Almost in all the cases, people plan their vacation in summer. Sometimes they do it on the New Year’s holidays in winter. But what if you love the sea and want to sail on a yacht in spring? The spring months are usually the off-season. While in some countries, for example, those in the Caribbean Sea, the high season is already ending, and in others, for example, in the Mediterranean Sea, it is just beginning. In fact, from an organizational point of view, this is a good solution. First of all, you can save a lot. Sometimes even up to 30% compared to the peak of the high season. Besides, there will be no noisy crowds of tourists at all resorts. So, since this article was written in April, let’s take a look at the places where it is better to go in April or May.
Turkey, Croatia, and Montenegro. In summer the high season begins in these three countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region. But already in May the weather is good enough for sea cruises. It will be warm enough here, even at night (18-22°C) and the sea is quite warm (18-20°C). You can even swim there. Besides, Turkey, Croatia, and Montenegro are considered to be budget countries, compared to Spain, Italy, and France. And finally, the last benefit: travel by air here can also be quite budgetary. Besides the cost of airplane tickets is a significant part of the total tour cost. Therefore, in our article, we will consider these particular countries as the most priority directions.
Turkey – a great place to sail on a yacht in spring
No, this is not the Turkey that many of us are used to. Yachting in Turkey is a completely different emotion and experience. Here you can make such a route that you will every day discover the most beautiful islands and lagoons, ancient temples, and tombs, beaches, and rocks, or even something special, for example, thermal springs. There are some sights to see and some places to go here.
The level of service in Turkey is not worse than in Italy, for example. But the prices, say, for mooring in marinas can differ even twice. Turkey has a good, well-developed infrastructure. Here you will be offered a large choice of ships of every taste and color. They also offer a special type of yacht – a gulet.
Perhaps the best yachting region is in the southeastern part of the country: Fethiye, Bodrum, Marmaris, and Gecek.
- Fethiye is a small and old town right at the place the Aegean and Mediterranean seas meet each other. There are the marinas Ece Marina and Yes Marina. You can find hotels, at the ports, where you can wait for your tour in comfort.
- Marmaris – this town is often chosen by those who love parties from all over Europe. Indeed, there are some places to go after sunset. And the surrounding area is full of places where you can go on a yacht. At Netsel and Yat Marina, you will find a wide range of yachts for any taste.
- Bodrum is the luxury center of the region. Here you will find not only the usual small sailing boats but also some expensive luxury motorboats. However, prices in Bodrum will be slightly higher. Famous marinas include Yalikavak Bodrum, where you can rent superyachts.
- Gecek is a resort for those who like a relaxing holiday. There is a lot of trees and cozy spaces, and no fuss – just what you need! There are the Skopea marina, Club Marina, and Marinaturk Village Port marinas in Gecek.
Turkey is an excellent choice for beginners. Everything is located quite compactly, there will not be large crossings. And you can wait out any storm in a closed bay. So you will not have any problems to sail on a yacht in spring.
Croatia – fast growing yachting center
This country is quite small if you compare it with Turkey. But this does not mean there are fewer interesting sights here. The coastline of Croatia is very extended. Along its entire length is full of beautiful beaches, large and small islands, cities with a thousand-year history, and small picturesque villages. In a word, it is also very beautiful here.
There are both sandy and pebbly beaches. There are quite a few marinas and good infrastructure in the country. In general Croatia, as a yachting center, is becoming more popular from year to year. Split and Dubrovnik are among popular yachting centers.
- The old town of Dubrovnik has been perfectly preserved up to this day. As well as a thousand years ago, the historical part of the town is surrounded by thick walls. The atmosphere here is so holistic that even some episodes of the Game of Thrones TV show were filmed in the town. Dubrovnik Marina is located not far from the historic center.
- Split is the largest city on the Croatian coast, the center of the Dalmatia region. As well as in Dubrovnik, local attractions are well preserved here. For example, the Palace of Diocletian, and the old town is a tangle of narrow streets made up of large local stones. The largest marina in the city, ACI Split is located very close to the city center.
Croatia is also an excellent choice in terms of quality-price ratio. The natural and historical sights of these places will not leave you indifferent. Croatia is the best place to sail on a yacht in spring.
Montenegro – underestimated jewel
In many ways, Montenegro is similar to Croatia. You will also find cozy coves, shores in trees and bushes, beautiful tidy houses and clean beaches here. And all this for reasonable prices, even lower than that in Croatia. May is a good time to sail in the region. Here we can highlight such yachting centers as Tivat, Kotor, and Budva.
- The small seaside town of Tivat with the international airport is located, is also a popular yachting center. The local marina is the best in the whole country. Tivat is located in the picturesque Boko-Kotor Bay. This is an ideal place for beginning yachtsmen. Besides, the region is full of hotels and villas, restaurants, and cafes. In short, you will not be bored.
- The largest city on the coast, a very popular resort. Its center is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. History is literally everywhere here. If you come to Montenegro, be sure to visit Kotor. There are quite a few yachts in local marinas, with which you can look at this wonderful country from the sea. Kotor Marina and Prcanj Marina are at your service.
- Budva is the most popular resort in Montenegro. In Budva, you will find clean sandy and pebble beaches, old architecture, and good infrastructure. The islands of Sveta Nikola and Sveta Stefan are also here. There is also a fairly large marina not far from the historical center.
When choosing a country to sail on a yacht in spring, you have quite a few good options to choose from. But different people have different preferences. And to get exactly what you want, you have to understand in detail the peculiarities of yacht charter in different countries. That is why, to choose a place for yachting, we recommend you to order the services of our specialists, so as to get a guaranteed result.
