Italy - Coasts Full of Style, Culture and Fashion
The sea surrounding Italy from almost all sides is as fascinating as the culture, the people and the fantastic Italian food. The diversified coastlines of Liguria, Sardinia, Tuscany or Sicily and overwhelming impressions on land will make your Yacht Charter cruise in Italy an unique experience.
General Info
Who hasn’t heard of Italy or dreamt to go there one day? Quite simply, it’s one of the most exciting, most historic and most influential countries in the world when it comes to food, architecture, design or Yacht Charter holidays for that matter.
Positioned on the boot-shaped peninsula in the middle of the Mediterranean basin, Italy has a lot of coastline, in fact, you’re never more than 1 hour’s drive away from the coast anywhere in the country, meaning that this is the sailing Mecca for any Yacht Charter aficionado, with a variety of types of shores, ranging from rocky cliffs to low beaches.
From the Ligurian coast in the north, moving on to Tuscany and up to the Sicilian shores, any travelling Yacht Charter sailor will get a feast for all the senses. The island of Sardinia is also a major attraction for tourists who are into sailing, not to mention the still blue waters of the Garda Lake, high up in the Alps. On the other side of the peninsula, you’ll find the labirth-like shores of the Veneto state with famous stops like Venice or Triest.
Sailing has been a major factor in Italy ever since the Roman times, when the great Empire was built on commerce and trading with remote locations. Today, all that experience helps the locals provide the best services when it comes to Yacht Charter holidays. There are virtually endless days of fun to be had on Italian waters or on the mainland. It’s been said that the best way to enjoy Italy is by boat, sailing its waters by day and harboring in a different port every night.
Law & Order
Here’s what the local law enforcement makes of boat navigation and the rules they enforce. First off, any person skippering a boat must be at least 18 years old (that’s also the minimum age requirement when applying for a skipper license). The skipper also must carry the permit with him at all times when sailing.
A permit is a must have for anyone who wants to sail any boat or yacht beyond 6 nautical miles from the coast, for motor boats and sail yachts with a motor output larger than 40hp and jet skis. Permits don’t come that easy, but the Italians recognize the International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft (ICC for short) which is quite widespread among the Yacht Charter population.
The Italians are also very strict when it comes to a small number of protected marine areas. It has 18 of these areas with environmental interest and any visiting Yacht Charter vessel is prohibited from sailing near the coast (the limit is in between 1 km and 2 km), fishing, picking seashells, sea plants or any type of seafood, sail using a motor boat, drop anchor, swim or practice any type of water sport. These areas are Cinque Terre, Arcipelago Toscano, Isole Tremiti, Miramare, Arcipelago di La Maddalena, Isole Egadi, Isole di Ustica, Proto Cesareo and the Ventatene e Santo Stefano.
True to its stauts as a top Yacht Charter holiday destination, you’ll find that Italy is quite relaxed whe it comes to welcoming visitors. Visas are only required for a limited number of countries that exclude those in the Schengen List, member countries of the EU and of EFTA. This means that you can enter the country with just a valid passpost and stay undisturbed for a period of up to 90 days.