Italy's beauty is legendary and one town is more attractive than another. The country has an extremely rich culture and history, amazing cuisine and all the famous lifestyle and elegance. For the yacht charter guest, it offers wide and varied sailing areas and beautiful harbors. This, combined with all the impressive landscapes, stunning nature and the Italian "dolce vita", ensures a perfect sailing holiday.
Italy and its islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea are located in the very center of the Mediterranean. Renting a boat in Italy is a great opportunity to explore the amazing Italian culture and many beautiful cities. At 51, Italy has more UNESCO world heritage sites than any other country in the world. Moreover, you will enjoy great food and great shopping.
The coastline, especially the Italian Riviera in the West, offers many beaches and coves that are extremely suitable for anchoring. Italy's islands are mostly located on the west coast of the mainland and they all have their own character. A favorable climate and almost no tides provide good cruising conditions and there are many interesting possibilities for different sailing routes. Italy has a great tradition of boat building and sailing, so sailors benefit from numerous ports. The infrastructure in the northern charter areas and all the way to Rome in the south is very good.
The main airports are Venice, Genoa, Pisa, Rome, Naples, Olbia, Alghero, Cagliari, Reggio Calabria, Palermo, Trapani and Catania.
The main charter regions for sailing in Italy are concentrated on the west coast of the mainland, namely Liguria, Tuscany, Elba, Bay of Naples, Capri, Sardinia and Sicily. The Adriatic Coast to the east is not very attractive for boat rides. Possible rental bases are Polignano a Mare near Bari, the area around the Gargano national park, and the Venetian Lagoon, where you can directly pass the world-famous Old Town and its stunning buildings.
In Genoa, the capital of Liguria, you come across Porto Antico, which contains Europe's largest aquarium and many other tourist attractions. From there it is only a short walk to the Old Town. After about 14 nautical miles, you reach Portofino, the charming port city in the protected bay. From here you arrive at La Spezia at about 30 NM and on the way you will pass one of Italy's most interesting tourist attractions, a cluster of five picturesque and colorful seaside towns located in a national park called Cinque Terre. La Spezia forms part of the national park and is the second largest city in Liguria. It is conveniently located in a deep bay surrounded by high hills.
A little further south is the Tuscan Archipelago, which includes Gorgona, Capraia, Pianosa, Montechristo, Giglio, Gianutri and the largest and best known Elba islands. There are very good charter bases to travel and explore these islands and even Corsica in mainland Tuscany. These are Viareggio, Piombino, Follonica and Castiglione della Pescaia / Punta Ala. In Elba, the main city and port is Portoferraio on the northern coast, which is worth a visit. The island also offers lovely large bays and great anchorages. At the southernmost tip of Tuscany is Puerto San Stefano, a seaside town on a peninsula with a marina and a huge fortress.
Sardinia offers a wonderful mix of pristine sailing regions such as the famous Maddalena archipelago, as well as outstanding cruise areas and ports such as Costa Smeralda and Porto Cervo. There are very good ports like Cagliari, Cannigione, La Maddalena, Olbia, Palau and Portisco. Enjoy stunning and varied scenery, such as the pink beach of Spiaggia Rosa and the fjord-like Cannigione Bay.
The Bay of Naples and its islands, the Amalfi Coast and the Pontine Islands archipelago offer more excellent options for yacht charter itineraries. It is located between the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento and Salerno rental bases. It is a 50 km coastline with very beautiful towns sitting on steep rocky cliffs. The towns of Amalfi and Positano are just two examples.
From the mainland you can go to the islands in the Bay of Naples. Exclusive Capri is where the international jet set meets. It is located on the north side of the main town and harbor with its luxury boutiques and top-notch restaurants. Still very busy and expensive.