For a holiday with a sense of adventure, chartering a yacht is hard to beat. Whether you’re a total beginner or a seasoned seadog, a boat will get you to the places where other tourists just don’t go, whether that’s deserted coves on a coral island or out-of-the-way harbours, peopled exclusively by locals eating the catch of the day cooked up in a beachside shack.
So where should you go? The perfect yachting destination needs a potent mix of ingredients: good weather with plenty of wind and sun; great cuisine; locations full of character to drop anchor; and a series of long or short sails that will suit everyone.
Golden Horn beach on Brac island, Croatia. The islands along the Dalmatian Coast are ideal for beginner sailors.Beginners – Dalmatian Islands, Croatia
Croatia has more than 1,000 islands, making it ideal for beginners needing short, safe sails.
The Dalmatian islands are a particularly good place to start, packed with history, olive groves, lavender fields and blissfully, deserted beaches which you can only get to by boat.
The Dalmatian islands are a particularly good place to start, packed with history, olive groves, lavender fields and blissfully, deserted beaches which you can only get to by boat
Forget hotels with ocean views; you’ll have an ever-changing panorama of ocean, sky and islets from the rails of your yacht.
The weather in summer is generally calm, with light breezes in the morning, getting stronger towards the afternoon.
Sail to your destination first thing, then spend the rest of the day exploring. And you won’t be short of places to go.
Hvar island is a classic. With terracotta roofs jostling for space over soft sandstone buildings, it’s a medieval cornucopia of delights best viewed first from the sea.
Korcula is another fortified must-do and the island of Brac has the famously beautiful Golden Horn beach.
Drop in on Split to see the Roman Diocletian’s Palace with its basement halls and an ancient synagogue built into the walls.
There are literally hundreds of beaches with perfect views and little coves to make your own.
How to do it?
Flights with Air Malta to Dubrovnik are around €300 in October. Make your way to Agana to set sail with www.sunsail.eu, where a seven-day, bare-boat hire costs from around €1,000* in October.
Though southern England’s weather may not rival the Caribbean, there is a strong sailing community on the Solent.Anglophiles with a family – The Solent, UK
The UK, just like Malta, has a long history of links with the sea. Charter a yacht there and you’ll get some exciting sailing as well as access to great activities on land.
The Solent is a stretch of water between the mainland and the Isle of Wight, home to the sailing meccas of Southampton, Portsmouth and the Hamble.
It’s convenient for London airports and gives you the option of sailing on to France, since the channel is just 32km wide at its narrowest point, making it considerably closer than Malta to Sicily.
The area has strong tidal patterns, so it’s fun to get out on the waves. A typical family day can include sailing to Ryde, Cowes, Seaview or even Chichester harbour (depending on tide and weather).
On land, you can visit Explosion! The Naval Museum of Firepower, Pirate Pete’s Indoor Play, the Blue Reef Aquarium or numerous lovely beaches in this area.
How to do it?
Air Malta has flights to London for around €250 in October. From there, head down to Portsmouth to connect with www.yachtsforfun.com.
They run skippered sailing weekends where you can kick back and enjoy doing nothing, or get the family involved in learning the ropes.
You’ll be on board a 10m yacht and your first overnight stop might be Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Single days start from €600 and a full week-end is €1,600.
That includes exclusive use of a 36-foot Beneteau Oceanis, safety gear, foul weather gear and all fuel. Extras are food and mooring fees, typically £15.
A view of Marina Cay and Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.Long-haul lovers – The Caribbean
Turquoise sea, warm weather all year round, with thousands of islands to visit. It’s check, check and check in the Caribbean.
Once you hit the land, you can explore volcanoes, waterfalls, underwater hot springs and jungle hikes.
The hardest part is narrowing down exactly where to go, but the British Virgin Islands are a good bet with lots of great anchorages and places to explore, such as the coral island of Anegada.
The busiest areas are Tortola and Virgin Gorda, easily accessible from Europe. A typical itinerary would take in these two and also sail past Robert Louis Stevenson’s setting for Treasure Island at Norman Island.
There are caves to explore, some stellar snorkelling at locations such as Cistern Point or North Sound, and you shouldn’t miss The Baths, created by Mother Nature for your enjoyment.
Wrap up with a visit to the deserted isle of Sandy Cay.
In the Caribbean, the British Virgin Islands are a good bet with lots of great anchorages and places to explore
How to do it?
www.kayak.com has a flight with multiple airlines from Malta to Tortola (Beef Island, BVI) for €1,013* in October.
www.horizonyachtcharters.com offers bare-boat, crewed or ‘learn to sail’ charters on a range of monohulls and catamarans from 10m upwards. They currently have a seven-night rate of €1,160* for a Bavaria 31 and you can get 10 nights for the price of seven until the end of October.
Yachts in port of Horta on Faial island, the Azores.(Slightly) off the well-sailed trail – The Azores
The Azores have an ancient maritime history. On the island of Faial, whalers once painted the names of their ships on the town walls and people are still doing it today.
Horta is a major stop-off for yachts heading to and from the Caribbean and Mediterranean, and the World Cruising Club also stops there during the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) Europe.
It seems like a stretch to describe this Portuguese autonomous region as ‘off the beaten track’ but the reality is that most yachts simply load supplies, make repairs, have a few drinks and then press on, leaving you to explore peaceful bays and tranquil natural harbours all round the islands.
So don’t tarry too long in Horta (although it’s fun to spend some time in the Peter Cafe Sport, rammed as it is with sailors swapping yarns and slamming shots), but head out to the other islands, all nine within a day’s sailing of each other.
As the Gulf Stream runs past the islands, you should get some decent weather all year round.
How to do it?
www.priceline.com has a flight for €500* via Gatwick and Lisbon.
www.sailazores.pt has a Dufour 375 that will set you back €1,900* for a week.
www.azoresailing.com also has a seven-day cruise on a crewed yacht for €600pp including meals or can provide you with a crew to participate in the regattas from €200pp.
Vernazza fishing village in Cinque Terre, Italy.Closest to home – Cinque Terre, Italy
Portofino has a harbour straight out of an E.M. Forster novel, decked out in the earthy, terracotta hues of yesteryear.
Behind, Italy’s northwestern coastal mountains range upwards, dwarfing the town and the hiking is almost as good as the food…. but not quite.
Pleasure is a way of life there and that very much includes eating and drinking.
There’s some wonderful sailing to be had, although it will be hard to tear yourself away from the harbour cafes, olive groves and cobbled streets.
Between Portofino and Porto Venere, the Cinque Terre coast offers unparalleled scenery as you sail the five villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. They are famous for their wine and character and you can walk between some of them if you want to get your land legs back.
Charter your yacht from Genoa or one of the other smaller towns further south.
How to do it?
Alitalia are charging around €260 for a flight from Malta to Genoa via Florence in October. www.sailingitaly.net has a Bavaria 32 from Genoa for €1,180 per week.
*Prices correct at time of writing.