Introduction
For all those keen on alternative yachting destinations, where you can experience best of local culture, cuisine, history and events, there is one Italian region that is pretty much unexplored by international guests visiting this fabulous country. Most of the mega yachts and in general luxury boats tend to congregate or are chartered out in North East Sardinia around resorts such as Porto Cervo, Porto Rottondo and Olbia or indeed around Island of Capri, Naples and Positano within the Amalfi coast and indeed Italian Riviera around Positano which is also popular ONE WAY charter stop for those starting out or finishing alongside French Riviera and in particular Gulf of St Tropez and Cap d’Antibes.
The best alternatives to that, Aeolian Islands around Sicily, Messina Strait with Siracusa, Catania and around Sicily and to some extent, at least for Italian and German tourists by majority Island of Elba and Tuscany. To avoid crowds and to ensure you do have a chance to experience best of Italy, you should consider luxury yacht charter out of Naples, but than turn North, North West towards Islands of Ponza and Ischia, or more accurately towards Isole Ponziane as Italians would say. You would than explore remote, uninihabited or as they case may be with Ponza, luxury retreats. Islands of Ventotene, Polmarola, Zannone and others await for those who wish to self-isolate, escape and yet still enjoy Italian lifestyle par-excellence.
With reasonably steady winds between 5-20kn expected each summer,we assume you will be able to sail most of the time and enjoy spending a luxury sailing holiday alongside the secluded Islands of Pontine archipelago. Neighbouring Campania region and province of Latina have seen little covid-19 infections and there were little reports of any new ones. The area is known for a mixture of Italian flair and lifestyle, rich Roman history, lovely anchorages, well managed but also many secluded beaches and a few fascinating archaeological sites.
Day 1 / Destination: Naples
Embarkation in NAPLES –port to be confirmed
Immediate sail to CAPRI
First swim on the way to Capri
Dinner at ‘’DA PAOLINOS’’ on ISLAND Capri
We suggest that you spend some time with the crew to get to know each other, enjoying suitable drinks as identified on preference sheet, and checking the 24-48h weather forecast. You can set off for Capri as soon as you embark or sample a few bays and anchorages nearby for your first swim and sunbathing on deck.
I also suggest you give us a call on +44 779 205 2007 or request a call back around 6pm/18h local time to ensure all is well as expected and as it should be. As a minimum, we would love to get a text or WhatsApp message that will confirm you have arrived on time, all is well on board and you have had a great start to the charter.
Day 2 / Destination: Capri
Breakfast on island Capri
Late morning or afternoon sail to PROCIDA
Dinner on board or Restaurant Pizza Fuego
Together with Ischia, Procida and Vivara, all of who look towards North to Flegrea coastline, Capri is part of so called Partenopean islands and is most southerly and most prestigious of these. Preferred destination for many boaters, it is located between Cape Miseno and Amalfi town and it has two levels.
First, there is a walking and shopping area right around the marina and the main town, while the top of Capri, from where beautiful views towards Anacapri are visible, accessible by the funicular, is the area tiny designer shops and many street cafes.Moorings may be expensive but are even more difficult to get, yet staying in port is recommendable on this night to allow you to easily visit the town. Visits to Certosa of San Giacomo, Palazzo Cerio, and the Villa of San Michele in Anacapri are popular afternoon breaks. The evenings can also be spent in one of the Micheline restaurants, with Salvatore Elefante’s Il Riccio being the best known. Also, the beach club La Fontelina, built against the rocks and with plenty of sunloungers, could be a place to enjoy an afternoon too.
Tip
If you have not yet visited, the Blue Grotto receives visitors strictly during opening hours with obligatory transfer into a Blue Grotto boat. Visiting early to avoid crowds may be recommended this summer and if you fancy a longer stay, there is a good restaurant nearby. It can be ideal start to the day on Monday morning, before setting off for Procida.
Day 3 / Destination: Island Procida
Breakfast on island Procida
Late morning or early afternoon sail to ISCHIA
Dinner at IL MONASTERO on Ischia
One of the most charming of islands, the peaceful island of Procida is maybe a secret recommendation. As an undiscovered gem, she has flourishing gardens and fragrant lemon and orange groves in abundance. The smallest and oldest island in the Bay of Naples, Ponza is joined by a bridge to a tiny island of Vivara. Arriving at the harbour Marina Grande you’ll have the wonderful view of fishers’ houses in pastell colours, being reflected by the deep blue water. There are a number of small coves and inlets strung along the coastline, inspiring you to swim or nap if you don’t feel like a tour around the island. Yet, by day’s end, you will not want to have missed a refreshing, relaxing pause at Corricella. Here, amidst boats and fishermen’s nets, you sit in the shade of long stairways and houses that have communal courtyards where you can enjoy a local drink at any time of the day.
