Fiji Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes
Fiji’s Mamanuca and Yasawa island chains deliver one of the Pacific’s finest cruising progressions: a north-westerly arc from Port Denarau through coral-fringed resort islands, uninhabited sandy cays, dramatic volcanic ridgelines and traditional Fijian villages, with anchorages rarely more than an hour apart. The itineraries below are designed to be combined: a guest looking at the 3-day and 4-day routes can stitch them together into a comprehensive 7-day Fiji adventure without repeating a single island or anchorage. Day charters from Port Denarau offer a taste of the Mamanucas for guests with limited time. Every itinerary is fully customisable by your Boatcrowd charter specialist and onboard captain.
Day Charter Routes from Port Denarau
Mamanuca Islands Day Charter: Cloud 9, Castaway and Monuriki
Depart Port Denarau Marina by mid-morning and cruise west into the Mamanuca group. The first stop is Cloud 9, the famous floating platform bar anchored over the reef (roughly 45 minutes from Denarau). Tie up alongside, order a wood-fired pizza and a cocktail, and swim in the turquoise water from the platform. After an hour at Cloud 9, cruise south to Castaway Island (15 minutes), where the fringing reef delivers some of the best snorkelling in the Mamanucas: clownfish in anemones, giant clams, hawksbill turtles and vibrant soft corals within metres of the sand. Your chef serves lunch on the aft deck – fresh sashimi, tropical salad and chilled Fiji Bitter. In the afternoon, cruise west to Monuriki Island (20 minutes) – the uninhabited island where Tom Hanks filmed Cast Away. Walk the white-sand beach, explore the rocky headland and take the obligatory castaway photo before the return cruise to Denarau (roughly 40 minutes), arriving by late afternoon.
Musket Cove and Malolo Day Charter: Marina, Reefs and Beach Club
Depart Denarau and cruise west to Malolo Lailai Island (roughly 50 minutes), home to Musket Cove Marina – the only full-service marina in the Mamanucas and a favourite gathering point for cruising yachts. Berth briefly to explore the marina village (shops, restaurant, pool), then cruise to the reef between Malolo and Malolo Lailai for a morning snorkel over pristine coral formations. After lunch on board, continue south to the Malamala Beach Club – the world’s first island beach club, set on a tiny sand cay with a restaurant, infinity pool and overwater cabanas. Spend the afternoon swimming, lounging and soaking up the Mamanuca sunshine before the 25-minute cruise back to Denarau at sunset.
3-Day Fiji Yacht Charter Itinerary: The Mamanucas
Day 1: Port Denarau to Castaway Island and Monuriki
Board your yacht at Port Denarau Marina by mid-morning. After a welcome briefing and a champagne toast on the flybridge, set course west into the Mamanuca group. Anchor off Castaway Island (25 minutes from Denarau) and spend the morning snorkelling the stunning fringing reef – vibrant soft corals in pinks, purples and oranges, dense schools of fusiliers, anemonefish and the occasional hawksbill turtle. Your chef serves lunch on the aft deck: poisson cru, grilled reef fish and tropical fruit. In the afternoon, cruise west to Monuriki Island (20 minutes). Tender ashore to walk the white-sand beach where Tom Hanks filmed Cast Away, explore the rocky headland and snorkel the reef. Anchor overnight in the sheltered water on Monuriki’s lee side, with nothing but stars overhead and the gentle sound of waves on the reef.
Day 2: Monuriki to Cloud 9 and Musket Cove, Malolo
Rise early for a dawn swim off the yacht – the water in the Mamanucas at first light is glassy, warm and alive with reef fish. After breakfast, cruise east to Cloud 9 (roughly 30 minutes), the floating platform bar anchored over the reef. Arrive before the midday crowds for a relaxed morning of wood-fired pizza, cocktails and swimming from the platform in turquoise water. After lunch, cruise south to Malolo Lailai Island and Musket Cove Marina (15 minutes). Explore the marina village, then continue to the reef between Malolo and Malolo Lailai for an afternoon snorkel over pristine coral gardens. Anchor overnight in Musket Cove’s calm, protected water.
