Exploring the 5 Senses on a South of France Yacht Charter

A South of France yacht charter is a feast for the senses. There are certain sights and smells, sounds, touches and tastes that epitomise long summer days on the French Riviera.

Float along the coast, savouring the breathtaking backdrop of snow-capped Alps and red rock edged by turquoise sea, the cool smell of pine forest and the sleepy sound of buzzing cicadas. Close your eyes enjoy the lap of water on the hull, the fragrance of lavender in the markets, the feel of your toes sinking into soft sand. Remember the water that sparkles in that mythical Provencal light, the sharp tang of salt in the air, and blue-green coves of perfect clarity.

As your charter yacht floats along the coastline from Monaco to St Tropez, you will be transported into a sensory dream. Here are some of the experiences that will delight your five senses on a French Riviera yacht charter.

Taste

• The taste of a cold glass of Provencal rose – the florals, citrus and red fruits on the palate, liquid blushing pale pink against a backdrop of sea and sky.
• The fresh stone fruits of summer, perfect cherries and apricots and peaches floating in a bowl of ice cubes, soft skin splitting as you bite into the cool flesh.
• Salmon tartare on a bed of avocado, squeezed with lemon and sprinkled with salt and a drizzle of local olive oil.
• The salty seawater shock of a luscious, creamy oyster, freshly shucked in the galley and served on a bed of ice.
• Langoustines drenched in butter and lemon; a Nicoise salad of perfect freshness.
• Deep red tomatoes that taste like they did when you were young, dressed with oil, basil, and creamy discs of mozzarella.
• Refreshing sorbets to cleanse the palate, the perfect end to a long lunch on deck.

These are the tastes of summer in the south of France, produce sourced from the Alpine meadows and Provencal fields, the lemon terraces of Menton and the deep blue sea.

And in the months of autumn, when yachts still charter along the coast enjoying the last warm days before winter bites, the tastes of Southern France also change to reflect the season – with truffle markets and colourful harvest festivals for blackberries and chestnuts and wine.

Sight

• The soft magic of sunset as it falls across the landscape, the Alps fading into dusky blues, the sea a shifting tapestry of lilacs, pinks, and a shade of irradiated turquoise almost outside nature.
• The sunlit waters lapping across a white sand seafloor, pale fish flitting about, meadows of Poseidon seagrass bending in the gentle current.
• The wake bubbling furiously behind the yacht, churning white water and the flag flapping wildly in the breeze.
• The table on deck dressed for lunch, starched white napkins and tablecloth scattered with flowers, cutlery and crystal glassware glinting in the sun.
• Terracotta roofs and pastel buildings shining red and gold in the afternoon light as your yacht arrives in Cannes or St Tropez.
• Blue-green water in almost impossible shades – endlessly shifting between the colours of precious jewels- sapphire and emerald, turquoise and topaz.
• The lights of the Riviera twinkling in the distance as you dine at anchor, moonlight turning the sea silver.

Touch

• The feel of sun-warmed decks beneath your feet, salt water drying on your skin.
• The envelopment of cool water as you dive off the swim platform into the deep blue sea.
• The sunshine on your eyelids as you drift into sleep on a deckchair, pages of your discarded book flapping in the breeze.
• The fine spray across your face as you stand on the foredeck as the yacht gets underway on a windy day.
• The cool, delicious wall of air-conditioning that greets you as you walk through the aft doors into the salon, the automatic hiss of the sliding doors shutting behind you, feet sinking into soft carpets.
• The afternoon breeze that rustles the trees on a restaurant terrace of one of the flowery hill towns that sit above the coast, the sea sparkling in the distance.
• The feel of fine fabrics slipping between the fingers in a glamorous boutique, the softness of white bathrobes and fluffy towels after a shower.
• The frisson of excitement running up your spine as you sit in the high speed tender going 30 knots towards the shore. Wind whipping and hair flying, smiling into the breeze.

Sound

• The quiet hum of the yacht’s engines, a vibration ever so faint beneath your feet.
• Buzzing cicadas, that sleepy symphony of summer in the South of France.
• The clip-clop of high heels on cobblestones in Saint Tropez as the beautiful people head out for the night.
• The pop of a cork, the soft fizz of champagne escaping the neck, froth cascading into the glass.
• The sound of your children and loved ones laughing and screaming with happiness on the watertoys.
• The sound of the Jacuzzi bubbling as you lie back with a cocktail.
• The strains of music from the sundeck speakers – Sinatra and Shirley Bassey for the sweet nostalgia of the Riviera of yesteryear, or chilled summer beats from the Ministry of Sound.
• The buzz of paparazzi helicopters over Pampelonne Beach at St Tropez, the flash of photography on the red carpet at Cannes.
• The sound of ice cubes jostling in a jug of water filled with strawberries and limes, condensation beading on the glass.
• The chatter of the dinner table, laughter carrying across the water, getting louder as the night wears on.
• The lively clamour of a South of France market, the stallholders calling to each other and to passing trade.
• The sound of dice falling on a roulette table in Monte Carlo, bouncing as the spin begins to slow.
• The DJ playing at a famous St Tropez beach club, as the guests begin to dance.

Smell

• The smell of salt in the air, mixing with pine trees and eucalyptus.
• The heady fragrance of a Provencal market – all sweet-smelling lavender, rosemary, and wheels of cheese.
• The aroma of freshly baking bread wafting from the galley in the morning as you wake up with a coffee.
• The perfume that drifts through the yacht as the guests emerge from their cabins, dressed up for a night ashore.
• The scent of flowers scattered throughout the yacht, tall crystal vases of lilies, orchids, and vibrant tropical arrangements from distant lands.
• The smell of freshly laundered sheets as you climb into bed after another incredible day on charter, Egyptian cotton slipping over bare skin.

Smell and sight, hearing, taste and sound: they can transport you back to a place and time with a mere whiff of lavender, a Shirley Bassey song on the radio, or the buzzing of cicadas on a sunny afternoon. This summer, delight the senses with a South of France yacht charter, creating a sensory memory of long, deliriously happy days on a yacht on the French Riviera.

Images: Bespoke Yacht Charter