Missed part one of Most Beautiful Places to Sail? Read part one here.
Lake Geneva
You don’t have to take to the high seas for a wondrous sailing experience. Lake Geneva is a jewel of a glacier-fed lake, bounded by Swiss and French shores and ringed by the Alps and the Voirons. Imagine world class sailing at the site of the 2015 Little America’s Cup and navigating through the watery reflection of Mont Blanc.
Ionian Islands, Greece
This beautiful area with its mild winds and seas is a family-friendly place and often the first continental destination an inexperienced sailor will venture to. With an incredible array of islands there are an abundance of sheltered coves and pearly beaches flanked by hillsides, green with cypress and olives and alive with the evocative sound of the cicadas. Below the rugged mountains you will find traditional villages with their whitewashed cottages and friendly tavernas.
Montenegro
This tiny area, sandwiched between Albania, Croatia and Bosnia, attracts sailing fans from all round the world. With 295km of dramatic coastline, including the Gulf of Kotor, (the longest fjord in southern Europe), blessed with favourable winds and interesting ports, you can understand why.
Norwegian Fjords
Here is some of the most breathtaking scenery in Europe. The fjords, formed by glaciers during the last ice age, offer tranquil sailing in the blue waters that lap below majestic granite peaks. Picturesque villages, isolated farmsteads and gushing waterfalls line the coast of this beautiful area.
San Francisco (The city by the Bay)
If your interpretation of beauty is a magnificent city skyline, you can’t do better than to admire this city from the sea. You can sail round the infamous Alcatraz, cruise the city shoreline, and appreciate Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square without even mooring up. It is an easy cruise to Sausalito, or for more excitement head under the Golden Gate Bridge and out into the Pacific.
Seychelles
The archipelago of tropical islands scattered off the east coast of Africa are your perfect retreat with their granite shores lined with palm trees, beaches of silver sand and sea turtles swimming in the clear waters. There are calm seas and easy moorings within a few hours of the largest isle, Mahe.
Sporades Islands, Greece
The Sporades are located off the East coast of Greece and are known as the emerald of the Aegean. There are eleven islands each with their own character and reflecting a quieter and more traditional way of life than some other areas of Greece.
Stockholm, Sweden
Known as the Venice of the North, the sailing area is spread out over a variety of fourteen islands. From the sea you can explore unspoiled bays and sandy beaches, overlooked by rocky cliffs, or if you take a walk inland you will find old village settlements, historic fortresses and beautiful wildflower meadows, inhabited by ospreys and sea eagles.
Turkey
Turkey offers some of the best and varied sailing in the world. Famous for its ancient amphitheatres and historic ruins, its rocky coastline and countless attractive bays, you will have numerous opportunities to swim and snorkel in the clear water and explore the fascinating towns and traditional villages.
Whitsunday Islands, Australia
One of the top sailing destinations in Australia, the area offers wonderful sailing in the calm waters, but also a lot more. It is full of beautiful beaches and there are excellent diving and snorkeling opportunities along the Great Barrier Reef, as well as plenty of scope for bush walking. On seven of the islands there are excellent resorts, but if you prefer something quieter you can drop anchor in a lovely secluded bay.
Happy sailing!
Author - Dee White