Insider Recommendations

Italy Yacht Charter Recommendations

Ponza Island Roman Tunnel

Italy is surrounded by spectacular island destinations. Once a favorite resort island of wealthy Romans, a tunnel was built right through the center of this island from the harbor town to beautiful Luna Bay surrounding by chalk cliffs. Today you can walk right through this tunnel just as the Romans once did. Visit Ponza Town, and while your yacht cruises from the harbor to Luna Bay, walk through the Roman Tunnel to be picked up by the ship’s tender in Luna Bay, a great location to anchor and enjoy water sports.

Vietri sul Mer Pottery

A small town on the Amalfi Coast, Vietri sul Mer artisans have been making ceramics since the Medieval times. Today, certain designs (reflective of the deep blue of the sea, green of the landscape and the oranges and yellows of the citrus groves in this area)are specific to pottery made and painted in Vietri sul Mer and only that pottery created and painted with these designs can be designated as Vietri Ceramics. Visit this town and watch the artisans paint these age old designs.

Pompeii and Herculaneum

Towns both buried in the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, provide a complete and vivid picture of society and daily life at a specific moment in the past unique to any other historic site in the world. Pompeii is more extensively excavated than Herculaneum. Both or one or the other of these sites can be visited during the a charter out of Naples, Italy by docking in Sorrento, the closest harbor to these ancient sites for a tour including an air conditioned luxury van, driver and a guide.

Nogomo Spa Garden, Ischia

This island has an active volcano slumbering deep underneath which send hot mineral waters to the earth’s surface in a variety of natural thermal mineral springs, each of which has a different mineral content. Bathing in these springs is considered a health benefit. Spa Gardens are unique to Ischia where different thermal mineral springs are routed through many different types of therapeutic bathing pools in the same area. Nogomo Spa Garden is particularly attractive sited right on the ocean, tumbling down a hillside, with a beach and a cooling ocean plunge available after spending time in various treatment pools.

Ravello Festival at the Villa Rufolo

A series of artistic events that happens from the end of June to early September on pre-set dates at the Villa Rufolo high above and open to the Amalfi Coast. Considered an excellent cultural series held in a stunning location. Check the schedule to see if an event is happening when you might be on the Amalfi Coast, and arrangements can be made for a visit and evening at the Ravello Festival at the Villa Rufolo.

St. Mark’s Basilica, Venice

For a very special event when in Venice, after dark, meet a church representative at a side door and enter the St. Mark’s Basilica to be positioned in the center of the building. At a signal from the church representative, spotlights are turned on all at once to illuminate the spectacular gold mosaic ceiling. We can verify that this is an astounding sight, a hard to ever be repeated special event, and an extraordinary way to experience this famous Basilica.

Phi Beach, Baia, Sardinia

Located on the Costa Smeralda, on the northern end of Sardinia, this open air bar and restaurant located within naturally shaped large boulders on the coast, is an excellent and very popular, amongst the chic, location to watch the sunset. Easily accessible by ship’s tender.

Cinque Terre

“5 lands” are 5 little promontories, which at each end host a small little village. The area is a National Park, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is best accessed by private yacht from the sea by ship’s tender. Take the ship’s tender ashore and explore these little villages that are all connected by a small little winding cliffside path right at water’s edge.

Conco Di Signo

Taverna style restaurant on the Amalfi Coast, casual, with excellent food, especially seafood, and well known for their pasta vongale, this restaurant is most easily reached by ship’s tender.

Pietra Torcia Vineyard Ischia

Local boutique vineyard on Ischia Island where the grapes are grown in volcanic soil. This little vineyard is open for tastings, with a restaurant serving foods paired with their wines. Reservations required.

San Pietro Hotel

Lovely location for an evening cocktail for a view of the Amalfi Coast. This hotel has a tender landing dock or rock and an elevator up to the main level.

Enoteca Properzio

Located in the little village of Spello in Umbria, Italy, in a 15th century Palazzo, Enoteca Properzio, a multi-generation family business offers the best of the best that Umbria produces for wines, olive oils, and other gourmet food items, including well aged balsamic vinegars. Located about an hour drive from the ports of Cala Galera and Ostia, both ports near Rome, a wine tasting of boutique Umbrian wines can be organized when on a yacht charter along the Italian coast. Enoteca Properzio is the perfect location to stock up on small batch produced virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegar, other Italian foods, and of course, Umbrian wines. And with advance notice, cooking classes can be arranged with Michelin starred Chefs in their onsite kitchen, accompanied, with the perfect Umbrian wine. As an added perk, cremes and other beauty items are now being produced in small batches from grapes and olives providing the health benefits of both.