Best Sailing Destinations in Europe

Sailing

Looking for the best sailing destinations in Europe? If you are ready for your next sailing adventure, why not try somewhere new? There are scores of great destinations out there, with something to suit every kind of blue water explorer. From the France to Spain, it’s time to take your pick. Discover unforgettable adventure sailing destinations in Europe.

1. France

  • Cycling in Normandy

Normandy, a region rife with history and culture, is an ideal destination for a cycling break: from the Allied landing beaches around Caen to the coastal beauty of Dieppe and the spectacular Cotentin peninsula near Cherbourg, you’ll find beauty everywhere you look. There are more than 500 km of cycling trails in Normandy, giving tourists the chance to explore the outdoors at their own pace. One of the most popular tours is focused on D-Day beaches (codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword), an 80 km coastal stretch where on June 6, 1944 more than 24,000 Allied troops began the invasion of Normandy.

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Cotentin, France | Photo source: photos.tourisme-en-france.com

Cherbourg harbor is a must-see location: flanked by 8 forts, it’s believed to be the second largest artificial harbor in the world. The island monastery Mont Saint Michel is located near Avranches, just 600 m from land and accessible by foot or with shuttles. A UNESCO Heritage Site, the monastery attracts millions of visitors per year. Bayeux is a picturesque town on the Aure River that served as the capital of Free France during WWII. It’s home to the well-known Bayeux tapestry depicting the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Rouen is a medieval city famous for its association with Joan of Arc but also for the Armada sailing event that takes place every 5 years along the port’s quays.

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Bayeux, France | Photo source: media.tourinsoft.eu

While exploring this beautiful region of France, we recommend the following marinas: Port de Plaisance Jehan Ango in Dieppe; Port de Plaisance de Fecamp in the village of Fecamp and Rouen Port.

  • Sailing and sand-yachting in Brittany

Sand-yachting, also known as land sailing, is a popular pastime in Brittany: a whopping 30 centers are prepared to teach you the basics of this simple and thrilling activity. You don’t need any particular physical fitness and you can practice sand-yachting all year-round. Avel Char is located between St. Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel and offers lessons to anyone ages 8 and up. Zef Attitud’, located between the beaches at Erdeven, Penthièvre and Port-Maria, allows you to speed along the sands depending on prevailing winds. The Centre Nautique Plestin Les Grèves, which is situated on Saint Efflam beach, offers plenty of watersports options including sand-yachting, catamaran, windsurfing, optimist, kayak or water walking.

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Mont-Saint-Michel, France | Photo source: travelseekers.co.za

Port-Navalo is an ancient fishing port close to Nantes and Rennes, located on the Morbihan gulf. The famous megalithic stone alignment of Carnac is just a short drive away. Another archaeological site of interest is The Locmariaquer megalithic complex. Vannes is an outstanding example of medieval architecture, with many treasures waiting to be discovered inside the city walls: colorful timber-framed houses, Château Gaillard museum, the old city gates and the Gothic cathedral built over a period of 400 years. Hundreds of bicycles are available to rent at automated rental stations throughout Vannes. Belle-Île-en-Mer, the largest island in Brittany, has a dramatic coastal scenery and a large variety of fauna. The island’s charming towns are a second home for vacationers from France and abroad, drawn to the natural beauty and secluded beaches.

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Belle-Île-en-Mer, France | Photo source: relaisdusilence.com

For a wonderful time in Brittany, we recommend mooring your boat at Port Cancale or Port Saint Malo Sablons.

2. Spain

  • Surfing in Santander

Spain’s North Atlantic coast is not as mainstream as Costa del Sol or Costa Brava, but as far as surfing spots go, this is one of the best. Santander has many stunning beaches, like the popular El Sardinero, a 2 km stretch of golden sand and rocky shore and Playa de Matalenas, located in a cove flanked by high cliffs where the access is done on foot via a steep staircase. From Santander you can easily reach the amazing surf spots of Cantabria. West of Santander are Liencres, Suances, Oyambre and Meron and east the spots of Laredo, Santona and El Brusco, Cantabria’s most famous break.

