Italy is home to some of the best sailing grounds in the
Mediterranean witnessed by the large number of boats that are kept in
the area. The lack of natural harbors located along the coast and the
limited numbers of places in the marinas can make it really challenging
to find a berth during the summer months on the Italian coast. The
islands of Sardinia and Sicily tend to enjoy more wind than the Bay of
Naples and the Riviera (check
weather)
but, in general, there is a lot less during the summer months than
other times of the year and yachts tend to have to motor more here than
elsewhere in the Mediterranean. The Italians’ love affair with speed,
that explains the high numbers of motor boats relative to sailing boats
in the area. But, when the sun shines, and there is a warm, steady
breeze, most yachtsmen would feel that the wait had been worth it. The
variety of scenery, the fabulous climate, the beautifully clear water
and Italian food and wine certainly go some way to make up for the lack
of wind! Our yachts are in many number of yacht charter centers in the
key sailing areas of Italy. Italian regulations state that skippers
wishing to sail on a Catamaran for Charter i Italy more than six miles
offshore in Italian waters need to hold an
International Certificate of Competence (ICC).
They also need to be able to produce the registration document for the
boat and a valid insurance certificate. There is no lifeboat service in
Italy and emergencies are dealt with by the Guardia Costiera.
The telephone number for assistance is: 1530
Most people refer to the whole sailing area as the Mediterranean sea,
Italian waters are actually divided into several different areas:
The North Adriatic Sea, The Central Adriatic Sea, The South Adriatic Sea,
The Sardinian Sea, The Strait of Sardinia, The Strait of Sicily,
The
Ligurian Sea, The North Tyrrhenian Sea, The Central Tyrrhenian Sea, The
South Tyrrhenian Sea, The North Ionian Sea, The South Ionian Sea.
North Adriatic
The coastline of the north Adriatic is flatter and less interesting
than other areas of Italy, mainly made up of mile after mile of sandy
beaches that are not so much interested for Catamaran Charter Sailing
Italy. However, there are many interesting places to visit such as:
Venice, Trieste, Ravenna and Rimini. The proximity to the northern
coastline and islands of
Croatia make this area wherry popular for Catamaran Charter cruising.
Central Adriatic
There is little of interest for the cruising yachtsman in this area
of the Adriatic for Catamarans Charter. There are a few notable harbours
such as:
San Giorgio, San Benedetto del Tronto, Pescara and
Ortona but most of the cruising interest is either further north or to the south of the Italian coast.
South Adriatic
The heel of Italy stetches from the port of
Otranto up to the
Gargano Peninsular. This area is probably the most interesting in the Italian Adriatic for
Catamaran Charter,
as the coastline becomes very flat and the sea very shallow inshore as
you travel north Italy. Also, from here it is only a day’s sail to the
island of Corfu in Greece and the fabulous sailing waters of
Greece.
The Tremeti Islands, off the northern coast of the Gargano Peninsular
are very beautiful and totally unspoilt and perfect for Catamaran
Charter Italy. There are no marina facilities there and it is only safe
to anchor in settled weather. The harbours of
Otranto, Vieste, Bari, Brindisi and
Manfredonia all have marina facilities.
Sicily
Sicily is an attractive cruising ground for
Catamaran Charter Sailing Italy,
particularly along the northern and eastern coasts. It has a number of
well established marinas although they can be very expensive in the
summer months. We have also bases on Sicily so we can offer you
catamarans from there. There are anchorages at Cefalu and either side of
Palermo. At the western end, San Vito lo Capo also has a comfortable
marina and anchorage, which can be very useful in a Maestrale. Off the
western end of Sicily lie the Egadi Islands, which provide some
spectacularly clear water and secure anchorages. There is a marina at
Favignana. The cities of Trapani and Marsala are attractive
destinations, but further round to the south the facilities diminish
somewhat. The area is slowly being developed but some care should be
taken when on passage in this area. The eastern side of Sicily has some
beautiful cities and interesting sailing destinations, in particular:
Siracusa, Catania and Taormina are well worth a visit. The marina at
Riposto provides ring-side seats for any firework shows that Mount Etna
chooses to put on! A trip through the Straits of Messina is made more
interesting by the presence of whirlpools at certain states of the tide!