Tip
If you have time, head to Terra Murata, Procida’s vibrant historic centre. Get lost in its winding streets and visit the old Royal Palace of Palazzo d’Avalos or wander around its church, Chiesa di Santa Margherita Nuvoa, which boasts beautiful views overlooking Capri.
Day 4 / Destination: Island Ischia
Breakfast on Ischia East Side
Late morning or early afternoon sail to ISLAND ISCHIA / North West Side
Hiking around two beaches
Visit to a Thermal Spa and visit to vineyard Dinner at MezzaTorre resort on 6th Aug
It’s a relatively short sailing distance from Procida to Ischia. You will most likely spend the 1st day at anchor around the southern coast of the island in Sant’Angelo. Here it may be interesting to explore the Castello Argonese and than take a short hike around one of the prettiest walks in Ischia, between La Fumarole beach, where both locals and tourist mingle to cook fresh seafood on its thermal vapour hot spots, and the Maronti beach. Constant volcanic activity creates a steam which rises to the top of the beach, heating up some specific places to such a degree that locals often cook food right there in the sand. For a hike, it takes less than an hour from start to finish and covers some breathtaking cliff-top scenery, lovely villas with exemplary flower gardens and potentially a thermal spa break. It will take another hour to go back, providing you with a perfect 2hrs hike, or you can ask your captain to wait for you with the tender on the other side. Alternatively, the island is known for many other hiking routes. Sentieri Della Lucertola are a series of scenic paths around Ischia, all created to allow walkers of all abilities and fitness levels a choice of trekking routes. One of the most demanding is Mount Epomeo trek and local companies offer Tour Guides too.
Day 5 / Destination: Island Ischia
Breakfast on Ischia North Side
Stay all day at this island – Exploring MezzaTorre resort and town nearby
Dinner on board
Apart from that, the island is known for rabbit meat specialities and some of the family members may wish to try one such offer in local restaurants. Finally, mineral qualities of the various thermal springs and volcanic muds offer potential health benefits and visits to one of the spas, including volcanic thermal water and mud treatments at places such as www.mezzatorre.it is where you will want to spend your 2nd day on the island of Ischia.
Unique to Ischia are “Spa Gardens”, where thermal pools of various temperatures and mineral content are spread throughout a park like setting. Aphrodite Thermal Gardens within the Miramare hotel complex based between the Maronti and La Fumarole beaches is one where you could go for a relaxing treatment for example. The other well known one is Nogombo Spa Garden with sculptures set between many mini thermal pools and springs, all cascading down a hillside which offer amazing views of the coastline.
Tip
One of the best ways to spend one afternoon away from the beach or usual sunbathing and swimming time, is visit to the local vineyard of Pietra Torcia. A reservation can be made for your arrival which will allow you to sample local vines, have a tour of their entire operation and buy newly discovered reds. Their local restaurants may also be a choice for the late lunch before the return to your superyacht.
Day 6 / Destination: Pontine Archipelago – Island Ventotene
Morning on Ischia – early morning sail to Island VENTOTENE
Dinner at Marisqueria
On this day you can head far out into the Mediterranean Sea, towards Pontine islands and reach for the lively island of Ventotene. The islands of Pontine are some of the most secluded areas of Italy and Ventotene being car free and 2nd largest of all is an experience worth making.
The Porto Romano on the island’s northeast coast is the usual yachting spot where you can enjoy a more peaceful retreat in comparison to bustling life on Capri. Contrast to Capri and Ischia is as big as anywhere in this region despite dark past, as it was used by Roman emperors to punish women on charges of adultery, all of which is memorised on mosaics that decorate local villas such as Julia’s at Punta Eolo.
Lying directly above Port Romano, the Piazza Castello is the epicentre of Ventotene town. It is a textbook example of authentic Italian seaside village charm. The tiny vineyards, wild herbs and flowers, and secluded beaches and grottos make it a popular tourist destination.
Tip
Ventotene is one of the greatest scuba diving spots in Italy, and home to a diving academy too. It maybe worthwhile booking a diving excursion with the local school here? Booking a diving excursion to explore excellent scuba diving locations with underwater rock walls and ledges that drop off just a short distance from the shores can provide you with a great insight into underwater life as the sea-beds around the island is full of different species of fish. Explore the wrecks lying around the island including some treasures and marine life of the Ventotene Marine Reserve. Swimming is best off the boat or at the two local beaches near the villages of Cala Rossano and Nave. The islands have always been renowned for their mild climate and for the beauty of their surrounding sea and sea-beds which have an average depth ranging from 3 to 50 metres and a maximum depth measuring below 100 metres at a distance of over 3 miles from the coast. One other attraction are ‘’peschiera’’, or fish farms which date from Roman times. Best visited on your own yacht, Peschiera Romana is an option to visit in the afternoon.
