets in winter
- A turn at the helm under the captain's guidance
Not in the fare
- Food and drinks
- Toilet or changing room
- Towels
Finding the boat in Beaulieu's marina
You meet the captain at the marina in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, east of Nice. The exact berth depends on the option you book, and it is on your booking. There are port toilets near the harbour office and restaurants and supermarkets less than ten minutes' walk from the boat, since there is no toilet on board and no food in the fare.
Beaulieu is a short way east of Nice by road. It and the other harbours along the coast are on the Nice boat tours map, and the places you pass on the way are in things to do in Nice from the water.
Know before you go
- Choose the length for the swim. Only trips of 2 hours or more anchor off a beach.
- Bring a towel. Towels are not provided.
- Eat before or bring a snack. Food and drink are not in the fare, and not served in wind or waves.
- Go to the toilet first. There is none on board; the port's are near the harbour office.
- Be ready to go barefoot. You may be asked to take your shoes off on the cork deck.
- Bring the children with you. Minors must be with an adult, and smoking is not allowed.
What travellers say about the solar boat
★★★★★
The private solar boat
Four adults and two children on board, and the captain knew the area and answered every question.
Corrie · United Kingdom · August 2026
★★★★★
The private solar boat
An hour was good, with a swim and a pleasant ride. Next time it will be two.
Caretto · France · August 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is the solar boat private?
Yes. Only your group is on board, with a captain who guides. The fare is shown per person, so the total depends on how many of you there are.
Does the one-hour trip stop to swim?
No. Anchoring off a beach to swim comes with the 2-hour option and longer, so book one of those if the swim matters.
Is there a fee to pay on board?
No. There is no skipper or fuel charge on top of the fare, unlike several charters on private boat tour Nice.
Where does the solar boat leave from?
From the marina in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, between Nice and Monaco. The exact berth depends on the option you book.
We want to spend the day in Monaco. What should we book?
Look at the day boat to Monaco, which sails from the Port of Nice at 09:30. It gives you nearly seven hours ashore before the 17:00 boat home.
Can I cancel?
Yes. You get the full fare back if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead. If the weather is poor, you are warned in time and offered another date.
Other ways onto the water from Nice
Ready for a quiet hour on the water?
Check the times still open for your party, with a full refund up to 24 hours ahead if the weather turns.
Check availability