The Greeks and then the Romans used this inlet, and it is the reason there is a settlement on this stretch of coast at all. Everything else — the terraces, the towers, the reclaimed ground — came later and came from here.
The quays are public and walking them is free. It is also the best place to understand the shape of the country: the rock on one side, Monte-Carlo climbing on the other, and the tiers stacked up behind.
From spring the harbour is progressively taken over by grandstands and barriers for the street race, and parts of the quay close.
Walk the full quay from one side to the other. It takes about twenty minutes and it is the clearest free hour in Monaco.
Port Hercule in pictures
