This is Monte Carlo

Where things are

The neighbourhoods

Monte-Carlo is only one part of Monaco. Here is how the Principality fits together, from the Rock in the west to the towers by the French border in the east.

Facts checked on 24 October 2026

Port Hercule and the Rock, from La Turbie. Photo: Tobi 87, CC BY-SA 3.0

Map of Monaco and its quarters Monaco runs along the coast from Fontvieille in the south-west, past Monaco-Ville on the Rock, La Condamine around Port Hercule, Monte-Carlo and Larvotto to La Rousse by the French border in the north-east. Jardin Exotique and Moneghetti are on the hillside behind. France surrounds the Principality on the landward side.
Drawn from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) and simplified: positions are approximate, so use a navigation app for directions. The ringed cross marks Monaco-Monte-Carlo station, which is underground.

  1. 01The Rock

    Monaco-Ville

    The old town on its headland, home to the Prince’s Palace and the seat of government. It is also where you find the Oceanographic Museum, the Cathedral and the daily changing of the guard at 11:55.

    The Palace and the guard
    A narrow paved lane between ochre and pink houses in the old town, under an arch, with the red and white flag above
    Rue Basse, one of the lanes of Monaco-Ville. Photo: Benoît Prieur, CC0

  2. 02The port

    La Condamine

    The district around Port Hercule, between the Rock and Monte-Carlo. The Marché de la Condamine is on the Place d’Armes, and two of the railway station’s exits come out here.

    The market
    Moored boats in Port Hercule with a wooden mast in the foreground and the buildings of Monte-Carlo under a blue sky
    Port Hercule in November. Photo: Benoît Prieur, CC0

  3. 03The Casino quarter

    Monte-Carlo

    Monaco’s main residential and resort area, around the Place du Casino. Monte-Carlo is a district of Monaco, not a separate town. The Opéra de Monte-Carlo’s Salle Garnier, home of the November Jazz Festival, is on the square.

    Jazz Festival dates
    The ornate facade of the Casino de Monte-Carlo with its twin towers, behind palms and gardens
    The Casino de Monte-Carlo from its gardens. Photo: Alexkom000, CC BY 4.0

  4. 04Reclaimed land

    Fontvieille

    Built on land reclaimed from the sea in the 1970s, with its own harbour, Port de Fontvieille. The Monaco Heliport is here, near the Stade Louis II, and the circus festival pitches its big top in Fontvieille every January.

    Circus Festival dates
    The harbour of Fontvieille at dusk, ringed by lit apartment buildings, with the hills behind
    Fontvieille and its harbour at dusk. Photo: Pierre Blaché, CC0

  5. 05The beach

    Larvotto

    Monaco’s most populated ward, with the Larvotto beach and its seafront promenade, rebuilt and reopened in 2021. Le Portier is attached to it.

    Larvotto beach
    The curve of Larvotto beach with pale sand, clear turquoise water and tall apartment buildings behind
    Larvotto beach in November. Photo: Benoît Prieur, CC0

  6. 06The newest district

    Mareterra

    A six-hectare district built on land reclaimed from the sea at Le Portier and inaugurated on 4 December 2024. It is pedestrianised, with public green space.

  7. 07The heights

    Jardin Exotique

    The ward named after its cliffside garden of succulents, which reopened in March 2026. Monaco’s highest point, 164.4 metres, is here on Chemin des Révoires. Villa Paloma, one of the two homes of the national museum, is on the boulevard du Jardin Exotique.

    The Jardin Exotique
    Red aloe flowers and cacti in the foreground, with the apartment blocks of Fontvieille and the sea below
    Aloes in flower at the Jardin Exotique, April. Photo: Tangopaso, Public domain

  8. 08Above the port

    Moneghetti

    The elevated part of La Condamine, on the hillside above the port.

  9. 09High-rise Monaco

    La Rousse and Saint-Roman

    The north-eastern ward of tall residential towers, near the French border at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Bus lines 1 and 4 run to Saint-Roman.

Sources

Each fact on this page comes from one of these. If you spot something that has changed, please tell us.

  1. Wards of Monaco, Wikipedia. Last checked 24 October 2026.
  2. Le Palais Princier, un incontournable de Monaco, Côte d’Azur France (regional tourist board). Last checked 24 October 2026.
  3. Le Marché de la Condamine, Mairie de Monaco. Last checked 24 October 2026.
  4. Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival 2026 press release (3 September 2026), Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. Last checked 24 October 2026.
  5. Arriving in Monaco by helicopter, Visit Monaco. Last checked 24 October 2026.
  6. Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (agenda). Last checked 24 October 2026.
  7. New Larvotto beach resort officially opens, Government of Monaco. Last checked 24 October 2026.
  8. Mareterra: Monaco’s six-hectare waterfront district to be inaugurated on 4th December, Monaco Life. Last checked 24 October 2026.
  9. Le Jardin Exotique de Monaco, Mairie de Monaco. Last checked 24 October 2026.
  10. Hours and admissions, Nouveau Musée National de Monaco. Last checked 24 October 2026.
  11. Lines and timetables, Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco (CAM). Last checked 24 October 2026.