Since summer is just around the corner, I thought I’d remind everyone that there are still some great yachts and catamarans out there for great family summer yachting destinations. No matter what your budget or favorite activity, there’s something for everybody. So let’s take a quick look at some of my favorite places to visit.
Chartering a yacht or catamaran in summer with the family is more affordable than you think.
If you’re wondering what the kids can do on a yacht, whether they’ll get bored and what kind of activities are available see this article about sailing with children.
There are plenty of water-sports available as well as exploring and snorkeling.
The Caribbean
Bahamas, Belize , British Virgin Islands, Grenadines, St Martin
The Caribbean Sea and it’s huge circle of volcanic islands has to be one of the greatest vacation experiences in the world. A personalized Caribbean yacht trip offers the best vacation experience of all in the Caribbean islands. Best of all, it’s nice and warm in winter too, unlike the Mediterranean.
Both European, and North and South American visitors all have their preferred groups of islands largely depending on the islands
culture and languages spoken.
The British Virgin Islands often referred to as the BVI, tend to be the perennial favorite or boss of bosses, if you like, due to its accessibility, protected waters, and steady breezes.
The Mediterranean
The Greek Islands, Turkey, Croatia, Italy including Sicily and the Amalfi, and the French Riviera.
The Mediterranean has many marvelous cruising options.
The most popular destinations include those with the following universal characteristics: protected waters, a number of interesting islands to visit, small villages on the water with ports with anchorages or docks large enough to accommodate a yacht, interesting things to see (and eat) while ashore and “visitor-friendly” locals.
Bear in mind, however that the Med is a summer destination and gets cold in winter. Best cruising months are from late May to September.
July and August gets pretty crowded when it seems like all of Europe is vacationing on the water.
North America
No need to look for your passport; North America Yacht Charters themselves has some amazing and unique cruising destinations that are well worth a more in-depth look.
Starting with Florida and the Keys and also New England, the Pacific North West, Alaska and of course Mexico’s Sea of Cortes and the Baja Peninsula (Yes, you will need a passport for Mexico, and you should definitely go if you have an opportunity).
The Florida Keys, for example, often written about and sometimes even written-off for being too commercial, are quite different when cruising down on a private yacht or catamaran.
New England, of course, is a summer destination, as are Alaska and the Inner-passage of the Pacific North-West that runs from Seattle to Juneau, Alaska.
Florida is great almost anytime of year, New England is best in July, August and September although there is quite a bit of fog in August. The Pacific Northwest and Alaska have a two month window of July and August. Mexico’s Baja is OK most times of year although there is the summer hurricane season to watch out for.
Many charter yachts escape the summer hurricane season by running up to New England during the summer months, and become available for charter all the way up the New England coast to Maine. We have tried to describe the North American charter experiences on separate pages on this site. Please click through to the links above.
So call us to make the arrangements, gird your loins, pack your bags, (don’t forget the kids) and jump into an unforgettable yacht charter vacation. You can browse for yacht availability yourself or you can always find us at 877-759-8263 or use our handy contact form.
