Sailing yacht charter in Taormina opens a route that uses the Etesian and Tramontana winds funnelling down the Strait of Messina and the afternoon thermals off the Ionian coast to give consistent sailing conditions across the best of the east Sicilian cruising ground. The passage from Taormina to the Aeolian Islands, with Stromboli visible from 50 miles offshore, is one of the more dramatic approaches in the central Mediterranean.
Seven crewed sailing yachts in the Italy fleet are available for a Taormina-based charter. The Ionian coast favours monohulls of 24 to 34 metres, with good upwind performance for the return passages from the Aeolians when the Tramontana is on the nose. Captains know the tidal flows in the Strait of Messina and time the transit to use the current.
Weekly rates for sailing yachts in Taormina run from approximately 20,000 euros for a 24-metre vessel to 75,000 euros for the largest crewed options. The advance provisioning allowance of 25 to 30 percent covers fuel, marina fees and provisioning. May and September are the best sailing months on the Ionian coast, with the Tramontana blowing for days at a time and the anchorages at Panarea largely empty.
A clockwise circuit from Taormina covers the Strait of Messina, the Aeolian Islands from Lipari through Panarea to Stromboli, a return passage south along the Calabrian coast and the Gulf of Catania before the final passage back to Taormina bay.