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Somo is a popular seaside resort east of Santander, with a long beach that’s become a major surfing destination in recent years. It’s ideally located close to Langre and Galizano beaches, a few kilometers east. Somo Surf & Body Board School offers boards for rent and surfing courses ranging from a weekend to a month-long retreat. Accommodation is included at the Surf Hotel and Surf Posada, just steps away from the beach. Easy to reach from Santander by bus or shuttle directly from the city center, Somo is a 30 min ride away and offers a beautiful view of Santander.

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Marina Puerto Deportivo Santander, Spain | Photo source: marinasantander.com

You can feel great at Marina Puerto Deportivo Santander.

  • Tenerife Walking Festival

This annual event open to hikers from all over Europe combines different types of hikes and trails with cultural, social and gastronomic activities. There are 20 different hikes spread over 4 days, so you can choose the ones you find more interesting and attractive: 5 coastal routes to admire the ocean and see some beautiful sunsets, 11 volcanic trails in Teide National Park and 4 forest walks in the upland areas of Tenerife. Puerto de la Cruz is a key spot from which all routes depart and there are plenty of hotels and apartments for all pockets.

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We recommend staying at Real Club Náutico de Tenerife, a top choice for sailing, yachting and other leisure sports, or at Puerto Deportivo Pasito Blanco in Las Palmas de Grand Canaria.

3. Greece

  • Sea Kayaking in Kefalonia and Ithaca

Village Hopping is an 8-day tour in Kefalonia and Ithaca that takes travelers along the west coast of Kefalonia to see its limestone cliffs and spectacular scenery, then to the sea caves in Dafnoudi bay to snorkel. You will be captivated by the calm waters, scenic coastline, picturesque villages, ancient culture and fresh cuisine. Local guides also organize day trips depending on conditions and travelers’ experience level. Kefalonia offers other ways to spend time outdoor too, including canoeing, rock climbing, trekking, 4×4 tours and scuba diving.

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While in Kefalonia, you can have a great time at Argostoli Marina, specialized in leisure activities and tourism or at Vathi Marina, a small and idyllic harbor with easy access to the Ionian Sea.

  • Wind-surfing, Paros

Located in the Cyclades Islands, Paros is a popular tourist destination due to its natural beauty, sandy beaches and crystal-blue waters. Today a cosmopolitan resort, Paros was an ancient administrative center and a contention point for the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomas, who all left their marks on the island.

The 700 m long Golden Beach on the southeastern side of the island is ideal for windsurfing. If you need some lessons, Force7 Paros Windsurfing Center offers lessons for beginners and advanced windsurfers and full equipment rental service.

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Poros, Greece | Photo source: greece.com

There are other activities available on Golden Beach such as waterskiing and wake boarding. At Rebel Bar you can enjoy a drink in a relaxed setting with amazing views before heading to the restaurant just behind to taste some delicious local cuisine.

We recommend Paroikia Marina in the city of Paros, with immediate access to the Aegean Sea.

4. Italy

  • Cycling in the Veneto

The Veneto region is home to some of Italy’s most gorgeous landscapes, from the Dolomites to the capital Venice and the lovely towns of Verona, Vicenza and Padua. Montagnana is a small town with some of the best preserved medieval walls in Europe and a delicious prosciutto that gets its own festival every year in May. Another charming town is Treviso, close to Venice, with its maze of streets lined with arcaded walkways. The local Veneto cuisine includes seafood and rustic mountain dishes and a wide variety of wines.

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Road cycling amongthe Dolomites, Italy | Photo source: colletts.co.uk

When it comes to cycling, the region offers a variety of trails, from easy ones through wetlands, waterways and winegrowing areas to mountain climbs in the Dolomites, home to some of the most challenging routes in the world. Asolo, a hilltop town known as “The City of a Hundred Horizons”, is well known among cyclists due to its inclusion in Giro d’Italia. From Asolo ride to Bassano del Grappa, a medieval gem known for its strong grappa liqueur and arcaded streets and piazzas typical of the region.

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Asolo, “The City of a Hundred Horizons”, Italy | Photo source: oadtoitaly.com

Among the many traffic-free cycleways in Veneto, Ciclabile delle Dolomiti is the most scenic route, connecting Toblach (Dobbiaco) with Cortina d’Ampezzo. There are three international cycle routes that pass through the Veneto: Eurovelo 7 (Austria – Sicily), Via Claudia Augusta (southern Germany – Adriatic coast) and Eurovelo 8 (following the Mediterranean coastline from Spain to Greece).

