Italy · Sicily & its islands
Yacht Charter Sicily
Charter from Portorosa, Capo d'Orlando and Trapani — the Aeolians, the Egadi and the Sicilian coast.
Sicily is not one cruising ground, and choosing which coast to sail matters more than choosing the boat. The north coast points at the Aeolians. The west points at the Egadi, which are the wildest islands Italy has. They are two different weeks, and the base you leave from decides which one you get.
Two coasts, two different weeks
From Portorosa and Capo d'Orlando on the Tyrrhenian coast, the week runs north to the Aeolian archipelago: Vulcano and Lipari first, then Salina and Panarea, then Stromboli. Volcanic, dramatic, and busy in August because it deserves to be.
From Trapani in the west, the week runs to the Egadi — Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo — and along the Zingaro reserve, seven kilometres of undeveloped coast reachable only by sea or on foot. Fewer boats, emptier anchorages, and the old tuna fisheries that are the reason these islands exist at all.
Doing both in one week means a long delivery leg round the top of the island and two days lost to it. Pick a coast. If you cannot choose, tell us who is coming and we will choose for you — the answer is usually the Egadi for a quiet week and the Aeolians for a first visit.
Where the fleet actually is
Eighteen yachts sit at the three Sicilian bases: nine at Capo d'Orlando, seven at Portorosa, two at Trapani. They are catamarans and sailing yachts from roughly twelve to twenty metres, some crewed and the rest with a skipper available on request.
There is no motor yacht based in Sicily and no day-charter operation here. That is not a gap we are hiding: the Sicilian water is week water, and the party that wants a day out with a tender and a bathing platform is better served on the Amalfi Coast, where we run exactly that.
Getting ashore is half of Sicily
Greeks, Arabs and Normans all left something here, and a sailing week that never leaves the water misses the half of the island that made it famous. Taormina and the north face of Etna are within reach of the Tyrrhenian bases; Erice sits above Trapani; the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento is the most intact set of Greek temples outside Greece.
Be honest with the itinerary, though: each of those is a day off the boat, and a week has seven of them. Two inland days and five on the water is a good week. Four inland days is a road trip with a berth attached, and there are cheaper ways to do that.
Practical notes
- Three bases: Portorosa and Capo d'Orlando on the north coast, Trapani in the west — eighteen yachts between them
- North coast points at the Aeolians, Trapani at the Egadi; combining both costs two days of delivery
- Catania, Palermo and Trapani airports all serve the bases — allow one to two hours by road
- August fills the anchorages by late morning; June and September give the same sea with a fraction of the traffic
- Etna, Taormina and the Valley of the Temples are days off the boat rather than stops along the way
Reached from: Portorosa, Capo d'Orlando and Trapani
Where to dine
A table by the water
Ristorante La Cialoma
MarzamemiOn the harbour of an ancient fishing village. Superb octopus, tuna and pasta alla Norma.
Osteria dei Vespri
PalermoIn the Palazzo Gangi of 'The Leopard' fame. High Sicilian cuisine, fine wine list.
Caffè Sicilia
NotoCorrado Assenza, Sicily's most revered pastry chef. Pistachio and mulberry granitas.
Otto Geleng
TaorminaViews of Etna and the bay. Modern cooking built on volcanic ingredients.
Duomo Ristorante
Ragusa IblaTwo Michelin stars in the baroque heart of the Iblei. Ciccio Sultano at the pass.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
Etna, north face
Crater excursion with a volcanic guide — possible even in winter snow.
Valley of the Temples, Agrigento
A UNESCO site — the most intact Greek temples outside Greece itself.
Zingaro Reserve
7km of virgin coast reachable only by sea or on foot. Rich seabeds, no development.
Cava d'Ispica
A limestone canyon of prehistoric caves and rock-cut churches — an unusual itinerary.
Balata dei Turchi, Pantelleria
A natural landing on the volcanic island — boat only. Underground thermal waters.
The fleet
Yachts available for Sicily
Vessels that operate here, from flagship motor yachts to smaller crewed boats. Every rate is quoted on enquiry.
Itineraries
Yacht charter itineraries in Sicily
What a week here actually looks like, day by day.
Good to know
Questions we are asked about Sicily
- Which part of Sicily should we sail?
- The north coast and the Aeolian Islands for a first visit — seven volcanic islands, one of them permanently erupting. The west and the Egadi if you have been before or want empty anchorages. Tell us who is coming and we will say which suits, including when the answer is not the famous one.
- Can we combine the Aeolians and the Egadi in one week?
- Not well. They sit at opposite ends of the island and the passage between them eats two days of a seven-day charter. A fortnight does both comfortably; a week does one of them properly.
- Are there motor yachts available in Sicily?
- Not based here. The Sicilian fleet is catamarans and sailing yachts, chosen for week-long charters. If you want a motor yacht for a day on the water, that is what our Amalfi Coast fleet is for, and we would rather say so than position a boat that does not belong.
- Do we need a crew, or can we take the boat ourselves?
- Several of the Sicilian yachts come crewed, and on the smaller boats a skipper is available on request. Between the Aeolian anchorages and the Egadi crossings, a skipper who knows the water is worth what it costs.
- What does a yacht charter in Sicily cost?
- It depends on the yacht, the season and whether you take a crew, so we quote on enquiry instead of publishing a figure that would be wrong for most enquiries. Send us your dates and party size.
Destinations
Nearby destinations
Charter here
Enquire about a charter in Sicily
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.