Mediterranean Escapade: Spain & the French Riviera

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Step out onto your verandah this morning for a panoramic view of one of the most beautiful bays in the world. The city of Roses is on Spain’s Costa Brava, close to the border with France, in a stunning region where the mountains meet the sea. Its glorious natural harbour led the Greeks to establish a trading colony here in 776BC. Walk through the city’s fascinating past at the Ciutadella historic site. Roses is flanked by long, sandy beaches and secluded coves. The surrounding waters are famous for their marine life and there are many spots to snorkel close to shore.You will enjoy a late departure tonight, meaning you can make the most of Roses’ famous sunsets. It is one of the few places on the Costa Brava with a western facing beach, so you will have a spectacular view of the setting sun from the sand or from one of the many restaurants and bars that dot the waterfront. Be sure to sample the local specialty, a delicious Catalan fish stew.

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This morning, Scenic Eclipse will sail into another of the Mediterranean’s dazzling, natural deep-water harbours. Collioure has an intricate history, occupied by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Barbarians, Arabs, Spaniards and, ultimately, French over more than 2,500 years.Bedecked with small beaches, castles by the sea, and pink-domed bell towers, it is little wonder that this town is favourite of artists. Known as the pearl of the Vermillion Coast, Collioure has azure waters lapping pebbled beaches and pastel houses surrounding sun dappled squares. Walk through the town and lose yourself on the streets lined with cafes and gelato shops. With a mix of French and Spanish influences, Collioure is famed for its wine and salted anchovies, both of which are exported all over France.

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The town of Sanary-sur-Mer on the French Riviera began life as a fishing village and the marina is still crammed with hundreds of brightly coloured wooden boats. As it is only a small port, Scenic Eclipse will stop outside the harbour and use tenders to take guests ashore right in the centre of town. The Captain will employ the high-tech GPS Dynamic Positioning System to maintain the ship’s location without dropping anchor on ecologically sensitive seabeds.You’ll quickly be charmed by the pretty palm-lined harbour, the quiet pedestrian streets and pastel-hued buildings, all clustered around a 13th century watchtower, which you can climb for sweeping views of the town. There are a number of interesting churches dotted throughout the town; visit the 16th century Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Pitié and the 19th century Gothic Revival style Église Saint Nazaire. Along the harbour, you’ll see fishermen pulling in the days catch which is then served up at the open-air restaurants looking out over the bobbing boats.

At first glance, it really doesn’t look all that impressive. There’s a pretty port with cafés charging €5 for a coffee and a picturesque old town in sugared-almond hues, but there are many prettier in the hills nearby. There are sandy beaches, rare enough on the Riviera, and old-fashioned squares with plane trees and pétanque players, but these are a dime a dozen throughout Provence. So what made St-Tropez an internationally known locale? Two words: Brigitte Bardot. When this pulpeuse (voluptuous) teenager showed up in St-Tropez on the arm of Roger Vadim in 1956 to film And God Created Woman, the heads of the world snapped around. Neither the gentle descriptions of writer Guy de Maupassant (1850–93), nor the watercolor tones of Impressionist Paul Signac (1863–1935), nor the stream of painters who followed (including Matisse and Bonnard) could focus the world’s attention on this seaside hamlet as did this one sensual woman in a scarf, Ray-Bans, and capris. Vanity Fair ran a big article, “Saint Tropez Babylon,” detailing the over-the-top petrodollar parties, megayachts, and Beyoncé–d paparazzi. But don’t be turned off: the next year, Stewart, Tabori & Chang released an elegant coffee-table book, Houses of St-Tropez, packed with photos of supremely tasteful and pretty residences, many occupied by fashion designers, artists, and writers. Once a hangout for Colette, Anaïs Nin, and Françoise Sagan, the town still earns its old moniker, the “Montparnasse of the Mediterranean.” Yet you might be surprised to find that this byword for billionaires is so small and insulated. The lack of train service, casinos, and chain hotels keeps it that way. Yet fame, in a sense, came too fast for St-Trop. Unlike the chic resorts farther east, it didn’t have the decades-old reputation of the sort that would attract visitors all year around. For a good reason: its location on the south side of the gulf puts it at the mercy of the terrible mistral winter winds. So, in summer the crowds descend and the prices rise into the stratosphere. In July and August, you must be carefree about the sordid matter of cash. After all, at the most Dionysian nightclub in town, a glass of tap water goes for $37 and when the mojo really gets going, billionaires think nothing of “champagne-spraying” the partying crowds—think World Series celebrations but with $1,000 bottles of Roederer Cristal instead of Gatorade. Complaining about summer crowds, overpricing, and lack of customer service has become a tourist sport and yet this is what makes St-Tropez—described by the French daily newspaper Le Figaro as the place you can see “the greatest number of faces per square meter”—as intriguing as it is seductive.

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Saint-Tropez was once a sleepy fishing village. But in the mid-1950s, French screen siren Brigitte Bardot and the film And God Created Woman transformed it into the chicest travel hotspot for the international jet set. Today, it still retains all the glitz and glamour, alongside impossibly blue seas, stunning beaches and a bohemian art scene. Stroll along the cobblestone streets of the old fishing quarter of La Ponche and revel in the abstract architecture and sunlit landscapes that inspired great artists and filmmakers. Enjoy a late departure tonight and see Saint-Tropez come alive after dark. It’s the perfect opportunity to join the beautiful people at open-air bars along the waterfront or chic rooftop cocktail bars with spectacular views. Listen for the sounds of live music and keep an eye out for any visiting celebrities.

Villefranche-Sur-Mer is located on the Côte d’Azur in Provence – known for its fields of lavender and warm weather – and is highly appreciated for its 14th Century architecture.

