Tide Times in Monaco

Monaco and the French Riviera experience Mediterranean micro-tides, a regime radically different from the Atlantic. In the Mediterranean, the tidal range rarely exceeds 30 centimetres, and the average at Monaco is just 0.1 metres. These variations, barely perceptible to the naked eye, are explained by the near-enclosed nature of this sea.

Unlike the Atlantic and Channel coasts, water level changes at Monaco are influenced more by atmospheric pressure and wind than by lunar gravitational pull. The mistral wind can lower the level by 20 cm, while a south-easterly wind raises it by the same amount. These "barometric tides" are less predictable than classical astronomical tides.

Despite these small amplitudes, tide times remain useful for yachters, fishers and divers in the principality. Micro tidal currents can affect mooring in Port Hercule, and small level changes influence diving conditions along the rocky reefs of the Larvotto Reserve.