There are so many different ways to travel the world but for us, our ultimate favourite is exploring by sailboat. We have travelled a lot and explored many destinations but one of our favourite holidays was island hopping in Croatia. Nothing beats exploring a new island each day, meeting new people and finding places you would have never been able to access without being on a sailboat.
Sometimes people ask us why do we love exploring by sailboat so much when we travel and this is exactly why…
You stumble upon the best beaches
We all know the feeling of being on a beach in a busy destination and looking out to sea and wondering to yourself how could you get to that deserted beach across the way. It looks so peaceful, quiet and a picture-perfect spot. There are so many beaches you can only access by sailboat and because of that they remain unspoiled and beautiful. They are a little piece of paradise just waiting for you to explore.
You get to explore a new place everyday
Normally when you travel, you spend a few days in a location. What I love about a sailing holiday is every day you get to explore a new destination. Sometimes the destination is a big town but other days it can be just a small village. It allows you to discover small local villages that you would never be able to explore otherwise. You can explore much more in a place by sailboat then you can on foot or by car. Nothing beats having a new location to explore every single day. New beaches, friendly people, delicious foods and exciting adventures.
You get to get to know the people
In lots of the islands you stop off at, you get to know the people really well. Some islands have one or two restaurants and can have a small population so you really get to know people during you visit. There is nothing quite like getting to know the locals on holidays and learning their local tips and tricks. People make a location and on a sailing holiday, you remember the characters and the lovely people you meet along the way.
You get to learn a new skill
This is our favourite point about why we love a sailing holiday so much. Learning a new skill is one of our highlights of any of our trips and with a sailing holiday, you get to perfect a skill more and more each day. Whether you are a complete beginner to sailing or learning to improve your skills, you will get to either learn a brand new skill or improve your existing skills on your holidays. And the nicest part is getting to cool off by jumping off the boat into the turquoise water.
Avoid too many tourists
Tourism hotspots can get very busy and sometimes you just want to get away from the crowds of people and relax. What we love about a sailing holiday is once you are finished exploring a destination, you can hop on the sailboat and sail away into the peaceful and tranquil sea.
You get to taste the local dishes
We are all guilty of going to a location and ordering what we know. By exploring the smaller villages and getting to know the locals, you get recommendations for local dishes about what you should try while you are there. You end up being a little more adventurous with your order. In certain islands, there might be only one restaurant and one dish on the menu. The fish of the day so you end up eating the freshest ingredients cooked in a local way. An experience you get regularly on a sailing holiday.
You get to have your lunch on the water
One of my favourite things about a sailing holiday is putting the anchor down for lunch. Nothing beats having your sandwich in the middle of the sea admiring the beauty all around you.
You get to swim in the most incredible places
If you are water babies like us, you will love being able to anchor up to jump into the turquoise sea. You will be able to snorkel in the most spectacular places and swim in the most beautiful coves and inlets. It is a spectacular experience.
You get to meet lots of new people
It is the perfect adventure for solo travelling because on the first day you meet lots of other crew mates. People get to know each other very well and end up exploring together and eating together at night. Everybody tends to do things together as a crew and you can end the holiday having made friends for life. Doing an activity like sailing together really bonds people from day one and because of this you don’t have to worry about not getting to know people on your solo adventure.
The Scenery
There is nothing better than the breathtaking scenery you will see as you sail the turquoise sea. You don’t need to climb to a view point for the view, you will have your own viewing point from your boat. When travelling by sea, you will get to see much more stunning scenery with every tack and gybe.
Have a holiday on your time
On some holidays, you can be under pressure to check in or check out, book activities or make it back to your tour bus in time. What we love about sailing is you are not under any pressure because sailing is honestly one of the most flexible holidays you can go on. A sailing holiday gives you an experience of a lifetime as you can enjoy the bays, coves, beaches, explore the islands and set sail to a new destination every day. You have all your activities onboard and an endless list of experiences to try.
You get excellent value for money
A sailing holiday is one of the best experiences but it also gives you very good value for money. Hotels, activities, food and entertainment can be so expensive in high season in busy tourist holiday locations so renting a boat or booking a place on a sailing trip is much more affordable. It will be a lot less expensive and give you an experience of a lifetime. You can do your shopping and have your breakfast, lunch and dinner on board if you like and you can explore the more local places which won’t be as expensive as the busy destinations.
Travel in style
You can spend your holiday dragging your bags through public transport or rentals cars and packing each day to move to a new location or you can travel on your own beautiful boat and never have to repack every time you want to go to a new destination. You can travel in style and comfort and explore on your yacht.
There will always be something new to explore
You will always have new land to explore and new skills to learn on your sailing holiday. You can even check out some water sports in your destination when you come onto land if you want a change of activity. The list is endless of the adventures that await you.
There is lots of choice
We hope you enjoyed all our reasons to hop on a sailboat and sail away. We have been on many sailing holidays with local companies which have been absolutely brilliant. Destinations we would highly recommend as great island hopping locations are Croatia and Greece. At the moment, we love the variety that G Adventures give you on a sailing holiday. You can check out lots of their sailing holidays here. If you want to read about our experience island hopping and the islands we explored in Croatia, you can check it out here.
