Port Hercule (Monaco)

Introduction

Port Hercule is Monaco's grand harbour — the deep-water amphitheatre beneath the Rock and Monte-Carlo that, each September, becomes the stage for the largest gathering of superyachts on earth.

What You'll Feel

You lie in the middle of the principality: the palace on its rock to one side, the casino terraces to the other, and the Grand Prix barriers tracing the quay you're moored along.

What Makes It Unique

Nowhere concentrates yachting glamour like this — a 40-acre harbour ringed by Monte-Carlo, home of the Monaco Yacht Show and a leg of the Formula 1 circuit.

The Story Behind

The bay has been used since antiquity by Greeks and Romans, though it was poorly sheltered from easterly winds. The modern port was completed in 1926 and reshaped in the 1970s under Prince Rainier III with a new sea wall and breakwater; floating concrete pontoons were installed in 2010–2011.

Local Life

The quays are pure Monte-Carlo — restaurants, the yacht club, and crowds that swell for the Grand Prix in May and the Yacht Show in September.

Best Time to Visit

The season peaks around the May Grand Prix and the September Monaco Yacht Show; berths here are among the most coveted (and costly) in the world — book far ahead.

Fun Facts

• Monaco's only deep-water port, used since Greek and Roman times.
• The modern port was completed in 1926.
• Reshaped in the 1970s under Prince Rainier III with a new sea wall.
• Covers about 40 acres (160,000 m²) with around 700 berths.
• Depths reach 40 m at the outer piers for cruise ships.
• Hosts the Monaco Yacht Show every September.