April in Cote d' Azur

[Amigo23]

Hello everyone,


I am planning on sailing Cote d' Azur a for the whole of April and perhaps the first two weeks in May, and wonder if anyone has done that before and can give me some information.


How is the weather? I am curious both about the winds and how warm/cold and sunny/cloudy/rainy it can get. Are the days comfortable? Are the nights very cold? Will i spend all my time in ports waiting out the Mistral?



Are there any other things to plan ahead for when cruising Cote d' Azur in April? Are marinas open? I guess there are more berths available than in high season?


Any thoughts on crusing this area in April are much appreciated.


Best,
Amigo23

[Barbaria]

We started in Port St. Louis October 2020 and has a lovely time sailing Cote d' Azur all winter. Christmas and new year in Cannes, a fabulous place.

Crossed over to Italy in February. No closed marinas and weather was very good compared to Norwegian winter sailing. Some windy days to be expected at this time of year, but no real issues. Open marinas everywhere and prices very good, at least wintertime.

Our blog google translated from Norwegian/ Swedish:
https://sothishome-wordpress-com.tra..._x_tr_pto=wapp

A bit strange translation but you get the idea.

[Naughty Cat]

The nights are fairly cool and some heating on board is useful, but not essential. Expect mid teens maybe even early twenties during the day and below 10 at night. The mistral tends to come in 2 waves over 3-5 days, and there will be some big ones as the temperature gradient between the mountains and the sea is still steep. It is definitely better to cruise west - east. Whether you spend a lot of time in marinas depends firstly on your preference and secondly on your confidence anchoring. Beware any easterly storms off St Tropez overnight and seek shelter if possible. It is a good time to cruise with the weather improving and fewer crowds.