VPM Yachtcharter

Törnvorschlag Amalfiküste, Neapel, Salerno

Amalfi Coast and Gulf of Naples

In the heart of Italy lies a sailing area in a class of its own. With the most beautiful coastal resorts, such as Amalfi and Positano. With the islands of Capri and Ischia, famous for their special beauty. And on the mainland, a city like Naples, which stands for everything that is Italy. Right next door, Vesuvius - and to commemorate the fateful eruption 2000 years ago, ancient Pompeii.

If you haven't sailed here, you can't know what you've missed. You have to put it so clearly. Because when it comes to sailing in Italy, everyone only thinks of Elba, Sardinia and Sicily with the Lipari Islands. Yet in the sea off the metropolis of Naples, one can experience one of the most beautiful potpourris of the dolce vita imaginable within a few nautical miles - with the exception of turquoise anchor bays, such as those found above all on Sardinia's Costa Smeralda.

A charter trip usually starts in Salerno in the east of the area. And here in the Marina d'Arechi, one of the youngest and most modern marinas in Italy. From here, the first destinations are already clearly visible, as they are located at the foot of a mountainous region. The southern side is called the Amalfi Coast after an outstanding harbour town.

The longing destination of Capri also soon peeks over the horizon. However, the island's small harbour is one of the most expensive in Italy, so you have to be prepared for that. But it is better to do it than to skip Capri. The island, its main town, the views are simply too gigantic for that. Those who plan less than a whole country day, even for extended hikes, are certainly making a mistake.

While Capri decorates the Gulf of Naples in the south, the islands of Ischia and Procida mark the western part. Less than 20 nautical miles lie between them, just as all distances on this cruise are of manageable length. If you feel like more miles and want to enjoy a nice wind, you could sail further west, first to the tufa island of Ventotene and then to Ponza. But you should think twice ... Because as beautiful and interesting as these two islands may be, there may not be enough time afterwards for an excursion to the famous Pompeii at the foot of Vesuvius, this unpredictable volcano that towers over the metropolitan region of Naples and buried this place metres high almost 2000 years ago.

Either way, there is more than enough to see and experience around the Gulf of Naples for a week of sailing. However, the harbour fees will strain the on-board cash.

The most important destinations:

Amalfi

Beautiful village with a small pebble beach and a very famous cathedral. The town is famous for its fantastic location at the foot of the mountains.

Town harbour with berthing facilities on floating pontoons in the inner part, even for large yachts. However, the berths there are often occupied. Guest berths are more likely to be found on the inside of the harbour wall, but they are exposed to the swell of incoming and outgoing ships and ferries, so you are lucky to get on board unharmed.

Positano

The famous seaside resort just 7 nautical miles away in the direction of Capri has no harbour. Only an open roadstead, water depths around 10 metres. You can anchor or take a buoy for a fee, if available.

Nevertheless, a must on the cruise. If only because of the evening view and the sea of lights of the houses that stretch higher and higher up the slope. The writer John Steinbeck called it "the only vertical place in the world" - which is certainly an exaggeration in this exclusivity. Unrivalled density of exquisite fashion and jewellery shops of all well-known brands. This is where the Italian upper class goes on holiday.

Capri

"When the red sun sinks into the sea at Capri and the pale crescent moon flashes from the sky, the fishermen go out to sea in their boats". Among water sports enthusiasts, the high island is known today less for this song lyric than for the astronomical mooring fees collected in the small harbour. Reservations and price information at www.portoturisticodicapri.com

Nevertheless, a clear recommendation: do not skip Capri. The small town is too charming, the views are too grandiose on a hike around the island, which should also lead to the high part, called Anacapri.

Naples

For a visit to the city and especially to Pompeii, the marina in Castellammare di Stabia in the eastern tip of the Gulf of Naples is a good choice. What Vesuvius buried 2,000 years ago can hardly be better visited by water sports enthusiasts than from this still quite young marina. Seven metres of ash and basalt have preserved the splendour of the past until modern times. Right down to the many murals, for thousands of visitors every day.
Taxi ride from the marina to Pompeii: about 15 euros for ten minutes. Bargaining is part of it. If you want to take the opportunity to visit a supermarket, 20 euros is also okay. There is also a small supermarket within walking distance.

Procida

Typical Italian flair on this small island. There is a young marina on the north side of the main town. On the south side, there is a small fishing harbour, but no space for yachts. But a nice place to have a drink or even a meal. Another marina, Chiaiolella, is on the south-west side, where a bridge leads across to the islet of Vivara. However, with southerly winds it is always plagued by swell, which the coastal handbook also warns against.

Ischia

A high and very green island, very reminiscent of Elba. The main harbour, Porto d'Ischia, is an almost circular basin that opens up behind a narrow passage. There is little space for yachts here, compared to the Marina Aragonesi near the village of Casamicciola less than two nautical miles to the west. But the ambience is more atmospheric.
Ventotene is already visible in the distance, with the former prison island of Santo Stefano in the immediate vicinity.

Ventotene

An island with a lot of history. Thousands of years of history, because even the Caesars of Rome banished unpleasant contemporaries to the vastness of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
You simply have to see the old tufa harbour from Roman times, or better yet, visit it. A white lighthouse marks the port side of the entrance. Where once galleys docked and had their magazines, today there is room for a maximum of two dozen guest yachts. Right next door, the Porto Nuovo was built in Cala Rossano. Ventotene is too close to Rome to be cheap. Neither in terms of mooring fees, nor on land.

Ponza

Beautiful, old Mediterranean Italy. Especially the streets around the harbour basin, its shops, restaurants and bars. An island you want to stay on.
The main harbour is one of the places not to be missed. The lighthouse and cemetery greet the arriving yacht on the entrance huk La Rontonda della Madonna. Wonderful atmosphere around the harbour basin. Moorings in the northern part with various jetty operators. Anchoring is allowed in front of the floating jetties as long as you do not obstruct the incoming and outgoing ships.

Departure bases, arrival airport Naples:

Salerno and Marina d'Arechi
Naples
Castellammare di Stabia
Procida (crossing by ferry, tickets directly on the spot, cannot be booked in advance, marina approx. 100m from the ferry pier)

The most important distances

(direct route, over ground)
Salerno - Amalfi 10 nm
Amalfi - Positano 7 nm
Positano - Capri 10 nm
Capri - Ischia 19 nm
Ischia - Ventotene 22 nm
Ventotene - Ponza 25 nm
Ischia - Procida 6 nm
Procida - Marina di Stabia 21 nm
Marina di Stabia - Capri 15 nm
Capri - Salerno 28 nm

Literature

Rod Heikell, Coastal Handbook Italy, Edition Maritim
Axel Kramer, Harbour Guide Sicily, Malta, Tunisia (and the west coast of Italy south of Naples)
Weather, marine weather and reports
Permanent via channel 69 in Italian and English.

Note:

Please note that this is a suggested itinerary and not all yachts have the necessary licences / insurance to call at all destinations / islands.

Please clarify this with the charter company before planning your trip. You will receive the necessary papers for your route planning from the lessor before the start of the charter, so these must be requested from the hirer / skipper in good time. The terms and conditions of the lessor / yacht owner and, if applicable, their restrictions apply.