The insider's guide to Mediterranean charters

The West Med is home to both France’s Cote d’Azur and Italy’s Amalfi coastline, while in the east, chartering destinations such as Croatia and neighbouring Montenegro, as well as Turkey and Greece are increasingly growing in popularity.

With a yacht charter in the Mediterranean you can drink fine wine and mingle with fashionistas in St Tropez or Cannes, dive off your swim platform into azure waters on the Dalmatian coast, nip into the tiny, colourful ports of Italy’s Cinque Terre, or see Renaissance art in Venice.

The Mediterranean is a place of rich history and traditions, with remnants of the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Moors and the Byzantines everywhere you go.

Covering European countries such as Spain, Italy, Monaco, Croatia, Greece and Turkey, the trick to your Mediterranean yacht charter is in choosing where you want to visit this time and where you should go to next time, because you will be back. A yacht charter in the Mediterranean can be whatever you want it to be.

When we think is the best time to charter a yacht in the Mediterranean

The main yacht charter season in the Mediterranean is from April to October, with most charter guests making bookings for July and August when the climate is at its warmest and sunniest. Temperatures in the summer months range from 24-34°C (75-93°F).

Though popular tourist spots like Cannes and St Tropez can be brimming with people in the summer months, which adds to the buzz for many, if you’d rather enjoy the long sunny days and crystal-clear waters on your own, then a yacht charter is the perfect way to beat the crowds.

Of course, if you like things a little quieter, booking a Mediterranean yacht charter either side of the high season is a good option and you’ll still find good weather in April and May 18-25°C (64-77°F) and September 20-30°C (68-86°F), with the added benefit of more flexibility when it comes to marina berths.

Our favourite places to eat, drink and party on a Mediterranean yacht charter

St Tropez and Cannes are the obvious places for the glamorous superyacht set, with Nikki Beach and Club 55 on the radar of most in the former, while in the latter, you can hang out with the celebrities at Le Play or Le Bâoli.

However, you could be just as happy pulling into a seafood restaurant in a quiet bay in Turkey or dropping anchor and taking the RIB to experience fresh fish right on the beach at Da Adolfo in Positano

Of course, for the young at heart, Ibiza is still pretty hard to beat, with Nassau Beach Club an uber-cool hangout and dancing ‘til dawn on the biggest dancefloor in the world at Privilege.

When you’re all partied out you can treat yourself to a more chilled-out evening at Ibiza’s Amante, a modern Mediterranean restaurant perched high above Sol d’en Serra bay.

Hot on the heels of Ibiza as a party hotspot is the Greek isle of Mykonos where you’ll find cool clubs and decadent rooftop terraces with sea views amid the white-washed villages, including Cavo Paradiso, which sits on top of a hill overlooking Paradise beach and is an idyllic place to watch the sun peep up on the horizon.

And when it comes to fine dining, what could be better than splashing out at a Michelin-starred restaurant by the sea? There are numerous restaurants in the Med that hold the much-coveted distinction of three Michelin stars. La Vague d’Or, at the exquisite Cheval Blanc St-Tropez hotel, for instance, is a real treat for the senses. Chef Arnaud Donckele will introduce you to Provençal tastes and textures you never knew existed with his carefully created menus.

Meanwhile, for panoramic sea views as you dine, be it from the dining room with its floor-length windows or on the beautiful terrace when weather allows, try Le Petit Nice, in Marseille. Here, dishes pay homage to the Mediterranean Sea, with a depth of flavours and fish in almost every dish.

Our recommendations on things to do on a Mediterranean yacht charter

With such a huge array of cultural attractions in one cruising ground, it can be trick pinpointing where to begin on your Mediterranean yacht charter.

Perhaps you’d like to see the birthplace of modern civilisation in Crete or go on your own Odyssey through the Greek Isles. Maybe you’d rather moor up and take a hike through the vine and olive terraces that link the pastel-coloured villages of the UNESCO listed Cinque Terre National Park.

Italy’s Amalfi coast, also on the UNESCO World Heritage list, is an incredible place to explore, whether you want to admire the remarkable Arab-Sicilian architecture of St Andrew’s Cathedral, take a dip in the azure waters of Capri’s Blue Grotto, or anchor for the day at the Faraglioni Rocks on the other side of the island – the perfect backdrop to your holiday photos.

You could spend weeks Mediterranean port or island hopping and still only scratch the surface, which is why most people opt to charter a yacht either in the East Mediterranean or the West Mediterranean.

For the most rewarding charter holiday in the Med, plot an itinerary that does one region justice – be it perennially popular charter destinations such as the Cote d’Azur, the Balearics or the Dalmatian Coast, or new emerging Med destinations such as Folegandros, one of Greece’s Cyclades islands, not far from Santorini, which is fast becoming popular with those looking to see a more authentic side of Greece.

You could book an event charter for the Cannes Film Festival or the Monaco Grand Prix, where you can also try your luck on the tables at Monte Carlo.

And of course, there is no shortage of sparkling clear waters to dive into – such as the warm waters of Turkey’s Kas region, where visibility is sometimes up to 40 metres, with lots of caves, reefs and ancient wrecks to explore, where you’ll be joined by colourful fish, turtles, octopus and other marine wildlife.

On top of this, a boat charter in the Mediterranean offers an endless choice of empty bays to drop anchor in, as well as pretty and traditional ports to pull into where you can drink sundowners from a terracotta terrace as you watch the sun dip below the sea.

There’s a reason more superyacht owners keep their yachts in the Med than anywhere else – it offers cruising possibilities other charter grounds can only dream of.

What is the currency in the Mediterranean?

Most countries you’ll visit on your Mediterranean yacht charter use the Euro. Croatia is the main exception and though it looks likely it will adopt the Euro as its official currency in 2023, until then, the Croatian Kuna is the official currency. That said, Euros are accepted in many places in Croatia.

Languages spoken in the Mediterranean

Several languages are spoken throughout the Mediterranean – French, Italian, Spanish, Croatian and Turkish to name a few. In Monaco, the official language is French, and in Sardinia, though Sardo is still spoken by many locals, Italian is now the first language.

Obviously, it always helps to have a smattering of a local language, especially if you plan to get off the beaten track a little, but most hotels, restaurants and shops you will visit on your Mediterranean yacht charter, will have staff who can converse in English.

Time zone in the Mediterranean

The main time zone in the Mediterranean is Central Mediterranean Time, which is GMT+1 in autumn and winter and GMT+1 from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October due to Daylight Saving Time.

Greece, however, follows East Mediterranean time, which is GMT+2 in autumn and winter and GMT+3 in spring and summer. And Turkey follows further-Eastern Mediterranean time, which is GMT+3 – there is no Daylight-Saving Time.

Yachts to charter in the Mediterranean

There are so many yacht charters in the Mediterranean, it can be hard to know where to begin, which is where we come in. We can organise your Mediterranean yacht rental so let our brokers guide you to find the perfect Mediterranean yacht charter for you, where you are looking to charter a yacht in the East Mediterranean or charter a yacht in the West Mediterranean.

Please find below a selection of yachts available this summer and for more information on charters in the Mediterranean, contact us.