Motor YachtJOIA The Crown Jewel65m · 12 guests
Italy & Sardinia
Yacht charter in Italy and Sardinia
Three very different coasts, each best given its own week.
Italy by sea
A summer week in Italy usually means one of three places: Capri and the Amalfi Coast, the volcanic Aeolian Islands north of Sicily, or Sardinia's Costa Smeralda. They are far apart, and each asks for a different pace.
The Amalfi Coast is about lunches, towns and a busy sea. The Aeolians are quieter and wilder. Sardinia has granite islands and very clear water. I ask which suits the people on board, then choose the base, the route and the yacht together.
When to go
- May and June
- Warm days, cooler sea, quieter towns. A good time for the Amalfi Coast.
- July and August
- Hot and lively. August is Italy's own holiday month, and every harbour is full.
- September and October
- Warm sea, softer light and room in the anchorages again.
The maestrale
Summer in southern Italy is mostly settled, with a sea breeze that builds through the afternoon. Sardinia is different. The maestrale, Italy's name for the mistral, blows from the northwest and funnels hard through the Strait of Bonifacio, sometimes for several days.
When it blows, I move the week to Sardinia's east coast and the sheltered side of the Maddalena islands. Further south, the scirocco can bring heat, haze and swell from Africa. The Aeolians are open to most winds, so I keep the route there flexible.
Three ways to spend a week
Starting points, not fixed plans. The final route follows the people on board and the forecast.
Capri and the Amalfi Coast
Short runs and famous names. Swims under the cliffs by day, a table ashore in the evening. Busy in high summer, so timing and anchorages matter.
Islands and harbours: Naples · Procida · Ischia · Capri · Li Galli · Positano · Amalfi
Procida The Aeolian Islands
Seven volcanic islands north of Sicily. Dark cliffs, quiet villages and Stromboli active on the horizon.
Islands and harbours: Lipari · Vulcano · Salina · Panarea · Stromboli · Filicudi · Alicudi
The Aeolians are a long run from Naples. I suggest them as a one-way week or a charter that starts in Sicily.
Off Panarea, Stromboli on the horizon Sardinia: Costa Smeralda and La Maddalena
Granite islands, very clear water and the harbour at Porto Cervo. The Maddalena archipelago is a national park with rules on where yachts may anchor, and the captain plans around them.
Islands and harbours: Olbia · Porto Cervo · Cala di Volpe · La Maddalena · Caprera · Spargi · Bonifacio
Cala di Volpe, Costa Smeralda
Yachts I would consider for Italy and Sardinia
Availability moves weekly. I confirm dates and fit before anything is sent.
Plan a week in Italy
Dates and guests are enough to begin. I reply personally.