Best Regions for Yacht Charter

Today we lay out various options for charter routes, offering a short overview of some of the most popular places, indicating their advantages and disadvantages, peak season period and preferences for beginners and experienced yachtsmen.

You can travel on a charter yacht throughout the year and almost all over the world, deliberately avoiding dangerous areas with high crime rates, strong curtains, and tidal currents. To do this, you should study the features of yachting in different regions, and then plan such a trip, focusing on seasonality.

Let us remind you that topRik experts in previous publications recommended conducting your first charter voyage as a skipper of a rented yacht in the region where your yacht school studied is situated. And only after strengthening your skills in familiar sailing conditions can you choose unfamiliar routes with caution. We hope our short review will help with this.

Popular Regions for Yachting in Peak Season

Generally speaking, from April to October is the best time for yachting in the Mediterranean. European yachting has its own characteristics that make it most attractive even for inexperienced yachtsmen who want to improve their skills:

• a huge number of yachts for every taste and for any company;
• excellent service in marinas with rare exceptions;
• varied coastline, many cozy bays for anchorages;
• very rich coastal life, including interesting excursions with inspection of ancient monuments in ancient cities and villages, as well as a large selection of entertainment, local cuisine, etc.;
• an excellent option for a short break during the week;
• lowest prices – May, June, September, October;
• Maximum prices and crowded marinas – July and August.

Croatia

The most popular country for yachting among both beginners and experienced yachtsmen. There are many interesting cities, beautiful nature, the cleanest sea, the best marinas for yachts in the Mediterranean, a lot of islands and bays. Thanks to the long coastline and many islands, the routes are never repeated; it is impossible to travel around the entire Croatia along the coast in a month.

Season: best time from June to September. During the peak season - July and August - prices for yacht rentals are highest and it is difficult to find free places in marinas.

Montenegro

One of the best regions for a yacht holiday. Yachting in Montenegro has been actively developing in recent years, new companies with an excellent modern charter fleet are opening. A beautiful country with very beautiful cities preserved from the Roman period, and, of course, the fabulous Bay of Kotor. Yachting in Montenegro is very interesting: here you can catch good winds in the Adriatic and at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, but there is always the opportunity to hide from the waves and wind.

Season: June to September.

Greece

This country is a pioneer in the development of charter yachting in the Mediterranean. A yacht holiday in Greece is one of the best in the region: stunning nature, clear sea, very interesting cities and islands, excellent cuisine, many ancient monuments - amphitheaters with performances, temples, ancient cities. There is a large selection of yachts here, although the fleet is mostly not new. The main disadvantage of yachting in Greece is that there are few equipped marinas, and in crowded ports there are difficulties in refilling with electricity and water.

Season: best time – May, June, September. In July and August it is very hot, it is difficult to find water and places in marinas on the islands.

Turkey

Yachting in Turkey feels great thanks to its nature, friendly people, deserted bays, many temples and castles of the Greek and Byzantine periods. In addition, here you get the longest yachting season, a good selection of yachts that have become more expensive lately, excellent marinas and private berths. This is an ideal place for beginners, as there are many secluded places from bad weather, and the winds are constant.

It is very hot here in July and August; the best time to visit is June and September.

France

The most interesting region for yachting is the Cote d'Azur. Cannes, Nice, Antibes, Saint-Tropez, Porquerolles are truly beautiful, especially when you live on a yacht in the very center of the city. There are also small interesting islands and places for anchorage. Yachting on the Cote d'Azur reveals to us the less familiar part of France.

We also recommend visiting the French islands of Elba and Corsica. Experienced sailors can try their hand at the Atlantic coast of France, one of the most challenging yachting regions in the world.

Season: best time – June, July, August, early September. During the high season, we recommend booking yachts in advance, as well as the spots in marinas.

Slovenia

Yes, Slovenia has the sea and very interesting yachting! From here you can walk through the Slovenian cities of Piran, Koper, Portoroz, and then go to Italy - to Venice, Grado, Trieste, Muggia. Routes from Slovenia to the Istra Peninsula are also interesting. A wonderful combination of relaxing on a yacht with walks through the most beautiful cities of the region.

Season: best time is during June, July, August, early September.

Italy

Italy offers a very diverse yachting experience: walks along the Gulf of Venice, holidays on a yacht on the Italian Riviera, visits to Sicily and Sardinia. The difficulty of yachting in Italy is crowded marinas with poor service and very high prices, an old fleet of yachts. Nevertheless, holidays on a yacht in Italy are always popular, thanks to interesting cities, beautiful coastlines and excellent cuisine.

Season: best time – June, July, August, early September.

Spain

The best yachting in Spain is on the Balearic Islands: Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca, Formentera, Cabrera. In the winter – Canary Islands. The only disadvantage of yachting on the Spanish islands is the long passages between the islands; strong waves are possible in the open sea.

