WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN

If the French Riviera is the heart of the Mediterranean, Monte-Carlo is its lifeblood. Offering streets streaked in Grand Prix rubber and achingly exclusive restaurants, Monaco is the port of call. The Principality is as famous for its dynastic royal family as it is befitting of its James Bond film sets, edged with the most coveted yacht berths around. Further along the coast, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat rewards with Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, framed by the Mercantour Alps.

If the Côte d’Azur has you singing for more, the Italian Riviera will deliver. The Amalfi Coast’s tumble-down, pastel-hued villages gift far-reaching vistas across the Bay of Naples. From Positano’s steep and winding streets to the volcanic slopes of Mount Vesuvius, accented by the zesty scent of fragrant Sicilian lemons. Sardinia’s lush green Italian landscape ravage with their brilliance, while Corsica’s granite terrain gives Malta’s city of Valletta a run for its money.

In the Balearics, wellness and hedonism harmonize, from the cobbled streets of Ibiza Old Town to the historic limestone city of Palma. While there, be sure to take in Cabrera Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, spread across 19 islets and home to a wealth of native marine life, from kestrels and turtles to Balearic lizards. On Spain’s mainland, Barcelona’s world-class superyacht marina provides a gateway to Michelin-star eateries, premiership football and the nearby Pyrenees for powder-snow skiing.