Charter Season: 8 of the World’s Best Yachting Locations | Christie's International Real Estate

Does anything even approach the romance, adventure, and freedom of cruising the Seven Seas in a luxury yacht? The vessel is built to enhance, embrace, and refine every aspect of life at sea. The best designs emphasize space, fixtures, finishes—and creature comforts.

The superyacht dials all that up to 11 by maximizing livability with such amenities as swimming pools, personal watercraft (a minisub, anyone?), satellite links, private chefs, outdoor entertainment decks, cinemas, even helipads.

For any sea traveler, though, the best leg of any voyage is the voyage home. This edition of Luxury Defined showcases the world’s most livable yachting destinations, and the homes that equal—or even exceed—superyacht luxury.  Welcome home, sailor, home from the sea.

1. The French Riviera

Perhaps the most glamorous seaside destination in Europe, the French Riviera, or Côte d’Azur, draws the sailor and sunseeker alike. Picture-postcard villages and chic beach resorts line the coast from the cosmopolitan glitz of Saint-Tropez and Cannes to the unspoiled beauty of Port-Cros.

The winter resort city of Nice, with its ample sunshine, white sand beaches, and special events such as the Cannes Film Festival attract a who’s who of international glitterati. West along the coastline, past the jet-set destination of Saint-Tropez, the island of Porquerolles awaits, with a peaceful escape from the bustle of the mainland.

2. Costa Smeralda, Sardinia, Italy

Sardinia’s Emerald Coast is a playground for the jet set, and its dramatic, unspoiled coastline and luxury marinas draw yacht folk from all over. The marine grottoes of Cala Gonone and the rock formations of Capo Testa, shaped by centuries of sea winds, are favorite attractions.

While the quaint towns of Carloforte and Castelsardo provide local color, the exclusive Yacht Club Costa Smeralda offers dining, a clubhouse, and spa services. Sailors can explore the tiny islands of the Maddalena archipelago or the white sandy beaches and rocky cliffs along the Gallura coast. Tranquil sunset viewing turns to fine dining and sizzling nightlife in the exclusive restaurants, clubs, and discos of Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo.

3. The Greek Islands

Surrounded by its “wine-dark” seas and thousands of islands, ancient Greece prospered with a maritime culture that became the cradle of Western civilization.

There is plenty left to explore, from the natural beauty of its uninhabited isles to the beaches and cosmopolitan nightlife that have made islands such as Mykonos into global destinations. Yachters can stop for an archaeological exploration on Rhodes or Delos, a night on the tiles in the tavernas of Athens, to the nightclub scene of Mykonos, Corfu, and Crete, the largest of the Greek islands.

The adventure starts in the ancient seaport of Piraeus, in southwestern Athens. Zea Marina is one of the finest, full-service marinas in the Mediterranean, offering 670 berths for vessels up to 492 feet.

4. The Bahamas

The 700 islands of The Bahamas begin at Bimini, just 45 miles off the coast of Miami, and stretch 500 miles southwest to the islands of Great Inagua and Little Inagua, neighboring the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Bahamas were made famous by Ian Fleming (the islands featured in the James Bond spy thrillers Casino Royale, Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, Never Say Never Again, and License to Kill). But they’ve been a haven for sailors and swashbucklers since the 18th century.

They’re a paradise below the waterline, too, for sport fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving. Palm-lined beaches, nature preserves, world-class golf courses, and colorful Colonial-style villas welcome seafarers ashore.

Bahamas waterfront estate — waterfront-estate Illawarra House is among the most beautiful beachfront homes in the exclusive Albany Resort in New Providence, Bahamas. The property includes a two-story, four-bedroom main residence, a two-bedroom guest house, staff quarters, and a three-car garage. All that chic, barefoot luxury includes a private spa with a sauna and an invigorating ice bath, an outdoor entertainment zone, and a luxurious pool facing calm, aquamarine seas, and the resort’s world-class sporting amenities and five-star services.

5. The Florida Keys

The Florida Keys arc southwest from Virginia Key in the Atlantic Ocean (just south of Miami Beach) to Loggerhead Key in Dry Tortugas National Park, a remote seven-island archipelago in the Gulf of Mexico, 70 miles off Key West. The islands are easy to navigate. Cruising in the Keys can mean a leisurely and scenic sail through the shallow interconnected basins of Florida Bay or a more adventurous trip out on the open waters of the Atlantic.

