Mallorca, the biggest island out of the famous foursome. Known for the party vibe and hot summers! These islands sometimes get a rep of being only suitable for party lovers. Well, you have never been so wrong! Yes, these islands have a buzzing nightlife, however, the islands themselves are some of the most beautiful in the northern hemisphere.
Over 40% of Mallorca’s wildlife is protected which has created a luscious green island surrounded by dramatic cliffs.
Day 1: Palma, Cabo Blanco and Es Trenc.
Leave Palma port in the southwest direction and run by Cabo Blanco with its stunning cliffs.
Shortly after Cape Blanco is the entrance to Cala Pi, enter it and swim! After Cala Pi, sail the coast of S ‘Estanyol and Sa Rápita.
Anchor and spend the night in the southeast part of the beach of Es Trenc surrounded by the dark green of the pine woods.
Day 2: Es Trenc, Cabo Salinas and Porto Colom.
Head to the National Park of the Archipelago of Cabrera, certainly worth a visit.
When you pass the Cape Salinas, you will be sailing the east coast of Mallorca where you will find numerous coves to anchor and swim.
You can enter the Natural Park of Cala Mondragó and anchor in turquoise waters with white sandy bottoms, however, there are often many visitors on land.
Day 3: Porto Colom, Porto Cristo and Cala Ratjada.
Sail along the coast of Porto Cristo. This region is known as Calas de Mallorca -the coast of the coves.
Take a swim and snorkel around the shallows, or use the water toys aboard your yacht!
Spend the night in the port of Cala Ratjada, with the calm waters offering a stillness perfect for relaxing.
Day 4: Cala Ratjada to Cala Formentor.
The fourth day will be spent sailing through the bays of Alcudia and Pollensa.
The coasts and beaches of the two bays are great and have many choices for anchoring.
We recommend spending the night in Cala Formentor moored to a buoy.
Day 5: Cala Formentor to Port de Soller.
Leave by Cap Formentor – a great place for scuba diving, with much of the local wildlife being able to be spotted here.
Navigate through the rugged north coast of Mallorca with the Sierra Tramuntana.
You should visit Sa Calobra and Torrent de Pareis to reach anchor and spend the night in the Port of Soller.
Day 6: Port de Soller to Port d’Andratx.
Sail from Port de Sóller and head southwest while viewing the Sierra de Tramuntana to port.
During this journey, you will see Cala Deia, Sa Foradada, Port of Valdemosa, Banyalbufar and Estellencs. Perfect spot for a swim.
Later, you will enter the channel Dragonera to arrive at the Port of Andratx to spend the night in a sheltered anchorage.
Day 7: Port d’Andratx to Palma Port.
Leave the Port of Andratx towards the city of Palma for disembarkation.
Visiting the island of Toro and Malgrats, the bay of Santa Ponsa and Playa del Mago.
Make your way back to Palma Port where you will depart from your yacht, having had a truly memorable holiday!
We have a great range of yachts in Mallorca waiting for people to create memories on! We have a range of yachts for different purposes and itineraries. Get in touch to secure your yacht for this Summer!
Lagoonwas created directly from Jeanneau Technologies Avancees, also known as their competition department. Lagoon accepted unusual requests such as the construction of the trimaran in the film, “Waterworld”. Innovation was deeply embedded in the DNA of these yachts from the get-go.
Between the years of 1987-96 the first line of Lagoon catamarans was born. These yachts were loved by off-shore sailors as much as coastal cruisers. Their iconic wide beam allowed the yacht to be so stable even in rougher seas. In 1996 Beneteau took over the Jeanneau shipyards and handed over the legacy of Lagoon to Construction Navale Bordeaux. It was here when the use of high tech was implemented.
Come the early 00’s, Lagoon was on a roll. With the production of 380, 410, 440, 470, 500, and 570 hitting the market, it catapulted Lagoon to one of the leading Catamaran manufacturers in the world.
Now, Lagoonholds some of the most prestigious awards for their Catamarans in the world. The durable yachts make Lagoons a perfect choice when choosing a catamaran for your charter. They are easy to manage, with state of the art electronics making every moment of you charter special.
We have recently added 30+ Lagoons in Greece, Croatia and the Caribbean from only the most trusted owners. We have carefully selected some of the best Lagoons available on the market, with different variations its never been so easy to find your perfect catamaran! To find out more please contact one of our expert brokershere!
Heesen have just launched MASA, their eighth yacht from the 5000 Aluminium Class. Omega Architects, responsible for designing the exteriors, created a stunning sporty profile. MASA will undergo extensive sea trials before delivery to her owners in time for the Mediterranean summer season.
C/O Dick Holthuis
Heesen Superyacht Masa will accommodate 12 guests in 6 stunning cabins. Accommodation spaces will include the main deck master stateroom, as well as five suites below deck. MASA runs twin MTU 16V 4000 diesel engines, which propels her along at a top speed of 23 knots. Wherever the owners cruise this summer, Masa will turn heads in every Mediterranean hotspot; watch this space Cannes, Monaco and St Tropez!
