👉Stepping out in Menton

Having sailed past Monaco we did not know what to expect of Menton. We followed the zig zag steps to the top and it was WOW

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10/8/20263 min read

Sailing past Monaco, it looked so different from the water — all those buildings squeezed into the hillside. I’d visited before with work and remember it feeling incredibly decadent, and of course who doesn’t think of the James Bond scenes set there. So as we approached the famous Formula One tunnel, we couldn’t resist turning up the volume and blasting The Chain — the F1 anthem for so many years. It felt perfectly fitting as we sailed past, not quite as fast as a racing car, grinning like kids and singing loudly. Well… I was. Fleetwood Mac were one of Mum’s favourites, so it felt like a little moment.

People had told us Menton was lovely, famous for its sweet lemons and Geonese influence… but WOW. Nothing prepared us for just how pretty it is — the colours, the architecture, the whole atmosphere. It’s one of those places that moves you..

Being so close to Italy, you can really feel the blend of cultures. The zig‑zag steps up to the basilica were a workout, but the reveal of the square at the top was pure magic. One of those moments where you just stand there, slightly breathless, rather warm but thinking… well this is spectacular.

After a few weeks travelling from Saint‑Tropez to Antibes — surrounded by huge boats, glossy shops and all the Riviera glamour — Menton felt different. Relaxed. Accessible. Still magnificent, but without the sense that you need a superyacht to belong. Although, to be fair, when we arrived we did end up mooring between two enormous motor cruisers. The upside? The spaces are so wide you can drift in slowly without getting anywhere near them. We looked tiny… but they gave us excellent shade, so no complaints.

Fresh from our Lime bike adventures in Antibes, we spotted Pony bikes here — and they offer two‑up riding. App downloaded, Tim in front, and suddenly we were whizzing around Menton with me clinging on for dear life while trying to film the chaos laughing loudly.

Later, wandering through the busy evening streets, we spotted our plates. The ones we first saw on a market stall in Banyuls back in May and somehow resisted buying. Not this time. The Novera crew deserves posh plates we decided— even if there are no guests at the moment. They’re decorated with tuna and other fish, naturally. We probably didn’t buy enough, but that just means more fun finds to come. Novera came with so much already, so anything we add feels like a treat rather than a necessity.

Tomorrow the wind looks good, so we’re setting off on a 20‑hour sail to Corsica. We weren’t even sure we’d make it there this season, but a good weather window and everything we’ve learned in our first year gave us that little nudge of confidence. Tim fixed a few things, felt happy with the sails and the motors, and suddenly the idea of one last adventure didn’t feel reckless — it felt right. Sometimes you check the forecast, look at each other, and just have to say YES to the adventure. And with Novera ready, so were we.