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BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER: Explore one of these glorious holiday destinations in your own sailing yacht.
FLOTILLA SAILING HOLIDAYS: Sail your own yacht with the added support of a lead boat crew.
LEARN TO SAIL HOLIDAYS: Start from scratch or brush up your skills.
MOTORYACHT CHARTER: Do you prefer power to sail?
CREWED YACHTS: Relax, let the crew do the work.
SAIL AND STAY HOLIDAYS: Why not add a few days ashore in a hotel?
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BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER: Sail your yacht in any one of our glorious holiday destinations and explore at your own pace.
MOTORYACHT CHARTER: Do you prefer power to sail?
CREWED YACHTS: Relax, let the crew do the work.
SAIL AND STAY HOLIDAYS: Why not add a few days ashore in a hotel?
- PLAN YOUR TRIP
AIRPORT PARKING & HOTELS: Save up to 60% when you book airport parking & hotels in advance.
BOOKING CONDITIONS: Check our Booking Conditions.
CAR RENTAL: Rent a car instead of an airport transfer or if you add a week ashore.
CRUISING GUIDES: Start planning before you travel with a cruising guide or chart to your sailing destination.
PASSPORTS & VISAS: Check the passport & visa requirements of your sailing destination.
SAILING LOGS: Read our reports on sailing holidays we've been on.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: Don't travel without adequate insurance. We offer single trip or Annual multi-trip travel insurance.
TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN: Read our handy hints on taking small children on a sailing holiday.
USEFUL LINKS: Check these websites for more information on your sailing destination.
WHAT'S ONBOARD: Standard inventory for all charter yachts.
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WHO WE ARE: Meet the Nautilus team.
WHY BOOK WITH US: How do you benefit?
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Are you thinking of buying a new yacht and putting her with a charter fleet? Speak to us about the best deal for you. Nautilus Yachting has been arranging sailing holidays throughout the Mediterranean & Caribbean since 1992 so we are ideally qualified to advise you on yacht charter management. Find out more
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Sailing Holidays in Tenerife
Just off the coast of Africa, the Canaries enjoy year round sunshine and Tenerife provides superb sailing holidays all year.
The Canaries are situated close to the northwest coast of Africa off the Western Sahara. With constant north-westerly wind throughout the year, the sailing is exhilarating but yacht charter in the Canaries requires more experience than in the easier Mediterranean destinations.
Starting your yacht charter in Tenerife gives you the chance to visit three of the most untouched islands in the Canaries - La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, long considered the "world’s end" until the discovery of America.
The Canary Islands are spectacular volcanic mountains but there are plenty of good harbours and marinas. During your sailing holiday keep an eye out for dolphins and pilot whales that play in the bow wave.
For yacht charter in Tenerife the skipper must have RYA Day Skipper Practical certificate or RYA ICC qualification.
Sailing in Tenerife
Yachts are based at Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife and Marina San Miguel in the south of the island near the international airport. Tenerife has Spain's tallest peak, lovely beaches and seaside restaurants. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital, is a friendly port with shady plazas and excellent shops.
La Gomera remains blissfully untouched by tourism - maybe due to the lack of white sandy beaches - but it does have hideaway coves and a historic port at San Sebastian, the starting point for Columbus on his first voyage. La Palma, the most exotic of the islands formed from a volcanic crater with a coastline of majestically steep cliffs and black volcanic sands. El Hierro may be the smallest of the Canaries, but it’s strikingly dramatic and the sea is so clear, it's a paradise for snorkellers and divers.
DAY 1 : Embark at Santa Cruz the capital of Tenerife, about 30 minutes from the airport.
DAY 2 : San Sebastian (28nm) on La Gomera was the starting point for Columbus on his first voyage. Overnight in Puerto de Playa Santiago and savor the local Gomera cuisine. The whole island is an unexplored place of wild beauty - go ashore and enjoy the scenery of steep cliffs and beaches, palm groves and the Garajonay National Park, a unique ecological treasure of crystal clear waters and green laurel forests.
DAY 3 : Visit Puerto De Tazacorte (60nm) on La Palma, the most exotic of the islands formed from a volcanic crater with a coastline of majestically steep cliffs and black volcanic sands. La Palma is called the 'Pretty Isle' by Canary Islanders for its spectacularly lush vegetation, abundant clear waters and floral wealth which are in sharp contrast to the many volcanic forms that are testimony to the island's origins.
DAY 4 : La Restinga (65nm) on El Hierro. Spectactular scenery above and below the water and the sea is so clear, a paradise for snorkellers and divers. All this, plus the kind and friendly nature of the people, makes a visit to the smallest of the Canary Islands a charming experience.