C/O Dick Holthuis
Although MASA will not be available for charter, Heesen Motor Yachts are superb charter yachts. Offering excellent craftsmanship and build quality, charter guests will enjoy impressive leisure facilities, entertaining spaces and unparalleled comfort. We have a fantastic range available throughout the world and your Boatbookings Charter Broker will be happy to prepare a presentation for your review.
An in depth sailing itinerary by someone who lived the route.
Day 1 – Lefkas
Arrive at Lefkas marina for 5 pm ready to board your own private yacht! The first evening will be spent in the marina where you will receive a handover of the yacht and some local information. Preavasia airport is a convenient 40-minute journey to the Marina which is roughly 25-30 euros.
Once you arrive at Lefkas Marina, you will then be taken to your yacht and the handover will start. There is a supermarket located in the marina where you can find basic necessities – look out for their figs, the owner of the supermarket grows them! The supermarket will also deliver the provisions to your yacht for free if you wish.
There’s also a Lidl located about a 20-minute walk (or 5-minute car journey) from the marina which offers a broader range of provisions which inevitably is cheaper. Collect a token from the harbor office (10 euro cash deposit) to enjoy onshore showers – really good, clean facilities. One shower costs around 80 cents, even for ladies!
Lefkas is a vibrant, busy town located a five-minute walk from Lefkas Marina. Here you are engulfed by various restaurants, bars and don’t forget the incredible ice cream shops! The ice cream parlous even have sugar free options along with a range of vegan options. In the square, central to the town is home to some of the best Pizza you can get!
Day 2 – Lefkas to Kalamos
Start early and get out of the Marina! The first day of your holiday! Head south, bear in mind it takes about 40 minutes to get out of the channel. Keep a look out for the larger yachts, they have a tendency to motor up in the middle of the channel, don’t let them bully you! Stay within the buoyage areas as the channel is dredged and it shelves off to under a meter in some places. Once you are out of the channel it’s time to get some sails up! It’s a wide-open span of water so perfect to get the feel of your yacht. The winds normally around force 1-2 in the morning and reaching F3-4 in the afternoons. This makes for relaxing mornings to your first lunch spot.
Over your port side as you head SW you will go past Greek mainland, various sheltered anchorages with good holding. As you travel down to the stunning Island of Kalamos get ready to anchor stern to or raft bow to stern. George, the unofficial harbormaster will come out and greet you on his white motorboat! He’s a really great chap who owns George’s Restaurant at the back of the town quay, great fresh food, locally caught fish. Can get fairly busy in high season, so best to call ahead or get in early and make a reservation.
This town quay does get fairly busy, flotillas come into the quay as well. It’s also possible to free swing near the entrance, which provides good holding. However, best to check the winds as the wind can funnel down through the bay. Limited provisioning here in this small town. You have a small bakery which is on top of the hill with the most incredible bread! Send someone fit and healthy as it’s a 15-minute walk with a very steep incline! Great views over the Ionian and across to Kastos (Kalamos’ sister island).
Wake up fresh and rejuvenated! Grab some fresh bread from the bakery and set the yacht for another incredible Ionian sailing day. Travelling NW, you will come across a beautiful little anchorage called Port Leoni, there are no tavernas only a small church in the hill which locals look after. Port Leoni was hit by an earthquake in ’53 and was deserted. As a result, it has left a quiet, stunning lunch spot with some of the clearest water. Really great holding here, very sheltered and can even be used as an overnight stop.
Come the afternoon the wind picks up so time to shake out the sails and get going! Head up to Meganisi, to the town of Vathi, nicknamed Little Vathi, as not to be confused with Big Vathi on the island of Ithica. Great provisioning in the town, with some of the best Gyros in Greece, only 2 euros! Restaurants and bars line the harbor wall with a great vegan restaurant. On the port side as you enter Vathi a sunken airplane is just below the water level which is great to snorkel around. Water and electric available on the town quay.
Day 4 – Meganisi to Kioni
Slip the lines and head SW to the most beautiful island in the whole Ionian! Ithica, a beautiful lush green island that sits next to the famous Kefalonia. Head straight onto the town quay, or long line to the port side of the bay for a quieter evening. Kioni is a tiny little village littered with fishing boats and stunning restaurants. Kioni provides great holding, there can be some deeper patches on the sea bed, so our advice is to motor in and find a good depth to anchor.
Kioni does have the tendency to get windy from 6 pm but dies off towards 8 pm. Do make sure that if you’re long lining that you have both port and starboard tied off and anchor are set properly. The wind is caused by the NW prevailing wind that funnels between the hills around the village. The water around Kioni is some of the best around this island for several reasons.
It’s really clean and clear, so great for snorkeling and discovering shoals of fish, come the evening you can expect to see phosphorescences! As you disturb the water on your midnight swim underneath the stars you will notice sparkles, this is the Algae, they emit a glow whenever they are jostled!