We recommend the following marinas in the Veneto: Marina di Lio Grando, Vento di Venezia and Porto di Levante.

  • Riding to Sardinia

The second largest island in the Mediterranean, Sardinia is a wonderful holiday destination that combines the mountains with the sea to offer an unforgettable experience. Horse riding is one of the island’s most cherished traditions, dating back at least 500 years, when the first equestrian tournament Sartiglia was held in Oristano. The traditional procession Ardia is held every year in June in the town of Sedilo to honor emperor Constantine the Great.

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Ardia of Sedilo 2016, Sardinia, Italy | Photo source: sardiniapropertyfinder.com

Horseback riding is a wonderful way to discover this diverse island, from the coastline to the rugged mountains with hidden villages and archaeological sites.

There are many hotels that offer organized tours such as

  • Alghero Resort Country Hotel, with easy access to the medieval old town of Alghero;
  • the beaches of Maria Pia, Le Bombarde, Lazzareto, Mugoni, and La Stalla;
  • the caves of Neptune Capo Caccia;
  • Park Porto Conte; the nuraghi (megalithic constructions) and scenic places in the north of Sardinia.
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Le Bombarde beach, Sardinia, Italy | Photo source: sardinianbeaches.com

In San Giovanni Suergiu, southern Sardinia, Centro Ippico Meurreddus a Cuaddu offers tours through the beautiful countryside and along the coastline.

For a wonderful time in Sardinia we recommend mooring your boat at Marina Cala dei Sardi or Marina La Maddalena Cala Gavetta.

5. Portugal

  • Scuba diving in Algarve

The coastline in Algarve is an ideal location for diving, rich in marine life, caves and rock formations. The sea conditions allow diving practically all year-round, but the best times are in Autumn and Spring, when the waters are quiet and the temperatures milder. It’s fascinating to dive and observe the variety of species and how they swim across the sea bed, covered in corals, sponges, anemones, and different types of algae.

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Algarve coastline, Portugal

The Algarve’s waters house many shipwrecks, from the time humans first started to navigate the earth, to incidents during the last two World Wars. The list of wrecks includes the Torvore, the Wilhelm Krag and the Nordsoen, three of the four ships that were sunk by the U35 submarine during the First World War, as well as the Empire Warrior, sunk by the Luftwaffe off the coast of Vila Real during WWII, and the Océan, sunk in Salema during the Battle of Lagos between the English and the French, in 1759.

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Algarve, Portugal | Photo source: tapadadogramacho.com

Algarve Dive Experience offers courses for beginners and advanced divers, as well as dive tours to various locations. The Ocean Revival Project is a unique initiative which aims to transform Algarve into a world class diving destination by creating an artificial reef structure, including a warship theme park.

Our recommendations for Algarve are Marina de Portimao and Marina Porto de Recreio de Olhao.

  • Surfing

One of Europe’s best surfing countries, Portugal offers many fine locations to catch a big have. Perhaps the most famous of them is Nazare, a town along the center of Portugal’s coastline where a Hawaiian surfer caught a record breaking wave in 2011. Since then, Nazare has become a hotspot for thrill seekers.

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Nazare, Portugal | Photo source: redbull.com

High breaking waves are guaranteed here thanks to the underwater Nazare canyon. To the south of Nazare lies another great surfing location: Peniche. Built on a rocky peninsula, Peniche is known for its supertubos – powerful tube-shaped waves. In Figueira da Foz, north of Nazare, you’ll find Cabedelo beach located in the left bank of Lima river.

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Peniche, Portugal | Photo source: penichesurfcamp.com

Just 20 m from Lisbon’s city center is Carcavelos, a long beach considered to be the birthplace of Portuguese surf. It’s usually crowded in summer when many people can be seen lounging at one of the beach bars.

6. Croatia

  • Tennis school in Umag

The Istrian city of Umag is home to a prestigious tennis academy, one of the most modern tennis centers in Europe. The town’s tennis tradition started 26 years ago with the Croatian Open, a major sporting and social event. Umag Tennis Academy has 26 tennis courts: 25 clay and one hard court.