DAY 5: Puerto de Valle Gran Reyiseros (45nm) on La Gomera is a picturesque harbour.
DAY 6 : Back to Tenerife. Los Gigantes (25nm) is a lively marina with a superb beach.
DAY 7 : Sail back to Santa Cruz de Tenerife (14nm).
Sailing conditions
A sailing holiday in the Canaries does need reasonable prior experience to RYA Coastal Skipper standard. This is the open Atlantic, not the semi-enclosed Mediterranean nor the predictable Caribbean. Distances between the islands are considerable, the winds can be strong and are funnelled between the islands to give a sort of wind tunnel effect in the "Acceleration Zone" that is well documented but still needs experience to handle.
Strong north-westerly trade winds all year Force 5-8. The wind varies throughout the year but, though largely predictable, is always interesting. The weather is warm and sunny most of the time. Experience Level 3.
Yacht charter from Tenerife
Yachts are based at Santa Cruz, the capital or Tenerife, and Marina San Miguel in the south of the island. Charters start and finish Friday or Saturdays but most direct charter flight from the UK are on Fridays.
Click on the yacht names below to view yacht layout & specification
2 cabin
3 cabin
4+ cabin
Yacht charter rates are shown WITHOUT flights giving you the flexibility to book your own flights.
If you want a flight-inclusive holiday Nautilus Yachting is a fully bonded ATOL tour operator and can book flights from the UK to fit your sailing holiday. Choose from a wide choice of airlines - we are not tied to any particular airline. All flight-inclusive holidays are fully bonded for your financial protection under our ATOL 3016. Airport transfers can also be pre-arranged.
FLIGHTS TO TENERIFE:
easyJet have flights to Tenerife South from Gatwick, Bristol & Manchester on Fridays and Saturdays. Jet2, Monarch, Thomson and Thomas Cook have flights from most UK airports on Fridays. Transfer time to Santa Cruz 75 mins, to San Miguel 15 mins.
To charter a yacht bareboat or on flotilla you should be Day Skipper standard and be assisted by at least one competent crew.
At present you need an RYA Day Skipper qualification or RYA International Certificate of Competence (ICC) for charters in Croatia, Montenegro, Mallorca, Tenerife and Malta.
The RYA ICC will be ever more required by overseas port authorities but if you have skipper experience it is easily obtained in a day from RYA sailing schools in the UK such as Hamilton Sailing or Brixham Sea School
Whether you are an experienced sailor or setting foot on a yacht for the first time, we can offer you a holiday afloat to suit you. We have given all the sailing areas a level with 'Experience Level 1' suitable for less experienced crews and 'Experience Level 3' for the experts.
This takes into account the wind strength, tidal range and currents, distances between stops and ease of mooring. Of course even experts may choose to sail in Level 1 areas as they still offer stunning scenery and great sailing.
Experience Level 1: Mallorca - south and east coast
Generally light winds Force 2-4, line of sight navigation, shorter sailing distances under 20nm. You will be Day Skipper standard having sailed at least 1 week or 100nm as skipper.
Experience Level 2: Mallorca - round the island
Stronger winds up to Force 3-5 with some longer passages up to 30nm. You will be Day Skipper standard having sailed at least 2 weeks or 200nm as skipper.
Experience Level 3: Mallorca - visit other Balearic islands; Tenerife
Stronger winds up to Force 4-7 which can lead to bigger seas on long passages between the islands. You will be Coastal Skipper
standard with experience to a higher level having sailed at least 4 weeks or 400nm as skipper.
Los Gigantes, or 'The Cliffs of the Giants', on the western coast of Tenerife is home to a busy yacht marina. The town of Los Gigantes lies at the foot of the imposing vertical cliffs. Built into the cliff face, Los Gigantes has a pedestrianised area based around the old church, and offers a good choice of bars, restaurants and shops.
Puerto de Tazacorte is a pretty little village on the west coast of La Palma and claims to be the warmest place on the island. It is divided into two areas: the port and the village. Puerto de Tazacorte has a long promenade, a fishing harbour, a black sand beach, narrow streets lined with colourful old La Palma houses and a boulevard with bars and seafood restaurants where you can sample the local catch.
San Sebastian, the capital of La Gomera, is a little seafaring town and Columbus' last port of call before heading across the Atlantic. You can visit his house, a small museum in a 400 year old fortress, and the Church of the Assumption where he attended mass. San Sebastian is not a tourist centre but it has a good variety of shops, bars and restaurants, a yacht marina, beach and large public lido. The port is in the east and within the port is its beach.
"I wanted to go to the Balearics and you had the right boat in the right area. We enjoyed most of the harbours and anchorages. Cabrera was pleasantly peaceful."
Palma 2010 - A.B.
