This Italian beauty will leave you wanting more. There just isn´t enough time on one sailing yacht charter to explore all the fantastic sailing grounds and go see all the impressive historic sites that Sicily has to offer. So let us introduce you to a few of them and tell you more about boat rental in Sicily in detail.
What makes sailing holidays in Sicily so popular?
Sicily is the largest Mediterranean island. Together with the surrounding minor islands it constitutes the Sicilian Region, NFT Monkey which is the biggest autonomous region in Italy. With its favourable central location, it serves as a good transit station between the eastern and the western Mediterranean. The large indented coastline is very well suited for safe anchoring and the prevailing north-westerly winds are great for sailing. In addition, you find excellent yachting facilities and plenty of harbours as well as mooring possibilities.
The island is easily reachable due to its 3 airports in Trapani, Palermo and Catania. The main ports are Trapani, Palermo, Messina, and Catania, which are at the same time the capitals of their provinces. Messina is the busiest because of the ferry links to the Italian mainland and other places in Sicily, and as it is a stop for Mediterranean cruises. The distance to the Italian mainland from Messina is only 5 km. Travelling there by ferry from Civitavecchia, the nearest port to Rome, can be much cheaper than flying there. The region of Calabria, which forms the southernmost tip of Italy, can also easily serve as a starting point for an Aeolian yacht charter. It has its three main airports in Reggio, in Lamezia Terme and in Crotone.
Sicily benefits from a mild climate, no significant tides, charteracatamaraninthebvi a rich culture and history as well as great seafood and cuisine. The dramatic rocky scenery due to the volcanic origin of the island is something to behold. There are fertile mountains, beautiful aquamarine waters and many hidden coves to anchor peacefully.
On top of all that Sicily boasts stunning natural attractions like Mount Etna, Europe´s highest active volcano, or the Stromboli volcano in the Aeolian Islands as well as numerous ancient historic sites.
Some relevant info for a bareboat charter in Sicily:
Location: Southern tip of Italian mainland
Capital: Palermo
Total length of coastline: 1,483.9 km (including the smaller islands)
Total surface area: 25,711 km²
Highest point: Mount Etna, 3,329 m
Main airports: Trapani; Palermo; Catania
Population: ca. 5,100,000
Country code: +39
Climate: Mild, Mediterranean
Which main charter destinations are there in Sicily?
The main charter bases are in Marsala, Trapani, Terrasini, Palermo, bostonhaikusociety Sant`Agata di Militello and Portorosa. Terrasini is very convenient to get to as it is situated only 10 km west of Palermo airport. All those ports, however, are located within only 2 hours or less from an airport. They are concentrated in the North as it is very popular for charterers to go to the Aeolian Islands from there. It is also possible to hire a yacht from Reggio Calabria on the mainland and cross the Straights of Messina to go to the Aeolian Islands. The Straights of Messina have a traffic separation system and for pleasure boats it is mandatory to advise the Coast Guard ahead of the crossing.
