Benetti B.YOND 40M130' 11"
View Specs & ReviewThe tightest berths in yachting — Port Hercule, Fontvieille and the coast beside them
Yachting in Monaco
A Minted Location · Monaco, Monaco
If your mission is a berth at the exact center of the yachting world — the harbor that stages the Monaco Yacht Show each September and hands its streets to the Grand Prix each spring — Monaco is where the Mediterranean is tightest. The Principality has two basins: Port Hercule, the deep-water principal harbor at La Condamine, where operator SEPM's own page states 760 berths and the government portal 700 with about 30 for visitors — both official, so both stand — and Port de Fontvieille west of the Rock, capped at a 9.8 ft (3 m) draught.
Minted Yachts works these waters as the American buyer's broker, and everything below comes from each port's, operator's or venue's own published information — the same standard behind every yacht review on this site.
For an owner, Monaco is really three markets: a Port Hercule berth, with the Yacht Club de Monaco's 26 superyacht berths for 92–197 ft (28–60 m) inside the same harbor; Fontvieille's small-boat basin; and the French overflow coast at Cap d'Ail and Beaulieu-sur-Mer, where the berth counts are bigger and the run home is minutes. Pick your Monaco, and the boat follows.
Where to keep a yacht in Monaco
Monaco dockage sorts into the Principality and its borrowed coast. Port Hercule is the main event — SEPM-run on VHF 12, depths from 8 ft (2.5 m) in the pool to 131 ft (40 m) in the outer port, the 1,155 ft (352 m) semi-floating Digue Rainier III taking cruise ships to 984 ft (300 m), the Principality's only yacht fuel point, and the Yacht Club de Monaco's own 26-berth marina on Quai Louis II. Fontvieille is the second basin: five concrete quays, four floating booms and a hard 9.8 ft (3 m) draught cap — SEPM states 290 berths, the government portal 275. Then France: Port de Cap d'Ail one headland west, and Port de Beaulieu Plaisance with yachts to 148 ft (45 m) — the overflow reality every Monaco buyer should price in. Figures below are what each port publishes about itself; where official pages disagree, both numbers stand.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port HerculeThe harbor of the Monaco Yacht Show and the Grand Prix waterfront — SEPM states 760 berths, the government portal 700 with 30 for visitors: both official, so both stand; call the capitainerie for yours. Depths run 8 ft (2.5 m) in the pool to 131 ft (40 m) in the outer port, the 1,155 ft (352 m) Digue Rainier III takes cruise ships to 984 ft (300 m), and the speed limit is 3 knots. Fresh water and 220V/380V power on quays and pontoons. | La Condamine — the Principality's deep-water principal harbor | — | — | The Principality's only stated yacht fuel point — BP station on the landing stage; black-water pump-out for Fontvieille boats handled here too |
| Port de FontvieilleThe Principality's small-boat basin: five concrete quays, four floating booms and a hard 9.8 ft (3 m) maximum draught — the stated constraint that rules out most large yachts. SEPM states 290 berths, the government portal 275 with 16 for visitors — both official, both cited. Speed limit 3 knots. | Fontvieille — west of the Rock | — | — | Fuel & black-water pump-out handled at Port Hercule (SEPM's own statement) |
| Port de Cap d'AilMonaco's immediate western overflow, in the Métropole's Ports d'Azur network. The port's own site and the Métropole state 265 berths with a top end of 213 ft (65 m) — ten Bassin d'Honneur berths for 131–213 ft (40–65 m) — and 49 ft (15 m) of draft; the commune's page says 257 berths and 197 ft (60 m). All official, so both stand; call with your specs. 'Ports Propres' certified since 2015, with a 4,500 sqm careening area and lifting to 70 tonnes. | Cap d'Ail, France — on Monaco's western border | — | — | Fuel station at the port entrance (+33 4 93 35 20 54) |
| Port de Beaulieu PlaisanceThe largest overflow marina near Monaco by berth count — the Métropole states 720 berths, Beaulieu's tourism office 723; both official, both cited. Yachts to 148 ft (45 m) on 23.6 ft (7.2 m) of draft, with Monaco Marine's 300-tonne-capacity yard on site and African Queen on the quay since 1969. | Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France | 148 ft | — | Fuel station at the entrance (+33 4 93 01 41 22), delivery options available |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yacht Club de Monaco — YCM MarinaThe club's own marina inside Port Hercule: VIP reception pontoon for tenders, black and grey water discharge on request, covered parking with electric-buggy transfers, and Club House access for owners during their stay. Its pier is also the meeting point for the SBM boat shuttle to Monte-Carlo Beach. | Quai Louis II, Port Hercule, Monaco | 197 ft | 26 | — |
Figures are as each facility publishes them on its own site; blank cells mean the facility doesn't state a number. Confirm slip availability and current rates directly — or ask us to make the calls.
