Where to go ... on a yacht in the summer?

European summer

Three months, 2 weeks, 91 days, 4368 hours - summer has already begun and you can't waste a minute of your free time! It's time to tidy up the boat, if you haven't already, and go on a summer tour of Europe!

Europe is rich in both tourist areas and quiet, almost deserted places. That is why it is so attractive to yachtsmen. Entertainment for every taste, favorable conditions for both a measured cruise and active sailing - all this and much more will help turn your summer in Europe into an unforgettable experience. 

It remains only to choose a direction. Where are we heading, skipper?

Rapid

Visit 7-8 countries in three months? Easily! The main thing is to plan everything correctly. You can start anywhere, but usually cruisers prefer to walk through the northern part of Old Europe. 

The beginning of this route lies in France. Next, you need to move east, along the coast of Belgium. Once you have enjoyed the local culinary delights, then head to the Netherlands. 

From here you can already move along the Staande Mast Route. With it, you can cross the coast of the Netherlands, along the way entering the cities of Gouda, Haarlem, Amsterdam. Further on the horizon looms Germany with the Kiel Canal. You can go through the canal and get directly into the Baltic, or make a small circle through Denmark. We recommend the second option.

When visiting Denmark, don't forget the local sights and head southeast towards Sweden and then Poland. After visiting Copenhagen, most the most interesting places in the Baltic is within reach and a couple of days of travel. 

The route described above has a length of about 1800 nautical miles. At an average speed of 20 miles a day, you can safely meet 90 days of summer. 

Harsh north for real sea wolves

This route should be chosen by experienced yachtsmen who have already seen a lot. A long passage in the conditions of a polar day in the north - that's how this route can be briefly described. Most of the route will run around Norway. Thanks to this, your summer will be dedicated to exploring the beautiful western coast of the country. 

The beginning of the journey lies in Bergen, Norway. Before a long frosty adventure in the hot summer, we recommend that you thoroughly explore the historical center of Bergen. Awesome place. The further path lies to the north - right to the Lofoten archipelago.

Along the way, you will have time to enjoy the fjords, views of remote and deserted islands, and also imbued with the Nordic atmosphere of the north. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, this area, despite the apparent severity, is one of the most pleasant for a cruise. 

The Lofoten Islands lie beyond the Arctic Circle, that is, beyond 66 ° N. latitude. All words are superfluous here, it is better to see it once. The main thing is not to forget to try fårikål, the national dish of lamb and cabbage.

As soon as you get bored with the harsh landscapes of the Arctic, then head south. Yes, yes, almost in the same direction as when moving here. Some yachtsmen advise planning a route in advance so that it is interesting to move both north and south.

Why are we heading south? Well, firstly, in order to get into civilization, and secondly, we are looking for the Blindley archipelago on the southeast coast. Here, in addition to thousands of islands, there are also very calm waters. Sometimes you can just moor to the rock and walk a little on it. After a short rest on Blindley we head to Oslo.

The total length of the route is about 2200 nautical miles. To do everything in three months of summer, you need to walk 24 miles a day.

Voyage in the Baltic

We continue our journey through the northern tip of central Europe. The beginning of this route lies in Tiburon, Denmark. The city is located on the western coast of the country, from where we will move to Khalsa in the east. Next, according to the plan, there will be Sweden, where we will visit Stockholm, and then we will return to Denmark to study the local archipelagos.

One of the main interesting stops will be the town of Ystad. A small cobbled city with an interesting history and eye-pleasing architecture - what else is needed for happiness? We also recommend visiting the Christianso archipelago. This place is not as well known to tourists as other large archipelagos.

After that, you can return to Sweden again and go to the northeast along the coast of the country. There are many quiet marinas, anchorages and sheltered marinas. There is no need to talk about local species.

This route is 1,650 nautical miles long, but there are plenty of options for where to stop and, for example, return home early. 

Atlantic - taste the ocean

Don't be scared, we don't offer you a transatlantic crossing as a summer entertainment! No, this section will focus on crossing the stretch of ocean between France and the Strait of Gibraltar. Sometimes cruisers prefer a different route - from the Iberian Peninsula to the north of France. It doesn't change the essence.