But it’s not all plain sailing. Mariners can drop anchor in a coral cove to swim, snorkel, or fish, or drop anchor in Islamorada, the “Sportfishing Capital of the World.”  Of course, a trip to the Keys is not complete without a visit to continental America's southernmost city, Key West, otherwise known as the Conch Republic—a place described as “close to perfect and far from normal,” where flip-flops are the official footwear and every day the sunset is applauded.

Florida Keys waterfront home — florida-keys-waterfront-home Wrapped in expansive, shaded verandas, Serenity Cay is a 3.37-acre waterfront compound in Islamorada on Upper Matecumbe Key. The three-level, 6,935 square-foot main house provides high-rise living spaces, two primary bedrooms among its five en suite bedrooms, a six-bed bunk room, and seven-and-a-half baths. A charming two-bedroom, two-bath guest cottage has its own kitchen. The heated pool and spa have an air-conditioned bath. Two protected boat basins offer jetties, a boat ramp and boat lift, and a 2,500 square-foot boathouse on Florida Bay.

6. The British Virgin Islands

One of the world’s great sailing destinations, the BVI comprises four main islands—Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, and Virgin Gorda. There are 50 more islands and cays, including Necker Island (Sir Richard Branson’s private paradise) and Salt Island, home of the wreck of the RMS Rhone, and hundreds of tiny palm-lined islets, sandbars, and rocky outcroppings to navigate, bounded by the beautiful Sir Francis Drake Channel, named after the Elizabethan admiral. 

There are countless draws for mariners: calm currents, steady trade winds, and protected bays. It’s a treasure trove, quite literally—some say it’s buried on Norman Island at the southern tip of the archipelago, made famous by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Today, The Bight, one of the BVI’s most popular (and beautiful) anchorages, enchants seafarers with its sea caves, wreck-diving, and the infamous Willy T floating pirate bar and restaurant. 

British Virgin Islands waterfront home — british-virgin-islands-manor Indigo Manor is a waterfront jewel on Frenchman's Cay, a tropical isle off the southern shore of Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands. The stately residence is built into the palms overlooking turquoise waters and green hills. The property includes an infinity pool and a swimming deck. But the star attraction is the 60-foot private dock at the entrance to Soper's Hole, one of the most picturesque marinas in the Caribbean.

7. Bermuda

Bermuda has been the crossroads of the North Atlantic voyage since the town of St. George’s was settled by shipwrecked sailors in 1609. Between March and November each year, racing yachts from around the globe arrive in the harbors of St. George’s and Hamilton parishes to compete in regattas organized by Bermuda’s many sailing clubs. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the island’s temperate climate is a year-round draw for leisure travelers, who come to cruise the island’s Great Sound and soak up the sun and local culture. The warm waters are ideal for scuba diving, whether it’s to explore marine wildlife habitats or historic shipwrecks that dot the reefs around Bermuda’s perimeter.

Bermuda house — bermuda-waterfront-home Windsong House is a historic 1.7-acre estate on a private peninsula on Riddell’s Bay and the Great Sound. Built in 1720 as a sea captain’s home, the magnificent 7,200-square-foot, three-level main house has been completely refurbished yet retains its elegant Bermudian ambiance. The seven bedrooms include a main suite and guest/staff apartment, a drawing room, library, formal dining room, and chef’s kitchen. The waterfront grounds include an organic garden, bayside pool, swimming terrace, sheltered mooring, and a large jetty.

8. Monaco

The Principality of Monaco, long a playground for the wealthy, is a tiny coastal paradise between the French Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. With an area of just 0.8 square miles (207 hectares), Monaco is smaller than New York City’s Central Park. It’s the world’s second-smallest (and most densely populated) nation after Vatican City. It’s also the most expensive prime real estate market, where $1 million buys about 16 square meters (172 square feet).

In the spring, the principality welcomes the crown jewel of Formula 1 racing: the Monaco Grand Prix. In the autumn, Monaco’s Port Hercule harbor swells with sailing vessels of all stripes for the Monaco Yacht Show—the biggest superyacht event of the year.

The microstate has seven Michelin-starred restaurants, countless designer shops, and glittering nightspots, from hot, happening boîtes de nuit to the grandeur of the Casino de Monte-Carlo and the glorious Opéra de Monte-Carlo. 

Penthouse in Monaco — monaco-penthouse The Palais de la Terrasse is a lavish two-bedroom penthouse on Boulevard des Moulins in the heart of Monaco’s Golden Square. The private rooftop terrace is the highlight, with a shaded lounge and a Jacuzzi with panoramic views of the cityscape, the seafront, and the superyachts navigating Port Hercule harbor.

Still exploring the Seven Seas? Set sail for luxury yachting homes here.