Experienced yachtsmen will also be interested in long sailing trips between the Balearic and Canary Islands. These routes also take you to Malaga and Marbella, wonderful cities close to Gibraltar. The region has beautiful new yachts and well-equipped marinas.

Season: best time during June – September.

Exotic Regions

Exotic yachting is an opportunity to extend the yachting season by sailing to the regions described below from November to March. Yachting in exotic countries has the following features:

• people travel here mainly on double-hulled yachts - catamarans, they are more comfortable, but also more expensive;
• parking is mainly done at anchor or at private berths; there are few equipped yacht marinas, with the exception of the Atlantic;
• the optimal vacation time is 2 weeks: you can spend a week on a yacht, the second on excursions around the region;
• almost all regions have conditions for diving;
• pros: exotic, wonderful climate, warm sea, fruits;
• cons: high cost due to expensive flights and yacht rental.

Canary Islands

An excellent option for those who want to combine yachting with a rich tourism program. Volcanoes, geysers, canyons, whales, dolphins, turtles, a real desert, interesting cities. Advantages: inexpensive flights, good marinas, new fleet. Disadvantages: long passages between islands, which may not be very comfortable for beginners.

The Caribbean

The most popular destinations are Cuba, Dominica, Guadeloupe, and the British Virgin Islands, but yachting is developed throughout the region. An interesting region in natural terms. Excellent fishing and diving.

New Zealand

You can enjoy some excellent yachting in the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Islands. An incredibly rich tourism program on the islands. Cons: long and expensive flight, old fleet of yachts.

Thailand and Malaysia

Very beautiful landscapes, wonderful climate, warm sea, lots of fruit, friendly people. There is a fleet of new catamarans available.

Indian Ocean

Seychelles, Maldives (with local captain only), Madagascar. Like a beach holiday, but onboard a yacht.

Mexico

The best time for yachting in Mexico is from November to May, as the rainy season with powerful tropical cyclones lasts from June to October. Unlike the Bahamas, which are mainly focused on beach holidays, Mexico, in addition to its natural beauty, also has an incredible concentration of the heritage of ancient civilizations - the Aztecs and Mayans. Depending on which side of the Panama Canal your yacht (or charter) is located on, you can choose between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Mexico.

Egypt

The shores of the Red Sea in Egypt are indented with picturesque bays and abound in beaches, and the underwater world rich in corals makes these places ideal for diving safaris of various levels of difficulty.

Yachting in Egypt is developing slowly due to government policies aimed at protecting the Red Sea reef ecosystem. Despite this, yachts can not only sail in coastal waters, but also obtain permission to travel through the waters of the Nile in order to explore the interior of the country. In general, Egypt's yachting infrastructure has made a huge leap in development. More and more marinas are opening and improving in the country.

United Arab Emirates

The entire coastline of the United Arab Emirates with sand dunes, shallow bays and velvet beaches, natural bays is ideally suited for yachting: on the territory of any emirate there is a choice of comfortable marinas. This is one of the best places to combine a yacht charter with world-class sea fishing for tuna and barracuda. Diving is interesting in areas such as Umm Al Quwain, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah. From October to April, traditional dhow (type of boat) rowing races take place.

And Several More Routes for Experienced Yachtsmen

If you want to take risks and test your skills, then yachting in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Poland and the Baltic countries is an excellent choice for experienced yachtsmen looking for new routes.

Norway has amazing yachting like no other. A yacht trip through the Norwegian fjords can be combined with walks in the surrounding mountains, glacier hikes, fishing and even diving. For lovers of unusual tours, there is the opportunity to explore the Arctic Circle. The downside of yachting in Norway is expensive yachts, a short season (June, July, August) and unstable weather.

The sailing season in Denmark is very short, and between November and April local authorities are sometimes forced to prohibit Danish sailors from leaving marinas due to bad weather. The Danes carefully respect yachting etiquette and traditions. A lot is built on trust, and marinas often automate many payments.

Yachting in Estonia includes more than 1,500 islands in the Moonsund archipelago in the Gulf of Riga, most of which are uninhabited, and traces of the Vikings can still be found in some places. There are 38 nature reserves and 4 national parks in Estonia, and many places can only be reached by yacht from the sea. A good time for a yacht holiday in Estonia is summer, when the air can heat up to +22, the days are very long, and you can even experience white nights.

Finland is famous not only for its ski resorts, as many people think, but also for its yacht clubs. Almost along the entire coast you will find equipped marinas with not only a shower, but also a sauna. The Baltic Sea in Finland is unpredictable even in summer. Currents can be observed between the islands; the waves are usually low and short. The easiest way to rent a monohull sailing yacht in Finland. Depending on the chosen route, charter is possible in Helsinki, Turku or on the Åland Islands in Mariehamn.