Italy Itineraries: Multi-Day Yacht Routes Across Italy

Italy’s three great charter regions – the Amalfi Coast, Sardinia and Sicily – can each fill a week on their own, but the itineraries below are designed for guests who want to see the bigger picture. These grand Italian routes link multiple coastlines into extended voyages of 7 days or more, taking advantage of the Tyrrhenian Sea’s manageable overnight passages and Italy’s superb marina network. Every itinerary is fully customisable – your Boatcrowd charter specialist and onboard captain will tailor stops, pacing and activities to your group’s interests and the conditions on the day.

7-Day Italy Yacht Charter Itinerary: Amalfi Coast to the Aeolian Islands

Day 1: Naples to Procida and Ischia

Board your yacht at Marina d’Arechi in Salerno or Naples’ Mergellina harbour by mid-morning. After a welcome briefing and a champagne toast on the flybridge, cruise across the Bay of Naples to Procida – roughly 22 nautical miles from Salerno, under two hours at cruising speed. This tiny island (just 4 km²) punches well above its weight: Marina Corricella, the pastel-painted fishing harbour featured in The Talented Mr. Ripley and the 2021 Italian Capital of Culture, is one of the most photographed harbours in the Mediterranean. Stroll the narrow lanes, pick up fresh limoncello from a harbourside shop, and return to the yacht for lunch. In the afternoon, cruise the short 3 nautical miles to Ischia – the Bay of Naples’ largest island, 46 square kilometres of volcanic hills, thermal hot springs and chestnut forests. Anchor in the sheltered bay of Sant’Angelo, a car-free village with a dramatic isthmus, and take the tender ashore for dinner at one of the clifftop trattorias.

Day 2: Capri

A 17-nautical-mile cruise south brings you to Capri, the jewel of the Bay of Naples. Arrive early to beat the day-tripper boats and head straight for the Blue Grotto – the legendary sea cave where sunlight refracting through an underwater cavity turns the water an electric, almost supernatural blue. Your crew arranges the traditional rowing-boat transfer through the metre-high entrance. After the Grotto, cruise slowly around Capri’s eastern shore past the Faraglioni – three iconic rock stacks rising up to 109 metres from the sea, with a natural arch you can pass through by tender. Anchor for a swim at Marina Piccola, Capri’s sheltered southern bay, where the water over white sand is impossibly clear. Lunch on the aft deck, then take the tender ashore and ride the funicular to Capri town for a wander through the Piazzetta, boutique shopping and a stop at one of the clifftop bars. For dinner, Il Riccio – Capri’s two-Michelin-star restaurant perched on the cliff above the Blue Grotto – serves the finest seafood on the island.

Day 3: Positano, Li Galli and the Amalfi Coast

Depart Capri and cruise 12 nautical miles east to Positano, the Amalfi Coast’s most iconic village. The approach from the sea is unforgettable: tiers of pastel-coloured houses cascade down a near-vertical cliff to a grey pebble beach, with the majolica-tiled dome of Santa Maria Assunta glinting in the sunlight. Anchor offshore and take the tender in for a morning exploring the boutiques and ceramics shops that line the steep lanes. On the way back, divert to the Li Galli islands – three private islets less than 4 nautical miles offshore, associated with Homer’s Sirens and once owned by the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. The water here is crystal-clear over rocky reef, and the islands are a favourite snorkelling spot for charter guests. Continue east along the UNESCO-listed coast to Amalfi town itself for an afternoon visit to the 9th-century cathedral and its Moorish-influenced Cloister of Paradise, then cruise on to Ravello for a sunset drink at Villa Cimbrone’s Terrace of Infinity.

Day 4: Amalfi Coast to Stromboli (Overnight Passage)

This is the transition day. Depart the Amalfi Coast in the late afternoon and set course south for the Aeolian Islands – roughly 130 nautical miles from Amalfi to Stromboli, an overnight passage of 7–8 hours at 18 knots. Your crew handles everything while you sleep (or stay on the flybridge to watch the stars over the open Tyrrhenian). Arrive at Stromboli in the early hours and anchor off Ginostra or the main harbour of San Vincenzo. Rise to the extraordinary sight of Stromboli’s 924-metre cone smoking gently above the village. Spend the day exploring – the black-sand beaches, the car-free lanes, the tiny church of San Vincenzo – and as night falls, reposition to the Sciara del Fuoco anchorage on the north-west flank. Watch Stromboli throw incandescent lava against the night sky every 15–20 minutes from the safety of your flybridge. This is a genuinely awe-inspiring spectacle.

Day 5: Panarea and Lipari

A short 12-nautical-mile cruise south-west brings you to Panarea, the smallest and most exclusive of the Aeolian Islands. Anchor in the clear shallows off Cala Junco – a prehistoric bay backed by a Bronze Age village dating to 1400 BC – for a morning swim and snorkel. Panarea’s underwater fumaroles (volcanic gas bubbling from the seabed) make for surreal snorkelling. Take the tender ashore and stroll the car-free lanes past whitewashed houses draped in bougainvillea, then settle into a terrace restaurant for swordfish carpaccio and chilled Malvasia wine. In the afternoon, cruise 10 nautical miles south to Lipari, the largest Aeolian island. Lipari’s pumice quarries have created an otherworldly white coastline at Spiaggia Bianca and Acquacalda, where you can snorkel over white volcanic rock in impossibly blue water. Dock at Lipari’s harbour for dinner ashore at one of the waterfront trattorias.

Day 6: Vulcano and Salina

Cruise 5 nautical miles south to Vulcano, known for its therapeutic mud baths (the Laghetto di Fanghi, a natural pool of warm volcanic mud near the harbour) and the dramatic Porto di Levante fumaroles. Hike to the Gran Cratere summit (391 metres, roughly 45 minutes) for panoramic views across the entire Aeolian chain – on a clear day you can see all seven islands and the Sicilian mainland. Return to the yacht and cruise 12 nautical miles north to Salina, the greenest and most fertile Aeolian island. Anchor off Pollara – the stunning volcanic-crater bay where the film Il Postino was shot – for a late-afternoon swim. Salina is famous for its capers (the finest in Italy, hand-harvested from volcanic slopes) and its sweet Malvasia wine. Dine ashore at a harbourside restaurant in Santa Marina Salina.

Day 7: Milazzo and Disembarkation

Depart Salina and cruise 30 nautical miles south to Milazzo on the Sicilian mainland, the traditional embarkation port for the Aeolian Islands. Your chef prepares a farewell brunch on the aft deck as you cruise past the Sicilian coastline with Mount Etna’s snow-capped summit visible to the south-east. Disembark at Milazzo marina by early afternoon, with easy transfers to Catania airport (roughly 90 minutes by car) or Palermo (2.5 hours). Guests looking for an extended voyage can continue to Taormina, Syracuse or the Egadi Islands to build a 10–14-day grand Italian charter.