At a glance
Croatia
Adriatic
- Season
- Roughly May to October.
- Peak
- July and August
- Start from
- Split, Trogir, Kaštela
- Charters
- Bareboat, Skippered, Crewed, Catamaran, Gulet
Independent yacht charter guides
Know where the wind is before you book.
When to go, where to start, which licence you need and which kind of charter suits you, for the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Every fact links to its source.
Destinations
All destinations- AdriaticCroatia
A long, island-studded coast with short hops between harbours, making it one of Europe's easiest places for a first bareboat week.
- Aegean and IonianGreece
Thousands of islands across two very different seas: the windy, exposed Cyclades and the calmer, greener Ionian.
- Aegean and MediterraneanTurkey (Turquoise Coast)
Home of the gulet, a traditional wooden boat turned crewed cruising yacht, and of the blue cruise along the historic ports of Turkey's south-west coast.
- Western MediterraneanBalearic Islands
Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera: busy summer anchorages, clear water and Palma as one of the Mediterranean's big yachting hubs.
- CaribbeanBritish Virgin Islands
Often described as one of the easier places to bareboat, with short sails from Tortola to spots such as the Baths and Norman Island.
Three decisions, in this order
Who sails the boat
Bareboat if you hold the right licence and experience, skippered or crewed if not.
When you can go
Match your dates to the season and the local winds. Peak weeks book up first and cost most.
Where you start
Pick a base close to sheltered sailing for your first days, then plan the route from there.
Types of charter
Compare themBareboat
You skipper the yacht yourself. Usually needs a recognised licence and proof of experience.
Skippered
You hire the yacht with a professional skipper, so no licence is needed.
Crewed
A full crew sails, cooks and looks after the yacht. You just pick the route.
Guides
All guides- The best time to charter a yacht in Croatia, Greece, Turkey, the Balearics and the BVI
Season, peak weeks and the winds that matter for five popular charter destinations, so you can pick dates that suit your crew.
- Do you need a licence to charter a yacht? Country by country
What skippers need to bareboat in Croatia, Greece, Spain and the British Virgin Islands, what the ICC is, and why a sailing CV matters as much as a certificate.