10 fascinating experienced sailing destinations for practiced sailors

You might already know the ropes about the strength and direction of the wind in your usual harbours. You’re confident and don’t get confused by terms like bora or mistral. Come along! We’ll show you 10 places around the globe, where sailing is a challenge and a truly unforgettable experience, even for experts.

Experienced sailing destinations: Discover the Adriatics again

Murter Island (Croatia)

Experienced sailing destinationsThis island is in the northern part of Sibenik region. A 36 m wide canal separates it from the land on which there’s a folding bridge. The Tisno Bridge is open for boats twice a day between 9 and 9:30 am and between 5 and 5:30 pm.
Murter is the Mecca of sailors with five harbours. Two of these can host up to 400 boats. The whole population of the island makes a living of sailing and tourism connected to it. The beautiful Kornati National Park including the nearby Kornati Island is also the property of the residents. It consists of 150 islands scattered on 220 km2.
It’s a specially protected area and a symbol of Croatia. Therefore, it’s important to go on the predetermined routes among the islands, and only anchor where it’s permitted. Rent a boat Murter

Dubrovnik (Croatia)

The historical, Dalmatian town surrounded by a wall is a great place for renting a boat to sail along the coast. In summer the wind is relatively constant, blowing from the northwest with the speed of 10 to 20 knots. The fluctuation caused by tide is moderate, and the temperature is pleasant between 25 and 28 °C. Storms are frequent in July and August. At this time of the year, the winds of the Adriatic Jugo, mistral and especially bora greatly intensify. Rent a boat Dubrovnik

Tropea (Italy)

Experienced sailing destinationsA small town built on rocks by the ancient Romans. We’re in Reggio Calabria on the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea. As if time stopped here – houses back from the 16th century remain in the historical old town. With azure sky, crystal clear sea and curious shapes of rocks here and there on the sandy shore, this place is unforgettable.
Tropea is also a great starting point for a South Italian round trip. You can explore Sicily or sail around the nearby Lipari Islands. This group of seven small volcanic islands is best known for the active volcanos on Stromboli and Vulcano. Tropea yacht charter

Palermo (Italy)

On the northwest side of Sicily, Palermo is the place where ancient Roman, Greek, and Arabic cultures meet. This city is the historical and cultural centre of the island. It lies under the mountain of Monte Pellegrino in a beautiful natural environment. Sailing around here is only advised for the especially experienced. In summer the weather is exhausting, a temperature of 45 °C is not uncommon. The beauty of nature, however, makes up for difficulties. Think about the nearby Egadi islands, or Ustica a bit further away, where you can find several caves only accessible by boat.
Yacht charter Palermo

Cannigione (Italy)

We’re in Sardinia the second-largest island in the Adriatic Sea. Its coast is nearly two thousand kilometres long. Three Mediterranean winds are common and strong here. The winds that make sailors’ job harder are the Sirocco from the southeast, the mistral and the Ponente winds from the west. Moreover, the canal effect from Corsica, from the direction of Bonifacio intensifies the strength and speed of these winds. The tide is only one or two feet, thus it doesn’t cause any problems. Coastal areas are parted to many small gulfs. The untouched natural scenery attracts beginner and veteran sailors as well. Rent a boat Cannigione

More Mediterranean adventures

Palma (Spain)

Experienced sailing destinationsThe central and biggest city of the Spanish Balearic Islands. Two small and three bigger islands – Menorca, Mallorca, and Ibiza– are among the most popular holiday resorts in Spain. Millions of tourists visit these islands annually. If you want to sail, you can do it all year, the season never ends here. It’s worth mentioning, however, that the ports of these islands tend to get extremely crowded between June and August. As for the weather, the pleasant Mediterranean summer may surprise you here from time to time. Sudden strong northern or northwestern winds often occur out of nowhere resulting in huge waves. The currents are hardest around Menorca
A popular route for practised sailors starts from Palma going around Ibiza. After that, you can take a rest on Formentera. From here you can continue your trip northwestward turning back at Menorca, reaching your point of departure, the island of Mallorca. Yachtcharter Mallorca

Athens (Greece)

The Greek capital and its vicinity have a dozen harbours, smaller or bigger. Therefore, it’s not easy to choose a basis that meets and experienced sailors’ needs. Either for your own boat or one you’ve rented, Alimos Marina is a good choice. It’s one of the biggest ports not only in Athens but in the whole country. This port can host a thousand boats at the same time up to the length of 40 m. The city centre is only 15 km, while the international airport is 30 km away from here.
But why is Athens interesting to pro sailors? Besides the historical sights, there’s a challenge: to outfight the Meltemi. Meltemi is the name of a northern wind, which is dominant in summer. It occurs from June. In July and August, it gets so strong that it can reach 8 on the Beaufort scale.
Weather is often hot with little rain. The average temperature in summer is between 24 and 27 °C.
Yacht charter Athens

Experienced sailing destinations: Exotic waters

Praslin (Seychelles)

The African group of more than a hundred islands is often called the Garden of Eden on earth for its unique beauty. Main islands like Praslin or Mahé where the capital is located are granite. Most of the smaller islands are unpopulated coral reefs, which are excellent for diving and sailing.
The water of the Indian Ocean is warm. The humidity is high thanks to the tropical climate. From April to October, the weather cools down and gets dried out by southeastern trade winds. The monsoon arrives in Seychelles in December resulting in frequent rainstorms. The rainy season lasts until February, but tropical rains may occur any day all year. The average amount of rain is 2300 mm the number of sunny hours, however, is up to almost 7 still. Praslin yacht charters
Experienced sailing destinations

Phuket (Thailand)

A popular resort town on an island with the same name. Its western coast is full of wonderful gulfs, rocks and coral reefs. The climate is tropical, so there’s a dry season from November to April and the rest of the year is the rainy monsoon. A common trait of the rainy season is the strong, stormy wind which goes up to 20 knots. The weather is mostly sunny with a temperature of around 30 °C. We can find two significant harbours here, the Ao Po Grand Marina for 300 boats and the Phuket Yacht Haven for 320 boats. Yacht rental Phuket

Raiatea Island (French Polynesia)

This island on the Pacific Ocean belongs to Tahiti. You should note that the official language is French, only a few people speak good English. It’s a great place to start the exploration of the enormous Polynesian archipelago. Bora Bora, or the world’s most beautiful atoll as many call it, also lies here.
It has the regular tropical temperature, the strength of the wind is between 10 to 15 knots. The rainy season starts in April and ends in November, January is the wettest month. While the tide is negligible the one thing that really challenges sailors is the amount of reef and the narrow spaces between them. You need serious navigation skills and a good knowledge of the area to avoid dangerous situations. Yacht charter Raiatea

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