Although the sailing season in the South East Mediterranean runs from mid-May to the end of October, there is still significant demand from European yachtsmen for warm water charters during the long cold northern winter.
Traditionally the Caribbean has been the main beneficiary of this. The British have tended to go to the former colonies: the Virgin Islands, Antigua and Grenada. This always has two problems. Travel costs are high and/or inflexible, and the area is equally popular with North Americans to the point where it gets very crowded. Getting there from the US is very cheap and easy, and there is little to no time difference.
The charming French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe have long been an attractive alternative to traditional winter destinations for Brits stricken by frost but seem determined to ignore. A fast-connect hop to Paris and a direct flight from there to any of the French islands is a much more attractive option; when you get there, the Gallic charm (and excellent food) is very evident; And there are plenty of yachts to charter from companies just as well-equipped and more flexible than their neighbors in the English-speaking Caribbean! The cruising opportunities are almost the same.
The other interesting alternative is Cuba. The country does not always enjoy the best press coverage and, in many ways, it is a good announcement of the failure of socialism. Despite that, there is a rapidly emerging yacht charter industry on the North Shore. Transfer times from Havana airport are a bit long, 2 1/2 hours, but you get to see some of the islands’ magnificent scenery. The navigation itself is fabulous. Getting there is also relatively easy via Madrid or Barcelona. The latter in particular has plenty of low-cost flights from all over the UK, so it’s very easy to combine a couple of days there with a Caribbean vacation by sailing Cuba.
Last but not least is Belize. OK OK, so you don’t know where she is. Neither did we until we got interested in the yacht charter business. However, you may know it as British Honduras. Anyway, it is in the middle of the Central American continent. Yes, it’s very, very hard to reach, and should only be on your schedule if you have at least two weeks to spare, three to spare! It’s definitely near the top of our personal wish list. There are three reasons for this. Belize is home to the second largest coral reef in the world, and you sail within it on a catamaran; on the coast there are some of the largest Mayan monuments in the world and some incredible luxury boutique hotels.
