Sicily Yacht Charter
About Sicily
Sicily has the better Greek temples. Agrigento's Valley of the Temples, on the south coast, holds the most-preserved Doric architecture in the ancient Greek world: half a dozen temples standing more or less complete on a ridge above the sea, built in the centuries when Sicily was a Greek colony and a centre of the wider Greek world. The site has been UNESCO-listed since 1997. Above all of it, Mount Etna rises 3,403 metres, Europe's most active volcano, listed by UNESCO in 2013, and visible from most of the eastern Sicilian coast.
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, so big that a yacht week struggles to cover even half of it. Most charters pick a coast. Taormina and Catania to the east for Etna, the Greek theatre with the bay of the same name laid out below it, and the bay anchorages around Isola Bella, the small islet just off the Taormina shore. Palermo and the western coast take you to the Arab-Norman cathedrals at Palermo, Cefalù and Monreale (which earned a UNESCO listing in their own right in 2015), plus the Egadi Islands of Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo just off the western tip. Ortigia, the small historic island that holds the old core of Syracuse, is its own day, as is the seafront town of Cefalù.
The season is long, April to November. A week covers one coast properly, and the choice between east and west usually comes down to whether you'd rather see Etna or the Arab-Norman cathedrals. Charters pick up in Palermo, Messina, or directly in a Taormina anchorage, depending on which way the trip is going.
Highlights
Destination Info
Interested in this destination?
Get in touch and we'll help you plan the perfect charter.
Where to sail
Taormina and the east coast
The eastern coast runs under Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano at 3,403 metres, listed by UNESCO in 2013 and visible from most of the shore. Taormina sits on the cliffs above, with its Greek theatre looking out over the bay and the small islet of Isola Bella just below. Catania and the anchorages around Taormina make the east the natural base for anyone who wants the volcano and the Greek sites within reach.
Palermo and the west coast
Palermo, Cefalu and Monreale hold the Arab-Norman cathedrals, listed by UNESCO in 2015, where Norman, Byzantine and Islamic work meet in one set of buildings. Palermo's markets and kitchens are among the best reasons to charter this coast. Off the western tip lie the Egadi Islands of Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo, with clear water and quiet anchorages a short hop from Trapani.
Agrigento and the south
The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, UNESCO-listed since 1997, holds the best-preserved Doric architecture in the Greek world: half a dozen temples standing more or less complete on a ridge above the sea, built when Sicily was a Greek colony. It anchors the south coast and is usually taken as a shore day from a nearby harbour.
Syracuse and Ortigia
Ortigia, the small island that holds the old core of Syracuse, is its own day: a dense grid of baroque streets, a seafront cathedral built into a Greek temple, and quiet harbours on the southeastern corner of the island. It suits a charter working the east or south coast and pairs naturally with a run up toward Taormina.
What it costs
- From
- From about EUR 20,000 per week for a crewed yacht
- Included
- A Sicily charter is normally booked on MYBA terms. The base fee covers the yacht, its full crew and the ship's insurance. On top of that sits an APA, usually around 25 to 35 percent of the fee, paid before the charter and used by the captain for the running costs.
- Extras
- The captain spends the APA on fuel, berthing and harbour dues, guests' food and drink, and provisioning, then reconciles it at the end and refunds the balance. Italian charter VAT and a customary crew gratuity of around 10 to 15 percent are added on top.
Prices rise with the size of the yacht and the time of year.
We explain the money side properly: what MYBA terms include, how the APA works, VAT on an Italian charter, and tipping the crew.
Before you go
Getting there and getting aboard
Sicily is served by international airports at Catania in the east and Palermo in the west, each about an hour from the main charter bases. Which one you fly into usually follows the coast you have chosen. Charters pick up in Palermo, Messina or directly in a Taormina anchorage, and we set the exact meeting point once the itinerary is fixed.
When to go
The season runs roughly April to November. High summer is hot and busy around Taormina and the Egadi Islands; late spring and September into October are quieter and still warm, with settled water for the crossings between coasts and out to the western islands.
Getting around the island
A week covers one coast properly. East gives you Etna, Taormina and Syracuse; west gives you Palermo, the Arab-Norman cathedrals and the Egadi Islands, with Agrigento reachable as a shore day from the south. Crossing from one end to the other eats a charter week, so most itineraries commit to a coast and work it thoroughly rather than trying to see all of Sicily at once.
Explore Sicily
Interactive map view of Sicily • Click and drag to explore • Open in full screen