Day 7 / Destination: Pontine Archipelago – Island San Stefano
Morning on Island Ventotene – late morning sail to island SAN STEFANO
Dinner on board or return to Ventotene island
A short distance away is the island of San Stephano, home of a prison in the 1700’s. On this day, you may be able to explore the incredible abandoned panopticon prison, Carcere Borbonico di Santo Stefano dating from the late 18th century. Together with Ventotene, there are only a few hundred people living on these two islands (no permanent inhabitants on San Stephano), which keeps the water crystal clear and allows amazing underwater world to develop.
The islands of Ponza, Ventotene, Santo Stefano as well as the small island of Gavi and the solitary rock of la Botte are the most extraordinary group of islands in the Tyrrhenian sea. They have varying coastlines, the colours of the rocks, the attractive villages and the small ports in pure Mediterranean style. Of course a sailing charter is the only way to enjoy completely places like this…
Tip
This is ideal location to spend the whole day at anchor and away from any civilisation as setting foot on the island may not be allowed, while views of the fortress from your boat anchored directly underneath it is mesmerising. You may also wish to join a local boat tour around the island as it offers a good insight into the history of the island as well as fascinating views.
Day 8 / Destination: Pontine Archipelago – Island Ponza
Breakfast on Ventotene
Morning at San Stefano (or Ventotene) – early morning sail to PONZA
1st Stop at PONZA
Dinner at Il Pescator
You will probably anchor at Chiaia di Luna which is recognised as one of the most beautiful beaches in ITALY. Numerous grotooes, tiny private beaches and coves can be explored independently with a tender. Known for nightlife and beach parties, it is a complete contrast to what one can find on other neighbouring islands as this is where Roman elite meets in summer.
Reaching by boat the isle shows itself with the semicircle of the rosy houses in the port, the Roman swimming pools and the fascinating sight of the tiny churchyard on the mountain. The scenery shows a wide sequence of stacks, headlands, caves, bays, points, inlets and beaches, all of incomparable beauty. The island is famed for its grotto, which were created by Etruscans. It has the Serpents Grotto and the Roman Gallery which is a Roman tunnel to connect the town of Ponza to the large beach called Chiaia di Luna on its west side. There are Egyptian, Cannanite, Greek, and Phoenician Necropoli ruins.
It has a small town named Ponza, another one named Santa Maria and a few smaller towns. Don’t miss the chance to have a trip to the wonderful ancient Roman sea caves commonly referred to as the Grotte di Pilato. The caves (four in all, connected by underwater tunnels) were hand-excavated by the Romans and used as a murenario (eel farm) in the 1st century A.D., when the emperor Augustus first built a villa on the hill above.
Tip
We suggest to circumnavigate the island to discover all of its stunning bays, like Chiaia di Luna, Capo Bianco, Cala Feola etc. At sunset, the party-goers can pay a visit to the must-go aperitif at the Frontone, which is a rustic outdoor bar set up among the trees just behind the sand. As for dinner, It’s not easy to choose among the many beautiful typical restaurants scattered along the island.
Day 9 / Destination: Pontine Archipelago – Island Palmarola
Breakfast on Ponza
Morning on Ponza – early afternoon sail to PALMAROLA
Dinner on board
One of the most charming places of Italy’s Pontine Archipelago, the natural reserve of Palmarola is located furthest from the main coastline and in the most western corner of Pontine archipelago. Ideal for souvenir shopping and casual hiking, it’s a ideal place to spend all night al-fresco dining in one of the local restaurants or on the deck of your catamaran. You can anchor nearby small natural harbour which is an ideal location for another swimming and snorkelling experience just off the boat. The pirate’s treasure at Cala Brigantin and a visit to “la Cattedrale”, a shoreline that has been shaped by the sea and the wind and now resembles a cathedral could be visited while sailing around the island. As with Santo Stefano, you can enjoy solitude and living in wild nature of one of the most difficult to reach points in the whole of Mediterranean.