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Tucked in a deep bay between Nice and the Cap Ferrat peninsula, Villefranche-sur-Mer is one of the hidden gems of the Côte d’Azur. The old town dates to the 14th century, creamy apartment buildings tumble down to the shoreline and hidden stairways weave between it all. This is a tender port, so Scenic Eclipse will wait just offshore as you are ferried right into the centre of town.Enjoy a full day to spend in Villefranche-sur-Mer, where you can explore the town or make the short trip into Nice to discover its many museums, historical sites and galleries. A late-night departure allows you ample time to wander along the waterfront to discover its cosy wine bars and glamorous rooftop cocktail spots.

Calvi, Corsica’s slice of the Riviera, has been described by author Dorothy Carrington as “an oasis of pleasure on an otherwise austere island.” Calvi prospered by supplying products to Genoa; its citizens remained loyal supporters of Genoa long after the rest of the island declared independence. Calvi also claims to be the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. During the 18th century the town endured assaults from Corsican nationalists, including celebrated patriot Pasquale Paoli. Today Calvi sees a summertime invasion of tourists, drawn to the 6-km (4-mile) stretch of sandy white beach, impressive citadel overlooking the Old Town, lively restaurants, and buzzing nightlife.

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Calvi, on the French island of Corsica, has a long and illustrious history. It was founded in the 13th century and its fiery medieval citadel still stands, overlooking the red tiled roofs. It has been a tourist hotspot since the 1920s, thanks to its a moon shaped bay lined with a golden, sandy beach and forested mountains on the horizon. Today, it has the feel of a chic resort on the French Riviera, with waterfront restaurants, luxury hotels and multi-million-dollar yachts at anchor. Explore the alleys of this historic old town, walk around the ramparts of the citadel, and try to find the house that is said to be the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.

On one of the best stretches of the Mediterranean, this classic luxury destination is one of the most sought-after addresses in the world. With all the high-rise towers you have to look hard to find the Belle Époque grace of yesteryear. But if you head to the town’s great 1864 landmark Hôtel de Paris—still a veritable crossroads of the buffed and befurred Euro-gentry—or enjoy a grand bouffe at its famous Louis XV restaurant, or attend the opera, or visit the ballrooms of the casino, you may still be able to conjure up Monaco’s elegant past. Prince Albert II, a political science graduate from Amherst College, traces his ancestry to Otto Canella, who was born in 1070. The Grimaldi dynasty began with Otto’s great-great-great-grandson, Francesco Grimaldi, also known as Frank the Rogue. Expelled from Genoa, Frank and his cronies disguised themselves as monks and in 1297 seized the fortified medieval town known today as Le Rocher (the Rock). Except for a short break under Napoléon, the Grimaldis have been here ever since, which makes them the oldest reigning family in Europe. In the 1850s a Grimaldi named Charles III made a decision that turned the Rock into a giant blue chip. Needing revenue but not wanting to impose additional taxes on his subjects, he contracted with a company to open a gambling facility. The first spin of the roulette wheel was on December 14, 1856. There was no easy way to reach Monaco then—no carriage roads or railroads—so no one came. Between March 15 and March 20, 1857, one person entered the casino—and won two francs. In 1868, however, the railroad reached Monaco, and it was filled with Englishmen who came to escape the London fog. The effects were immediate. Profits were so great that Charles eventually abolished all direct taxes. Almost overnight, a threadbare principality became an elegant watering hole for European society. Dukes (and their mistresses) and duchesses (and their gigolos) danced and dined their way through a world of spinning roulette wheels and bubbling champagne—preening themselves for nights at the opera, where such artists as Vaslav Nijinsky, Sarah Bernhardt, and Enrico Caruso came to perform. Along with the tax system, its sensational position on a broad, steep peninsula that bulges into the Mediterranean—its harbor sparkling with luxury cruisers, its posh mansions angling awnings toward the nearly perpetual sun—continues to draw the rich and famous. One of the latest French celebrities to declare himself “Monégasque,” thus giving up his French passport, is superchef Alain Ducasse, who said that he made the choice out of affection for Monaco rather than tax reasons. Pleasure boats vie with luxury cruisers in their brash beauty and Titanic scale, and teams of handsome young men—themselves dyed blond and tanned to match—scour and polish every gleaming surface. As you might expect, all this glitz doesn’t come cheap. Eating is expensive, and even the most modest hotels cost more here than in nearby Nice or Menton. As for taxis, they don’t even have meters so you are completely at the driver’s mercy (with prices skyrocketing during events such as the Grand Prix). For the frugal, Monaco is the ultimate day-trip, although parking is as coveted as a room with a view. At the very least you can afford a coffee at Starbucks. The harbor district, known as La Condamine, connects the new quarter, officially known as Monte Carlo with Monaco-Ville (or Le Rocher), a medieval town on the Rock, topped by the palace, the cathedral, and the Oceanography Museum. Have no fear that you’ll need to climb countless steps to get to Monaco-Ville, as there are plenty of elevators and escalators climbing the steep cliffs. But shuttling between the lovely casino grounds of Monte Carlo and Old Monaco, separated by a vast port, is a daunting proposition for ordinary mortals without wings, so hop on the No. 1 bus from Saint Roman, or No. 2 from the Jardin Exotique – Both stop at Place du Casino and come up to Monaco Ville.

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Your cruise finishes in Monte Carlo. The most famous district in the world’s second-smallest country, Monaco, it attracts high-rollers and prodigious wealth with luxurious high-rise hotels, designer boutiques and beautiful people at every turn. Sleek and stylish Scenic Eclipse fits in perfectly among the private superyachts anchored at the marina.Please book your flight to depart out of Nice after 12:00 PM.The itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons. As such Scenic cannot guarantee the cruise will operate unaltered from the itinerary stated above. Please refer to our terms and conditions for further information.