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City of Umag, Croatia | Photo source: triathlonmagazine.ca

Apart from the tennis courts there’s also a gym and fitness center, saunas, tennis equipment store, restaurant and bar, as well as recreational zones. The offer includes weekend tournaments and individual tennis lessons, the Tennis Fun beginners course and Tennis Intensive advanced course, while children aged 10 – 18 can learn to play in the summer tennis academy.

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Umag Tennis Academy, Croatia | Photo source: umagtennisacademy.com

Umag Tennis Academy is located right by the seaside at the edge of Katoro Resort and offers the best services: a team of excellent coaches, first rate accommodation and a variety of leisure activities. The Istrian cuisine is a delicious combination of Adriatic and continental ingredients paired with fine wines. Each year a food festival is held in Novigrad to honor the pilgrim scallop, considered to be one of the tastiest seafood in the world.

You can feel great at ACI Marina Umag, a large harbor with immediate access to the Adriatic Sea.

  • Adventure sports in Split

A region of great natural beauty, the Dalmatian coastline is one of Europe’s premier destinations. The ancient city of Split is renowned not only for its architectural heritage – the most famous example being the massive Palace of Diocletian – but also for being an excellent location for adventure sports. Adventure Dalmatia offers numerous multi-day adventure programs and one-day activities.

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Rafting on the Cetina River, Croatia | Photo source: splitadventure.com

You can canoe of raft down the Cetina river, flowing through an amazing canyon that you can explore in a more challenging program that involves walking, swimming and two rope descents down a cliff. It’s an incredible experience that gives you the chance to see some of the best landscapes in Croatia. Sea kayaking and paddling are other fun activities to try, and for a more relaxed day there’s the Split bike tour suitable for anyone ages 8 and up.

While in Split we recommend mooring your boat at either ACI Marina Split or Marina Hramina, located in a sheltered harbor on Murter island.

7. Turkey

  • Sea kayaking on the Lycian Coast

The ancient region of Lycia is home to some of the Turkish Riviera’s most beautiful landscapes, featuring many beaches flanked by high cliffs and protected coves catering to the yacht industry. Bodrum and Marmaris are among the most frequented resorts in Turkey, both close to major archaeological sites.

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Marmaris, Turkey | Photo source: thomson.co.uk

Kekova-Simena is a charming region encompassing the island of Kekova, Kaleköy and Üçağiz villages, and the ancient towns of Simena, Teimussa and Tersane. The bay was the site of a Byzantine shipyard, now in ruins. Both Simena and Teimussa have a large necropolis. Teimussa is now the modern village of Üçağiz, where boats set off for tours of the area.

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Sea Kayaking on the Turquoise Coast of Turkey | Photo source: discoveruzumlu.com

Kayaking is a great way to discover this region, where many areas are off limits to swimmers and divers. You can get a close-up view of underwater foundations, walls and mosaics dating back 2,000 years. Tours often disembark at Kaleköy, inaccessible by road, where you can get an excellent panoramic view of the area from the Byzantine at the top.

We recommend the following marinas: Alanya Marina, Setur Finike Marina, Milta Bodrum Marina.

  • Kite-surfing in Alaçati

Alaçati is an idyllic town in Izmir province, largely unknown outside Turkey. The town’s ivory stone houses have distinct colors on window and door frames, giving Alaçati a rustic appearance. The boutique hotels and small restaurants complete the look. The yacht marina was designed by French architect Francois Spoerry, who also designed the tourist spot Port Grimaud on the Cote d’Azur.

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Kite-surfing in Alaçati, Turkey | Photo source: etstur.com

At Alaçati Surf Paradise Club you can try a variety of activities, including kitesurfing, windsurfing, sea kayaking, and stand up paddle. The two spots for kitesurfing are Alaçati Bay – an excellent location with shallow, flat water and reliable wind – and Urla – located on a large protected bay at Içmeler, 29 km from Alaçati. It has superb conditions for kitesurfing throughout the long summer season, with shallow, flat-water.

We recommend mooring your boat at Teos Marina in Izmir.

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