Although not dangerous to cruising yachts, they look a little
threatening and can affect the sterring at times.
The Ionian
The Ionian coast makes up the ‘Instep’ of the Italian ‘Boot’. There
are few harbours suitable for catamarans sailing Italy but there are
marinas at
Crotone, Taranto and
Gallipoli. At Sibari, there is an inland development of holiday homes and a large number of marina berths so you come with the catamaran.
The Italian Riviera
The Italian Riviera stretches along most of the coastline of Liguria,
either side of the port of Genoa in Italy. From part that runs from
Genoa to the border with France in the west is called the ‘Riviera di
Ponente’ and its a fantastic location to charter a catamaran.
La Spezia
There are plenty of comfortable harbors in this area for charter a
catamaran sailing Italy, notably San Remo, Imperia, Loano and Savonna
but few anchorages if any. The port of Genoa has several yacht harbours
so you can come with a catamaran. From here to Cinque Terre and the
natural harbour of La Spezia in the east is called the ‘Riviera di
Levante’. There are a large number of comfortable harbours where you can
stop with a catamaran in this area too, but like most of Italy, it gets
very busy in the summer and some effort needs to be made to secure a
berth for the night where we can also help you. There are a few
anchorages available, notably in Sestri Levante and inside the harbour
of La Spezia. In the Golfo Tigullio (Golfo Marconi), the harbours of
Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure and Rapallo are very popular with the
rich and famous and space is hard to find during the season. Come and
be one of them with our
Luxury Catamarans.
The Tuscan Islands & Argentario
Of all the places to sail in Italian waters, the Tuscan Islands are
probably the most appealing and it is propably one of the most popular
areas for yacht charter. It has something for everyone. The islands of
Capraia, Elba, Giglio and Giannutri are all accessible to yachts and
provide a number of attractive harbours and plenty of anchorages, some
even secluded in bad weather. On the mainland south of Livorno, the
harbours of Cala di Medici, Punta Ala, and on the Argentario promontory:
Porto Santo Stefano, Porto Ercole and Cala Galera, are all relatively
large and comfortable, and any one of them would provide a fabulous base
for exploring the area.
The Pontine Islands
The Pontine islands are a favourite destination for sailing Italy.
They are conveniently placed for both Rome and Naples and with six
islands to choose from, there is plenty of variety to enjoy. The two
largest Islands: Ponza and Ventotene, have attractive towns to explore.
The others: Palmarola, Zannone, Gavi and Santo Stefano are smaller, but
provide some very attractive anchorages. Care needs to be taken in bad
weather as they are a little exposed.
The Bay of Naples
It is not hard to see the appeal of the Bay of Naples for sailors of
our catamarans sailing Italy charter. On the northern end, the islands
of
Ischia and
Procida are both very
accommodating to our catamarans sailing Italy with several well equipped
marinas and a number of beautiful anchorages suitable in settled
weather. In the center, the famous outline of mount Vesuvius dominates
the skyline with a number of marinas where is also one of ours, lining
the coastline around Naples, some more attractive than others! On the
southern end, the Island of Capri lies serenely off the Sorrento
peninsular. Its harbour is famously expensive, but there is an anchorage
to the side of it and a number of spectacular bays suitable for
anchoring in settled
weather. To the north of the bay, yachts can visit the beautiful Pontine Islands and to the south, the Amalfi coast beckons.
Sorrento Peninsular
This area is renowned for its beauty and is one of the most popular
holiday destinations Catamaran sailing Italy. On the northern side, the
town of
Sorrento sits serenely on a hill overlooking the bay of
Naples,
and on the southern side, the towns of Positano, Ravallo, Amalfi and
Salerno gaze southwards, framed by one of the most famous backdrops in
the world. From a sailing point of view, its shortcomings are
compensated by the extraordinary scenery.
Sorrento has marina facilities, as do Amalfi, Maiori and Salerno. Catamarans can anchor off the seafront at Positano in settled weather.
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