In any case, we have recommendations for visiting specific places! One of the first stops in the case of crossing the route from north to south is called the Channel Islands. Some sailors start in Brittany, which is also part of France. 

The next stop will be the Bay of Biscay. We recommend reading this material, where we talked about the best way to cross this treacherous bay. When the bay is left behind, the first major stop will be La Coruña, a Spanish city. There are already more favorable conditions for sailing, which will not test you the way the ocean did in Biscay.

We strongly recommend that you pay increased attention to the region of Galicia, Spain. This is the real Spain, which did not become a victim of aggressive tourism. There are a lot of opportunities here, both for a measured cruise, and for an active, but pleasant sailing.

Another important stop is Santiago de Compostela. You can’t get here by boat, but you can make a small car trip. Another local attraction is the Islas Cies group of islands. It is located near Baiona in Galicia. You can't just go there, you need permission to visit. However, it is worth it, the local climate is something absolutely unearthly.

When you decide it's time to move into the Mediterranean, keep in mind that killer whales can still be found off the coast of Spain and Portugal. Be careful!

On average, such a route (from the north of France to Gibraltar) is about 1600-1800 nautical miles.

mediterranean islands

You've probably chartered a yacht somewhere on the south coast of France and don't know where to go yet. We have an interesting idea for you. Let's take a trip to the most famous islands of the Mediterranean!

The first, really big stop is the Balearic Islands. These are Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca, well known to everyone. In addition to parties, these islands can also offer quiet camping, beautiful nature, and, of course, noisy port cities.

The next point of interest will be Sardinia. We head west from Menorca and head towards Sardinia, but remember that this part of the route is in fact a 200-mile crossing with strong winds. But when this test is passed, then the most Italian dolce vita will open for you there with delicious cuisine, history and heritage of bygone eras.

Sardinia is a large island with a lot of historical sights. Here you can admire the giant superyachts in Puerto Cervo, enjoy delicious wine, delight your stomach with gastronomic delights, and in between wine and food, go explore the granite islands of the Maddelena archipelago.

After Sardinia, it's time to go to Sicily. Is it worth saying something about the legendary history of this island? The name alone speaks for itself here. Let's just say that Cosa Nostra is always somewhere nearby ...

Rome will be the next stop. From here you can already go to Corsica or visit Marseille with Barcelona - it's up to you. If you start your cruise right in the Balearic Islands and end in Rome, then the length of the entire route will be about 1700-1800 miles.

Eastern Mediterranean

An excellent option for a summer cruise would be a route in the Balkans. There is a whole scattering of countries and places that are required to visit. So, for example, you can visit the coasts of Albania and Montenegro - excellent countries for a relatively budget holiday. Some destinations in the countries are busier, others not so much. 

Especially pleasant conditions for tourists are Montenegro and Croatia. Yacht tourism is well developed in both countries and offers many options for cruisers with their own boats or charter enthusiasts. Albania acts as an “ascetic alternative” - the country is developing and is far from the beaten track. However, this is a plus, because it opens up an amazing opportunity to look at the still virgin nature, which has not had time to suffer from tourists.

By the way, you can also spend the whole summer in Croatia! The number of festivals and other entertainment events is truly amazing. You can find a more detailed list In this article. 

After visiting a couple of three festivals, you can go to conquer the Croatian islands, of which there are more than 1000 pieces. If by some miracle you managed to explore everything, and the summer is not over yet, then you can go to explore the east coast of Italy - for example, to Venice.

Crete, Türkiye, Cyprus

After the Adriatic, you can visit Crete - another interesting place. Crete is a tourist island, there are always a lot of guests and tourists, especially from Britain. However, this is still no reason to explore this interesting island closer. About the most interesting places for yachting in Greece we told in this article.

Well, where in the eastern Mediterranean without Turkey? Marmaris is one of the most important and most popular cities among yachtsmen throughout Europe. It has a very good climate, which allows sailing until mid-autumn. Türkiye is famous for its tourism infrastructure and its development, Marmaris is no exception. 

If you have little time left after a busy Mediterranean tour, we recommend that you look at Cyprus - a stunningly beautiful and no less interesting island. Its main feature is the rich cultural heritage and developed tourist infrastructure. 

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10.06.2023