Club 55, Pampelonne Beach — still the address, even after everyone else has tried to copy it. I brief every guest to arrive by tender before midday, order the crudités, and not rush the rosé. It hasn't dressed itself up for anyone in sixty years, and that's precisely the point.

La Guérite, Île Sainte-Marguerite — reachable only by boat, off the coast of Cannes. What began as a fisherman's cabin in 1902 is now the address I send guests to once the Film Festival crowds have thinned, a rocky cove with the whole bay of Cannes laid out in front of the loungers.

La Réserve à la Plage, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat — my quieter recommendation. Set below the hotel with the bay stretched out in front of you, it suits guests who want the sea without the spectacle.

Anjuna Beach, Èze — a secluded cove twenty minutes from Monaco, dressed in Balinese style rather than Provençal. Turquoise loungers by day, dinner and a DJ by night, and the yachts at anchor close enough to watch from the table.

La Réserve de la Mala, Cap-d'Ail — tucked beneath the coastal path just outside Monaco, reached by stairs, on foot, or by taxi-boat for guests who'd rather arrive by water. Chef Jean-Marc Troussard's Italian-leaning menu is the reason bookings fill up weeks ahead.

Twiga Baia Beniamin, Ventimiglia — just over the Italian border, between Menton and Ventimiglia. The beach runs quiet through lunch and turns livelier once the DJ takes over mid-afternoon, close enough to Monaco to fold into an afternoon on the water.

La Petite Maison, Nice — book ahead or don't bother. The socca and the whole roasted branzino have made regulars out of guests who swore they'd never go back to the same restaurant twice on one trip.

Tetou, Golfe-Juan — a bouillabaisse institution, family-run since 1920, with a dining room that looks straight onto the water where the fish came from that morning.

Bagatelle, Saint-Tropez — theatrical, loud, and exactly what some evenings call for. Go for the entrance, stay for the champagne service that arrives with more ceremony than the food.

Le Bâoli, Cannes — the port-side terrace fills from early evening and rarely empties before sunrise. During festival season it's less a nightclub than a fixture of the calendar itself.

VIP Room, Saint-Tropez — moved indoors from its old Byblos garden setting, and still the room that decides where the night ends up.

Les Caves du Roy, Hôtel Byblos, Saint-Tropez — the club every other nightclub on this coast is still measured against, open under its illuminated palm trees since 1967. Book a table, and don't expect much to happen before midnight.

L'Opéra, Saint-Tropez — part restaurant, part cabaret, with a terrace over the port and shows that run across the tables before the DJ takes over after midnight. Arrive for dinner if you want to see how the night starts.

Sénéquier, Saint-Tropez — the one stop that comes up in nearly every guest recap, and it isn't a nightclub at all. Red awnings on the old port, a strong coffee or a stronger pastis, and the best seat in town for watching the harbour go about its business.

Provence made rosé respectable long before it became fashionable, and a few hours inland are worth building into a charter itinerary.

Château d'Esclans, La Motte — home of Whispering Angel, though I always steer guests toward tasting the Garrus alongside it, since the difference in the glass tells you more about the region than any tasting note could.

Château Minuty, Gassin — a family estate with views back down to the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, known for a tasting room that doesn't oversell what's already in the bottle.

Domaines Ott, Château de Selle — for guests who want the full estate walk before the glass arrives; the vines here have been tended by the same family since 1912.

Grasse — the perfume capital, half an hour inland from Cannes. A tour at Fragonard or Molinard is the sort of activity that sounds like a formality and ends up being the highlight guests mention weeks later.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence — a fortified hilltop village with more galleries per square metre than seems reasonable, and La Colombe d'Or if you want lunch among works by artists who once traded paintings for their bill.

The Antibes market — Marché Provençal, early morning, before the coach parties arrive. Tapenade, cheese, and flowers, sold by people who've been doing it for generations.

Cap Ferrat coastal path — a guest favourite for anyone wanting to earn their lunch, tracing the villas and the pine-shaded coves between Paloma Beach and Villefranche.

After enough charters through this coast, one thing holds true every season: the Riviera rewards guests who let a day unfold rather than schedule it to the hour. If you're planning a charter and want a route built around any of the above, get in touch at hello@swisspath-yachting.com — I'm always happy to talk it through.