Day 3: Malolo to the Mamanuca Sandbanks and Return to Denarau
Spend the morning exploring the low-lying sand cays and sandbars scattered among the southern Mamanucas. These tiny strips of white sand, barely above the waterline, are surrounded by shallow turquoise water and pristine reef – the quintessential Fijian postcard. Paddleboard, snorkel and wade in water that barely reaches your shins. Your crew sets up a beach barbecue on a sandbar: grilled prawns, Fijian kokoda (raw fish in coconut cream and lime), cassava chips and chilled beer. After a relaxed farewell lunch on the sand, cruise back to Port Denarau (roughly 40 minutes), arriving by late afternoon with time for a final sunset drink at the marina.
4-Day Fiji Yacht Charter Itinerary: The Yasawas
Day 1: Mamanucas to Waya Island – Volcanic Cliffs and Village Welcome
Depart Port Denarau (or continue from a Mamanuca itinerary) and cruise north-west into the southern Yasawa Islands. The landscape changes as you leave the low-lying Mamanucas: Waya Island rises dramatically from the sea, its volcanic cliffs covered in tropical forest and plunging into deep, clear water. Anchor in Yalobi Bay on the western coast – a sheltered anchorage with a white-sand beach and a traditional Fijian village above the tree line. Your captain arranges a formal sevusevu welcome: present kava root to the village chief, share a tanoa of kava with the villagers, and watch a traditional meke dance performance. The generosity and warmth of the Fijian welcome is genuinely moving. Return to the yacht for a sunset dinner on the aft deck – lovo-style pork, taro, coconut fish and Fijian cassava cake.
Day 2: Waya to Naviti and Drawaqa – Manta Rays and Blue Lagoon
Cruise north to the central Yasawas (roughly 2 hours). Between Naviti and Drawaqa islands, the plankton-rich channel is one of the best places in Fiji to encounter manta rays (May–October). Slip into the warm, clear water from your swim platform as mantas with wingspans of 3–4 metres glide past, sometimes circling back for a closer inspection. Spend the morning in the channel, then cruise a short distance north to the Blue Lagoon – a wide, sheltered bay between the islands of Matacawalevu, Nanuya Lailai and Nanuya Balavu, named for the 1980 Brooke Shields film shot here. The water lives up to its name: a vast, shallow pool of turquoise over white sand, sheltered on all sides. Anchor for the afternoon, swim, paddleboard and explore the surrounding beaches. The Blue Lagoon anchorage is also one of the best sheltered spots in the Yasawas – your crew can cook a beach barbecue as the sun sets behind the volcanic ridgeline.
Day 3: Blue Lagoon to Sawa-i-Lau Caves and Yasawa-i-Rara
Cruise north to Sawa-i-Lau Island (roughly 1.5 hours from the Blue Lagoon). The island’s limestone cliffs house two remarkable caves: the first, lit by shafts of daylight through openings in the ceiling, contains a turquoise seawater pool where you can swim in the cool, sacred water; the second, darker cave is accessed by swimming through a short underwater passage (guided, with torches). The caves are sacred to the local community, and the experience is both beautiful and culturally significant. After the caves, cruise north to Yasawa-i-Rara, the northernmost island in the chain. The island’s western coast features 10 kilometres of pristine all-tide beach – white sand, green headlands and turquoise water stretching to the horizon without another vessel in sight. Anchor for the afternoon and enjoy the most remote, unspoilt beach in Fiji.
Day 4: Yasawa-i-Rara to Naviti and Return South
Spend the morning on Yasawa-i-Rara’s beach – a final swim, a paddleboard along the coastline and a snorkel over the reef. After brunch on the flybridge, cruise south through the Yasawa chain (roughly 3–4 hours back to the Mamanucas, with stops as desired). Pause at Naviti for a last manta-ray encounter (in season) or snorkel at one of the volcanic islands’ fringing reefs along the way. Arrive at Port Denarau by late afternoon, bronzed, relaxed and thoroughly charmed by the wild side of Fiji.
Guests looking for the ultimate Fiji experience can combine the 3-day Mamanuca itinerary with the 4-day Yasawa route for a comprehensive 7-day charter covering resort islands, deserted cays, the Blue Lagoon, sacred caves, manta ray encounters and traditional Fijian village life – without repeating a single stop. An 8-day voyage is also possible by adding a day charter from Denarau at the start. Speak with your Boatcrowd charter specialist to design the perfect route.