Day 10 / Destination: Pontine Archipelago – Island Palmarola
Breakfast on Palmarola
All day at Palmarola Dinner at O’Francese
Even though the second largest of Pontine islands, there are no permanent inhabitants here, other than a single guardian family during the winter. There are no specific tourist facilities either, but a couple of restaurants open in summer at Cala di Porto. An ideal night for your chef to showcase yachts culinary capabilities indeed! The northernmost island of Zannone serves as a wildlife refuge for some flora that are no longer found elsewhere in the Mediterranean.
Tip
A bathing paradise and ideal for snorkelling too, Palmarola is known for its rugged sea stacks such as this magical collapsed natural arch the rifles. Cava Mazzella is for those of the adventurous nature keen to uncover the mystique of this natural cave. Similarly, the island of Zannone has a surface of little more than 0.38 sq. miles and lies approximately 6.5 miles from the port of Ponza. It is part of the Circeo National Park and local Forestry service may organise a hiking tour along marked paths or you can simply try and get to the top of Mount Pellegrino unsupervised. You may discover lovely nature, the ruins of a Benedictine convent dating back to the XIII century and probably some wild sheep during your walk. Bird watching from your boat may also be an interesting proposal on this day. The Marquis Casati villa located here was venue for lavish debauched masked parties.
Day 11 / Destination: Pontine Archipelago – Island Zannone
Morning Island Palmarola – Early morning sail to ZANONNE
Dinner on board
Day 12 / Destination: Pontine Archipelago – Island Ponza
Early morning sail to PONZA
2nd Stop at Ponza
Lunch as per groups choice or on board at anchorage
Your 2nd and 3rd day on Island of Ponza and we are certain you will be able to make plans or confirm suggestions by the captain. If not, you can explore the other part of the island on 12th August and simply enjoy the beauty of this remote location. Lots of water toys are on board and deckhand will gladly take them out for an all-day activity at one of the chosen anchorages. Hiking in the late afternoon can be a great way to shed some of the food taken during lunch and prepare yourself for an all night dinner at busy Aqua Pazza.
Tip
On this day, it may be a good idea to commission a visit by a local photographer. Creating a collage or even a video, including a drone, could be a fabulous way of memorising the meeting and keeping it as the best souvenir for reminiscing in the coming years. Let us know if you will need assistance in arranging this or if indeed you will consider it on this day or maybe on an other day and in another location.
Day 13 / Destination: Pontine Archipelago – Island Zannone
Morning Ponza – early morning sail to Ventotene/San Stefano
Dining on board
Going to mainland of the local province may be a bit too far, but revisiting some of the other locations during a 2 week charter itinerary could be planned on this day.
For example, you will most certainly want to revisit some of the parts of the island or go to San Stefano or indeed explore another part which you have not visited before. Your planning and duration of charter allows for lots of flexibility and making some general plans the night before and firming them up in the morning and in discussions with the captain, is best way to go.
Tip
Some local shops may have latest or additional type of watertoys and maybe it would be a good time to visit one and see if special gear ie. kite surfing gear or eve an instructor may be rented out or hired and arranged as an experience.
Day 14 / Destination: Island Capri
Morning Island Ventotene – early morning to ISLAND CAPRI
Dinner at a local restaurant ie. DA PAOLINO
Visting Capri 2nd time, will allow you to maybe revisit your sailing skills, take helm from the captain, log the positions and feel like a captain of a superyacht? A lot has been said about possible options on Capri, and I am certain you will have planned well this day. What we can recommend is maybe a 2nd day visit of a local photographer, drone video and maybe a personal family album with printed photos to memorise the end to this hopefully amazing sailing holiday can be suggested.
Tip
Local companies may offer a helicopter tour or similar activity and maybe part of the family will consider flying back to Naples while the rest sails, allowing an additional experience for younger members or indeed for the special surprise to mum or dad?
Day 15 / Destination: Naples
Breakfast in Capri – disembarkation at Castel dell’Ovo
Morning Capri – early morning sail back to Naples
Brunch on board before disembarkation
As with all things in life, the end is nigh yet we hope it will have been a wonderful experience to this point.
Look forward to another relaxing al-fresco breakfast on deck and spend the final day of your charter with your loved ones enjoying the facilities on board, taking last few views of the passing coastline and dive into the Med before starting to pack and plan your way to the airport. It is also a good time to thank the crew for all their wonderful work which we will hope, should have been exemplary. You’ll disembark in Naples, probably the same port of your embarkation, although lastminute checks with the captain could mean disembarkation somewhere nearby where you may prefer. End your stay on board of your chosen luxury yacht with one final glass of favourite Tignanello, Deutz champagne or just a freshly squeezed orange juice. We wish you a wonderful end to the charter, relaxing trip back home and lovely end to the summer. We also look forward to read your reviews and hopefully arrange another charter shortly afterwards.