Menton by yacht, 7 nm from Monaco

The last French town before Italy — gardens, lemons and a gentle old port.

Menton is the quiet easterly counterpoint to Monaco's glamour: a pastel old town climbing from the sea, celebrated gardens and a calm harbour minutes from the Italian border.

It makes a serene first leg heading east toward Sanremo and the Ligurian coast, just seven miles from Port Hercule.

The quiet gateway east

Just seven nautical miles from Port Hercule, Menton is the gentle counterpoint to Monaco's glamour — a pastel old town climbing from the sea, famous gardens, and a calm harbour minutes from the Italian frontier. It makes a serene half-day from Monaco for those who want beauty without the crowds, and a natural first leg for any cruise heading east.

Heading into Italy

Menton marks the threshold between France and the Italian Riviera, and a day here often becomes the start of a longer eastbound passage. From its anchorage the coast opens toward Sanremo, the Ligurian shore and ultimately Portofino. We handle the simple cross-border formalities so the transition from French to Italian waters is seamless, and time the leg to the weather and your pace.

Ashore, Menton rewards a slow morning: the celebrated Serre de la Madone and Val Rahmeh gardens, the lemon-scented old town climbing in pastel tiers, and a market that already feels half Italian. It is the gentlest of introductions to the change of register that waits across the border, and a calm counterpoint to a week that may grow livelier as it heads east.