Monaco to Portofino by yacht: the two-day plan
Portofino is the eastern reward of a Riviera week, and it is not a day-trip. The straight-line distance is about 84 nautical miles — 7 h 00 min of cruising at 12 knots, 4 h 12 min at 20. On a superyacht 30–40 m the published Monaco weekly bracket is €65,000 – €180,000, exclusive of APA (25–35%) and VAT (20%).
- Distance
- 84 nm
- straight line, Port Hercule → harbour
- Cruising at 12 kn
- 7 h 00 min
- Cruising at 20 kn
- 4 h 12 min
- Legs
- 3
| Leg | nm | 12 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Hercule → Port de Menton-Garavan | 5 | 25 min | 15 min |
| Port de Menton-Garavan → Portosole | 12 | 1 h 00 min | 36 min |
| Portosole → Porto di Portofino | 68 | 5 h 40 min | 3 h 24 min |
What does the Monaco to Portofino itinerary look like day by day?
Day 1 — Monaco to Sanremo
- 10:00Board at Port Hercule; the crew have provisioned and cleared the paperwork for Italy.
- 10:30Slip east under Cap-Martin to Menton. A swim off the Baie de Garavan and an early lunch at anchor beneath the old town.
- 14:00Cross the frontier. The coast turns Ligurian within a few miles: Ventimiglia, Bordighera, then the palms of Sanremo.
- 16:00Berth at Portosole, Sanremo. Aperitivo aboard, dinner in the lanes of La Pigna; a short night before the long leg.
Day 2 — Sanremo to Portofino
- 07:30Depart Sanremo. The passage to Portofino is open water along the Ligurian coast — the crew time it to the forecast, and the day is spent under way.
- 13:00Lunch under way or at anchor off the Golfo Paradiso if the sea allows.
- 15:00Arrive in the Portofino roads. Moor in the tiny harbour if a berth has been secured, or anchor off Paraggi.
- 18:30Ashore: the piazzetta, the walk to the lighthouse, dinner on the quay. The days that follow belong to the Gulf of Tigullio — Santa Margherita, San Fruttuoso, the Cinque Terre.
Which harbours and anchorages are on the way?
Port Hercule, Monaco
Departure. The home port, with the fuel, provisioning and berthing of a yachting capital on the quay.
Menton
First swim stop and the last French town. The Garavan marina dates from 1967; most yachts anchor in the bay rather than berth.
Portosole, Sanremo
The overnight. A modern marina that takes larger yachts, and the first Italian evening ashore.
Portofino
Arrival. A pocket harbour with very few moorings, so a berth or a nearby anchorage is arranged well in advance; Paraggi and San Fruttuoso are the alternatives.
How much does a yacht from Monaco to Portofino cost?
| Yacht | Weekly rate (excl. APA & VAT) |
|---|---|
| Superyacht 30–40 m | €65,000 – €180,000 |
| Motor yacht 20–30 m | €25,000 – €65,000 |
A Monaco–Portofino passage is booked as part of a week, not as a day. The brackets are the published weekly rates for the Monaco fleet, exclusive of APA and VAT; fuel for the long leg comes out of the APA. Berthing in Portofino itself is priced on request by the harbour and is among the highest on the coast.
APA 25–35% of the fee for fuel, berthing, food and drink; VAT 20% on charters starting in France or Monaco; crew gratuity customary at 5–15%.
Full 2026 price guide →When is the best time to sail from Monaco to Portofino?
The passage wants settled weather: the Sanremo–Portofino leg is the longest open-water run of a Riviera week, so June to September gives the calmest sea and the longest days. In July and August Portofino is at its busiest and its moorings hardest to secure — which is why we reserve them when the charter is confirmed, not on arrival.
The plan above is written for a crewed motor yacht; at displacement speed it is a full cruising day, at planing speed an afternoon. Either way the return is usually made in easier stages along the Ligurian coast, or the yacht continues south toward Tuscany and Corsica.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Portofino from Monaco by sea?
About 84 nautical miles in a straight line between Port Hercule and the harbour of Portofino, computed from the two positions on OpenStreetMap; the sea route along the coast is a little longer.
How long does it take by yacht?
Seven hours of cruising at 12 knots, a little over four at 20 knots. We break it over two days via Sanremo so the passage is a pleasure rather than a delivery.
Can we do Monaco to Portofino in a day?
A fast yacht can, leaving early. Most guests prefer an overnight in Sanremo and an arrival in Portofino with the afternoon ahead of them.
Are there formalities for entering Italy?
Simple ones, which the captain handles: the yacht clears into Italian waters and the crew carry the guest list and ship's papers. Nothing is required of guests beyond having their passports aboard.
Is a berth in Portofino guaranteed?
Never on arrival — the harbour is tiny. We reserve a berth or an anchorage off Paraggi when the charter is confirmed, and the yacht anchors if the harbour is full.
Sources
- International Yachts Charter & Brokerage — Monaco Yacht Show 2026 charter rates — retrieved 2026-09-05
- Vital Charters — What's included in a yacht charter fee: MYBA contract (2026), survey of MYBA listings — retrieved 2026-09-05
- service-public.gouv.fr — Taux de TVA (fiche F23567, "Vérifié le 18 juin 2025") — retrieved 2026-09-05
- OpenStreetMap / Nominatim — retrieved 2026-09-06
- Société d'Exploitation des Ports de Monaco — Port Hercule — retrieved 2026-09-06
- Wikipédia — Port Hercule — retrieved 2026-09-06
- OpenStreetMap / Nominatim — retrieved 2026-09-06
- Ports de Menton (site officiel) — retrieved 2026-09-06
- OpenStreetMap / Nominatim — retrieved 2026-09-06
- OpenStreetMap / Nominatim — retrieved 2026-09-06
Rates retrieved 2026-09-05; distances computed from OpenStreetMap positions (great circle).
Plan your Monaco–Portofino week.
Dates and guests are enough to start; we reply with suitable yachts and a route sketch.