Cruising from Monaco
The rules of the Principality. Monaco's territorial and internal waters are policed under Ordonnance Souveraine n° 8.527 of 11 March 2021, alongside the Règlement général des ports (September 2023). Arriving captains report to the Maritime Police at 14, quai Antoine 1er with all passports and entry documents (Ordonnance Souveraine n° 3.153 of 1964), and the speed limit inside both ports is 3 knots. Specific anchorage zones are set out in the regulatory documents on SEPM's legal pages — pull the current texts before you plan to swing.
Port Hercule. Hail VHF channel 12 (+377 97 77 30 00). The harbor runs from 8 ft (2.5 m) in the pool to 98 ft (30 m) at the outer pier and 131 ft (40 m) in the outer port; the 160,000-tonne Digue Rainier III sea wall is 1,155 ft (352 m) long with a 476 ft (145 m) lee breakwater. Fresh water and 220V/380V power on the quays and pontoons, fuel at the BP landing stage, and 2026 Short Term and Wintering rate cards published on SEPM's rates page.
Fontvieille. The second basin, VHF channel 9 (+377 97 77 30 15) — reception in season 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. with a 24/7 port watchman. The stated constraint is the 9.8 ft (3 m) maximum draught, and fuel and black-water pump-out are handled at Port Hercule, by SEPM's own statement.
The overflow coast. Port de Cap d'Ail sits on the Principality's western border — the port's own site and the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur state 265 berths with a top end of 213 ft (65 m), ten Bassin d'Honneur berths for 131–213 ft (40–65 m) and 49 ft (15 m) of draft, while the commune's page says 257 berths and 197 ft (60 m); all of it official, so call the capitainerie (VHF 9) with your specs. Between the two, Cap d'Ail's Mala cove is a calm-day stop — the commune closes the coastal path's 13 security barriers in strong wind or rough seas, and the same swell reaches the cove. Farther west, Port de Beaulieu Plaisance takes yachts to 148 ft (45 m) on 23.6 ft (7.2 m) of draft, with fuel at the entrance and a 300-tonne-capacity yard on site.
The calendar. The Monaco Yacht Show occupies Port Hercule itself each September (23–26 September 2026), and SEPM ties its dike modernization to mega-yacht wintering contracts after high season — this is a summer transient market and a winter-contract market, and the show week is the tightest berthing of the year.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monaco Marine — Monaco (Port Hercule)The in-port service station since 1995 — maintenance, engine service, mooring, cleaning, technical inspections and project management for yachts 30–108 ft (9–33 m), with a 6-ton crane for day boats and tenders; a team of ten hosted 100 boats in 2024. +377 97 97 60 60. | Port Hercule, Monaco | 108 ft | 30 berths at its marina for vessels 30–108 ft (9–33 m) |
| Monaco Marine — Beaulieu-sur-MerThe nearest full refit yard to the Principality — a 300-tonne floating lifting dock, 140-t and 40-t travel lifts, a 40-t crane and 7,700 sqm of technical area for paint, metalwork, joinery, welding, electrical and engine trades; 30 employees completed 298 projects in 2024. | Port de Beaulieu, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France | 144 ft | 5 berths for superyachts to 131 ft (40 m); the yard takes sail & motor yachts to 144 ft (44 m) |
On the Monaco calendar
Monaco Yacht Show — 23–26 September 2026, in Port Hercule itself: 120 superyachts, more than 560 exhibitors and 50 tenders on display, per the show's own site. The harbor is the venue, so plan transient berthing around show week.
Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco — the Automobile Club de Monaco's street circuit "winding through the very heart of the Principality," in the organizer's words; the 84th edition is scheduled 3–6 June 2027, pending FIA World Motor Sport Council approval.
The two-season rate card — SEPM publishes separate 2026 Short Term and Wintering tariffs for both ports and has tied its Rainier III dike work to mega-yacht wintering contracts after high season: Monaco berthing runs on a high-season transient rhythm and a winter-contract one.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Monaco
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Riva 88' Folgore88' 4" (26.92 m)
View Specs & Review
Pershing Yachts GTX116115' 11"
View Specs & ReviewFrequently Asked Questions
Where can I berth a 100-foot yacht in Monaco?