As you leave the stunning bay of Kioni, why not pop round to the island of Kefalonia. The famous Fiskhardo town filled with high-end shops and upmarket restaurants. There’s a bay just south of the town called Foki bay. A stunning inlet where tall green ferns grew, we named it Little Canada when we visited! Once you’ve moored up you can either go to the small beach or explore the disused limestone mine which is home to a labyrinth of tunnels. Takes shoes and a torch, no flipflops as your feet will slide everywhere! You can access the caves by dinghy, or you can swim. Foki Bay can be used as an overnight stop but is exposed to easterlies.
Head North to Vassiliki, a popular destination for windsurfers due to the anabatic winds. It is our advice that you get onto the quay before 2 pm or after 3:30 pm. The prevailing winds travel from west to east and can affect your mooring on the quay. It has been known to reach F6. within 10 minutes. If you are wanting to explore the land, we can recommend going to Porto Katsiki by car, or day charter from the harbor.
Poto katsiki provides blue warm waters with bright white cliffs offering dramatic landscapes for miles. This side of the island is very exposed to the prevailing winds, so our advice is to not sail around there but to go by car or ferry instead.
Day 6 – Vassiliki to Sivota
Why not start the day off with a walk along the sandy beach of Vassiliki? Don’t forget your swimming costume! The water is so warm on this coastline due to a large sandbank that retains its heat. Stop off on the way through town and pick up a freddo cappuccino at one of the many town quay coffee shops.
Crossing anchors in this harbor can sometimes happen, keep a look out on any unusual vibrations or strain on the windlass. Head out and travel NW. There are some lovely anchorages on the east side of Lefkada island, all providing great shelter and supremum swimming opportunities, head past Sivota to the next bay around – Poros for a swim and a spot of lunch. Head back around to Sivota, a hidden town up in the hills. Sivota is a small town with a row of restaurants, be sure to pop into the Pirates and 12 Gods, one of our favorite restaurants with great service. They also have a quay which has water and electric for free if you eat there. They also have onshore showers for free! Phone beforehand because they do get busy! There’s also the opportunity to free swing in the bay, but it does get busy.
Leave Sivota and head across back to the western side of Meganisi to explore the incredible Papanikolis Cave! It’s too deep to anchor here, so someone will have to say on the yacht. Go in by paddleboard or dingy, watch out for the bats! Do not sail into the cave, although it looks big enough it isn’t!
As you come further north you will come across the island of Skorpios, keep well away from this island! It is privately owned, and there are armed guards that patrol the grounds and the surrounding waters. The channel between Skoripos and Sparti is blocked off and is also out of bounds. Up along the coast, you have various points of anchoring, one of which is the town of Nydri.
Nydri is prone to being busy during the high season which can affect anchoring space. Inland Nydri is host to a collection of natural waterfalls that can be accessed by car or tour bus. Surprisingly Nydri has a brilliant Chinese restaurant that is well priced on the quay wall! This town is great for trinkets and gifts for those at home.
Keep traveling North up the channel and you are back where you are started! The channel can get busy with Sunsail yachts, as their base is in Lefkas harbour. The flotillas and bareboats are normally filled up with diesel at Lefkas fuel quay by 5 pm. Once you are in the harbor, head over to Portos Cafe for a refreshing drink and talk about the holiday! Lefkas also has a fantastic laundry department which iron, clean and fold 1 load for 15 euros. Head into town for the last dinner and enjoy the last moments of your Ionian holiday!
Check out our Lefkas bareboats if you would like to experience all of the above!
The 1600s marks the birth of the new multihull ideology which would later become one of the most recognized yacht models across the sailing community. It was first believed to have been two logs bound together and later developed into two cannons being held together to give that famous multi-style. Catamarans have moved on from this once prehistoric engineering into some of the most celebrated yachts in the world. This was not without skepticism, the first recorded Catamaran designed by William Petty was not a commercial success. The multihull design was virtually unused for around 160 years following its initial introduction.
Come the mid-1900’s century catamarans started to come into a league of their own. The cat designs traveled worldwide, with England and the Americas jumping on the bandwagon to start producing the multihull sailing yachts. Famed for stability, these yachts started to beat Monohulls in regattas all over the world. Nowadays catamarans exude luxury and racing excellence.
They’ve become so popular in the sailing-holiday-cruising-style due to their space, catamarans are not only novice sailors favorites but are fast becoming the Luxury crewed alternatives to monohulls. This versatile yacht can be utilized in many different ways, not only been built for cruising but have also developed into hydrofoiling racing cats and power cats .
We have Bali catamarans based in some of the most elite sailing destinations in the world. If you are after luxury, space, and easy sailing then this yacht is for you! Space is hard to find on monohull yachts that are under 40ft, but even with 32 ft cat space will never become an issue. Built for speed and cruising, these yachts are perfect for exploring shallow waters around the Caribbean, or island hopping in the Greek or Croatian islands.
With large Balis accommodating up to 12 guests, these yachts provide ample space for a stunning charter with family and friends. Bali has furnished their yachts to a high specification creating a dynamic, comfortable sail. Bali catamarans are pioneers in the way that they develop their yachts. They are always searching for rules to break, and putting sailors comfort and ease of sailing at the forefront of everything they create. Check out our catamaran yacht charter guide for more information on chartering a catamaran.
