Riva Aquariva

Onboard the Riva Aquariva

The Riva Aquariva carries the marque's signature look through to a 10-metre hull finished with a mahogany deck, the kind of detail that photographs as well moored stern-to at the Nouveau Port as it does running flat out across the Gulf. At 8 guests she stays intimate rather than crowded, with a single cabin below that suits a change of clothes or shelter from midday sun rather than an overnight stay. This is a boat built for the day, not the week, and it shows in every line.

With a cruising speed near 41 knots, she closes the distance from Saint-Tropez to Pampelonne's offshore anchorage or the quieter water off Cap Taillat in short order, leaving more of the afternoon for swimming stops or a table booked ashore. Groups who want to anchor off town, tender in to Quai Jean Jaurès for lunch, then reposition toward Baie de Briande before the light turns will find the Aquariva's speed does the planning for them — little of the day lost to transit, more of it spent on the water itself.

She works well for couples wanting a private half-day on the water, small friend groups after a fast, photogenic ride along the coast, or a compact corporate outing where six or eight colleagues want open water and a change of scene rather than a formal itinerary. Booking is straightforward given her day-boat status — no multi-day provisioning or overnight logistics to coordinate, just a base at Saint-Tropez, a route agreed in advance, and a boat that's as comfortable idling off a beach club as it is covering ground at speed.