Choosing the best sailing spots can be tricky – you need a combination of several criteria such as good weather, not very crowded, but at the same time, not completely alone in case you need help and a perfect balance of challenge.
This is where sailing experts come on stage – bloggers, magazines or just old salt sea dogs! By documenting and promoting a sailing way-of-life, they are experts and know the best boating spots. Of course, each of these bloggers has different taste but nevertheless, they give good advice and show the trend.
This is why we asked 7 of our favourite sailing blogs what are their favourite sailing spots. Here are the answers :
Yosh, Bonita & Marley from SailingNandji
“Our top sailing destination for 2018 is currently Indonesia. We do hope to visit more countries further to the west this year and the ultimate will be to visit the Maldives and cross the Indian Ocean to Madagascar.
Why visit Indonesia? we wanted to explore some of the 18 thousand islands of the archipelago, looking for surf, sun and experience a new culture. After cruising the South Pacific islands and experiencing the remote raw nature of cultures that live very simply, we were curious to experience Indonesia where there are millions of people. You can witness and experience the change in cultures, eat new food, enjoy the higher value of our dollar and of course fly with the trade winds sailing west. Downwind cruising all the way!! ”
Grant from NauticEd
Grant’s favourite destination is Sicily. As he highlighted in his blog, Sicily was his number one destination because of its culture, gastronomy and scenery. The Aeolian Islands are a set of massive volcanic islands and it’s stunning to sail around this area. Grant also talked about how peaceful this area is as it is not as crowded as Croatia or the Amalfi Coast during summer time. Finally, Palermo is an excellent pre or post city for a stay-over, perfect for planning a sailing vacation.
Moxie and Epoxy
“My top destination for 2018 is the US Virgin Islands. Though the islands have been ravaged by hurricanes, the resilience of the islanders brings so much joy to all who visit. Many parts of the islands no longer look manicured, exposing the wild beauty of the landscape. You’ll be supporting an economy that will only be rebuilt through tourism while enjoying the incredible turquoise water and perfect sailing breeze. This is a cruising destination that is good for everyone”.
Tuomo from SailForGood
“We definitely like French Polynesia the best. Dramatic islands of the Marquesas and crystal clear waters of Tuamotus made us fall in love with these islands forever!!”
Covering an area big as Europe, French Polynesia is an archipelago of a little bit more than 100 islands. Since a few years, the number of boats cruising in this area has increased as it grew in popularity among the sailing community. We easily understand why, as Tuomo said, crystal clear waters are absolutely gorgeous in this heavenly spot.
Sam from Sailing Today
“It’s Greece. Why? Because It has a nice breeze, warm weather and beautiful and varied scenery.” Greece is indeed a heavenly place for cruisers and boat enthusiasts. Stunning islands mixed with a soft and steady wind make it perfect. And we are not talking about the Greek cuisine yet ! With more than 5000 islands to discover, the Greek islands are a huge playground for your sailing holidays.
Chris, Rossella & Emma from Sailing Britaly
Sailing Britaly Youtube channel
“We would say Corsica! It is a beautiful island, full of stunning, secluded anchorages, and beaches with such clear water and gorgeous sand that it really feels like you are in the Caribbean. There is also a rich history on the island, the people are lovely and the food is delicious. What more could a cruiser ask for?”
Behan from Sailing Totem
“Piloting through the Panama Canal is our top “sailing” experience in 2018 so far, although it didn’t involve actual sailing – just motoring.”
Honestly, we didn’t expect the Panama Canal to be among the best sailing spots for 2018. However, we can easily understand why Behan loved this area. It is amazing from a sailor perspective to cross the Panama Canal – crossing this area is crossing of over one hundred years of humankind construction.
