The best things to do in Monaco
Monaco’s rocky shoreline doesn’t sport the same swaths of sandy beaches as some of its neighbors, which is why so much real estate is dedicated to pools (there’s even an open-air, Olympic-sized saltwater pool on the port). Sunbathe along the waterfront solarium that’s the Côte d’Azur version of Scandinavia’s floating saunas, or set off on a half-day whale-watching safari around the coast to spot migrating fin and sperm whales.
While Cannes is defined by La Croisette and Nice’s pebble-strewn shores are bordered by the Promenade des Anglais, Monaco’s main beachside stretch, the crescent-shaped sliver Larvotto, recently received a modern makeover helmed by Renzo Piano. A handful of beach clubs and restaurants spill out along the palm-fringed promenade. For a more subdued scene than Saint-Tropez that’s every bit as glamorous, sprawl on a floral-patterned sunbed (a nod to the 1960s-era motif designed for Princess Grace) at La Rose des Vents’s seasonal, Gucci-themed beach club. If you don’t want to peel yourself away from the plage for lunch (and who could blame you?), you can dine on caviar and king crab tacos (a definite must-order) at your lounger.
Across the bay, cliffside La Vigie Zanoni, chef Simone Zanoni’s al fresco Italian eatery, resembles an intimate, unfussy version of Capri. The sweeping views of the principality alone are worth it—and if you’re taking part in a boat day, you can even pull up to the restaurant’s private dock. Rooftop Nikki Beach Monte Carlo’s cabana-clad pool embraces the Riviera’s party-heavy beach club vibes, but for something more understated, cruise over to La Môme Riviera’s rose-striped parasols and Italian restaurant, which hover along the rocks in nearby Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. When you arrive at the private pontoon via boat (Star Boat Luxury offers shuttles departing from Port Hercule), the tucked-away enclave feels like you’ve stumbled upon a private island. Nearby Loulou Pirate is a spruced-up take on a fisherman’s hut and embraces the same barefoot-chic vibe today as when the original locale was a hotspot for the likes of Brigitte Bardot in the 1960s and ‘70s.
At Monaco’s newish fashion district, One Monte-Carlo, near the casino, splurge or window shop at designer boutiques like Cartier and Saint Laurent, or sip a glass of champagne under the Art Nouveau-style pavilions at Le Jardin Belle Epoque by Perrier Jouët’s pop-up outside Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo. For vintage and second-hand luxury finds, browse Le Dressing’s two boutiques in the portside La Condamine district. If your trip falls over a Friday, hop on a direct, 30-minute train to Ventimiglia for the open-air weekly market—among the largest in Italy—and pause for lunch at waterfront stalwart Marco Polo 1960.
