HOLIDAYS

ALL AT SEA OCTOBER 2020 35 BOATING HOLIDAYS

EVERY MONTH WE BRING YOU HOLIDAY NEWS AND A SELECTION OF OFFERS

Image: Efe Cem/Shutterstock.com

CARRY ON CRUISING IF you have been waiting to take a last minute cruising holiday, Evolution Yachting has been sharing its top picks for extended cruising this October and November.

With the late start to the season it is no surprise that many are, this year, looking to extend the season, and where better to do this than the Mediterranean (please check current quarantine restrictions before booking).

Evolution Yachting has picked out Turkey, Greece and the Balearics as great choices. Even in October we can enjoy balmy evenings in Corfu, ambient waters in Nafplio and sunkissed beaches in Formentera. Even into November, although water temperatures may not be too inviting, Gocek is still open for business in the early weeks and magnifi cent sunsets in Menorca can be toasted with a fresh and fruity cocktail on the aft-deck.

FOCUS ON TURKEY:The Lycian coast stretches from Marmaris to Fethiye and offers numerous bays, villages and marinas to visit, all pleasant and welcoming in October and November. Siralibuk Bay and Butterfl y Valley are just two to mention, offering peaceful, remote anchorage spots and beautiful beaches. If the water is a tad nippy, head further south to the sunken ruins of Kekova for a mix of ancient, medieval and modern history, or to Bodrum and the Carian Coast further north with its gentle sailing conditions, picturesque bays, famous rock tombs and other historical remnants of bygone rich and ancient cultures. www.evolutionyachting.co

PICTURE PERFECT DESTINATIONS

Image: Kassiopi, Greece/Shutterstock.com SET along 28,000 miles of beautiful coastline, there is a wealth of opportunity for avid photographers to capture scenes of turquoise waters, secluded landscapes and historical sites in the Mediterranean.

To help you decide where to visit in the Med, MedSailors has rounded up their most Instagram-worthy locations. ■ Kassiopi, Greece ■ Loviste, Croatia ■ Fethiye, Turquoise Coast, Turkey ■ Diamond Bay, Croatia ■ Hydra, Greece ■ Cala Junco, Italy

Offering sailing holidays in the Mediterranean, MedSailors create seven-day trips for 20 - 35 year-olds in Croatia, Greece, Turkey and Montenegro. Prices start from around £505 for European routes. www.medsailors.com CORNWALL BEATS SPAIN THE team at Compare By Review decided to dig deep and delve into our summer online searching habits with some interesting results.

The British ‘stay home summer’ is having a resurgence. Whether it is spent on holidays at the lakes, by the beach or staying at home to fi nish off those much needed jobs, the public have dusted off their roofboxes and dug out their garden games to embrace the staycation.

With foreign travel being off the list for many, a large proportion of the population decided to holiday here in the UK making the staycation the holiday term of the season, and it looks as though Cornwall is a fi rm favourite with searches for ‘Cornwall Holiday’ in July rising to 135k compared to the same time last year with 40k searches.

This popular destination overtook searches for ‘Norfolk holiday’, ‘Devon holiday’ and ‘Brighton holiday’, and even knocked Spain off the top spot with searches for ‘Holiday in Spain’ during July dropping to 110k from 135k in 2019. comparebyreview.com

Image: Muratart/Shutterstock.com

EXPLORE TURKEY’S STUNNING TURQUOISE COASTS TURQUOISE is a unique mixture of blue coast of the Turquoise Riviera, travellers and green. It is no wonder part of the can enjoy beautiful sights, swim in Turkish coastline has the same name coves, enjoy freshly-caught seafood and because a typical cruise around the doze off to the rippling of the waves in hidden bays of the coast takes travellers the background. on a journey from the greenest forests of Turkey offers numerous routes for the coastline to the bluest colours of the gulet cruisers. The Fethiye to Ölüdeniz sea. In fact, the word turquoise actually route, for example, is one of the most comes from the French for Turkish. scenic blue voyages in the world. Located

Since Turkey is surrounded by three in a cove inside the Fethiye Bay, Fethiye seas - Black Sea, Aegean Sea and is open to the north and surrounded by Mediterranean Sea – the country has pine trees with a magical view of small one of the longest coastlines in the and large islets. The blue lagoon Ölüdeniz Mediterranean, making it quite common is famous with white sand beaches and to fi nd an exclusive bay to dock your boat. turquoise waters, while the ancient city

One of the most popular choices here of Patara is one of the most breath-taking is gulet cruising. Gulets are constructed parts of this route. with the Turkish Riviera in mind and are Alternative routes include Bodrum to designed primarily for fun and luxury. Gökova or Kemer to Kekova. While travelling along the beautiful www.goturkey.com EUROPEAN CRUISING STATUS THE Cruising Association’s in. If our members keep posting Regulations and Technical Services their experiences on our forums, (RATS) group continues to update it could make all the difference the country-by-country Covid-19 for another member following in information, which changes your tracks.” frequently, on the CA website. For the latest European and

Cruising Association president Mediterranean country-by-country Julian Dussek said: “There are still status and local information many challenges in getting to and relating to the UK, visit: www. equipping your boat, sailing safely theca.org.uk/public/covid_19_ and identifying destinations cruising_restrictions. You can where facilities are open and you help by emailing any updates can enjoy your stay. to: covid-19@theca.org.uk.

“That is where the CA comes www.theca.org.uk/join

IMPORTANT - The outbreak of COVID-19 continues to evolve. Please check FCO travel advice pages for the latest travel information: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

FURTHER INFORMATION ■ Nautilus Yachting: www.nautilusyachting.com ■ Nisos Yacht Charter: www.nisosyachtcharter.com ■ Seafarer: www.seafarersailing.co.uk ■ BVI Charters: www.bviyachtcharters.com ■ Ocean Elements: www.ocean-elements.co.uk ■ The Moorings: www.moorings.co.uk ■ Mauri Pro: www.mauripro.com ■ Dream Yacht Charter: www.dreamyachtcharter.co.uk ■ Sunsail: www.sunsail.co.uk ■ Mallorca Yacht Charter: www.mallorcayachtcharter.eu ■ Tall Ships Adventures: tallships.org ■ Naleia Yachting: www.naleiayachting.com