Port Hercule — the Principality's deep-water principal harbor, run by SEPM on VHF 12 (+377 97 77 30 00). SEPM's own page states 760 berths; the government portal says 700 with about 30 for visitors — both official, so cite both and call the capitainerie. Inside the same harbor, the Yacht Club de Monaco's marina runs 26 berths for superyachts 92–197 ft (28–60 m). Fontvieille is out for a 100-footer in practice: its stated constraint is a 9.8 ft (3 m) maximum draught.
Where do you berth when Monaco's ports are full?
West, into France — the honest trade-off of the tightest harbor in yachting. Port de Cap d'Ail sits on the Principality's border: the port's own site and the Métropole state 265 berths with a top end of 213 ft (65 m), including ten Bassin d'Honneur berths for 131–213 ft, while the commune's page says 257 berths and 197 ft (60 m) — all official, so both stand. Port de Beaulieu Plaisance is the volume play: 720 berths per the Métropole (723 per the tourism office), yachts to 148 ft (45 m) on 23.6 ft (7.2 m) of draft.
When is the Monaco Yacht Show, and what does it do to berthing?
September 23–26, 2026, in Port Hercule itself — the harbor is the venue, with 120 superyachts, more than 560 exhibitors and 50 tenders filling the quays, so transient berthing around show week is the tightest of the year. Book far ahead or plan the overflow harbors at Cap d'Ail and Beaulieu-sur-Mer. The calendar's other fixed point is the Grand Prix street circuit through the heart of the Principality — 84th edition scheduled June 3–6, 2027, per the Automobile Club de Monaco.
Is Monaco a good home port?
It is the most contested waterfront in the Mediterranean, and that is the calculation: two basins with berth counts even the official sources state differently, a second port capped at 9.8 ft (3 m) of draught, and a harbor that becomes the show floor every September. The working answer for many owners is a berth on the overflow coast — Cap d'Ail or Beaulieu — with Monaco minutes away, and a wintering contract when the season turns. Tell us how you'll use these waters and we'll go to work as your broker: the Broker Request form on this page, TS@MintedYachts.com or +1 (404) 805-9819.
How does berthing at Port Hercule work?
Through SEPM, the Société d'Exploitation des Ports de Monaco, which has managed the Principality's ports since 2006 — hail VHF channel 12 or +377 97 77 30 00. SEPM publishes separate 2026 Short Term and Wintering rate cards as PDFs on its rates page; go there for tariffs. On arrival, captains report to the Maritime Police at 14, quai Antoine 1er with all passports and entry documents, and the speed limit inside the port is 3 knots.
Where does a yacht get serviced near Monaco?
Inside Port Hercule, Monaco Marine's service station has operated since 1995 — maintenance, engine work and technical inspections for yachts 30–108 ft (9–33 m), with a 6-ton crane and 100 boats hosted in 2024. The full refit yard is its Beaulieu-sur-Mer operation: a 300-tonne floating lifting dock, 140-t travel lift and 7,700 sqm of technical area for yachts to 144 ft (44 m). Port de Cap d'Ail adds a 4,500 sqm careening area with lifting to 70 tonnes.
Which Monaco restaurants can I reach by boat?
La Vigie Zanoni is the clean answer — SBM's own page states a private dock and calls it an ideal gourmet stopover during a day of yachting. Monte-Carlo Beach runs a free 15-minute boat shuttle from the Yacht Club de Monaco pier in Port Hercule, six guests per boat. West of town, Eden Plage Mala publishes GPS coordinates and a boat-shuttle line for arrival by sea, Anjuna in Èze-sur-Mer states a valet/boat service, and African Queen faces the yachts on Beaulieu's quay — berth via the Port de Plaisance. Port Hercule's own arcade tables, Quai des Artistes among them, are a walk off the quay.
Where do yachts fuel in and around Monaco?
Port Hercule — the BP station on the landing stage is the Principality's stated yacht fuel point, and black-water pump-out for Fontvieille-based boats is handled there too, by SEPM's own statement. On the overflow coast, Port de Cap d'Ail runs a fuel station at its entrance (+33 4 93 35 20 54) and Port de Beaulieu Plaisance another at its entrance (+33 4 93 01 41 22), with delivery options at Beaulieu.