Why You Should Book a Late-Season Med Charter

Traditionally, the Mediterranean charter yacht season was quite short, only getting properly underway in mid-June and closing by mid-September, with July and August seeing the vast majority of yachting action.

Times have changed. These days, it’s not at all uncommon to see charter yachts operating right through September and October in Europe ­— and even in early November in years of a blissfully warm “Indian summer.”

Savvy yacht charterers realize there are some astonishingly good reasons to charter a yacht in the late season — as well as a few potential things to bear in mind before you book.

For Love and Money: Why You Should Charter in the Fall

There’s a tremendous amount to be said about late-season yacht charters in the Mediterranean. The hazy air of summer clears, the crowds depart, and crystal clear anchorages are yours for the taking. As the blazing, breathless heat of July and August fades into the gentle days of late summer and early fall, blue-sky days are warm and gentle, visibility stretches forever, and most evenings only call for a light sweater. Yet these reasons — however persuasive — are just the beginning.

Dramatically reduced charter rates

Mediterranean weekly charter rates begin to fall in the first week of September and tend to plummet through late September and October. Many yacht owners keen to extend their charter season slash their rates in the late season — sometimes by 50 percent or more!

Other yachts will offer other sweet deals, such as 10 days for the price of seven. Your money goes a whole lot further in the late season, meaning that if you’re on a limited budget, you’ll be able to charter yachts that you simply couldn’t dream of in the high season. Did someone just say “onboard spa”?

Better yacht availability

In the peak season, chartering a yacht often requires compromise, with the popular yachts often booked up long in advance or limited availability leading you to book on dates you didn’t really want.

In the 2016 Med season, certain sizes of yachts were so in demand that some charterers missed out on the size range they wanted altogether and had to settle for chartering smaller yachts with fewer facilities. In September and October, you’ll have the pick of the bunch.

Improved berth availability and economy

In high summer, berths in glamorous superyacht marinas are both extremely hard to come by and costly, with rates up to thousands per night for larger yachts. In the late season, you’ll be able to find a berth where you like, and you won’t be charged through the nose for it either.

The cruising is particularly stunning

There’s nothing quite as beautiful as the Mediterranean in the early fall. In September and October, the water is crystal clear again, and the sea still holds its summer warmth but sparkles with that telltale glitter that winter is on its way.

The haze of the Mediterranean summer is banished, and the famed southern light falls across the landscape — the same heartbreaking light that the great artists and European aristocracy of the early 20^th century came to enjoy in the fall and spring months, when the heat of summer was finally broken. In truth, by chartering in the late season, you’re reinventing a very glamorous trend.

You’ll have perfect anchorages to yourself

In the late season you’ll find yourself anchoring in beautiful, secluded anchorages that you would share with 20 or more other yachts in midsummer. In the late season, you can choose to be around other yachts or enjoy blissful, luxurious solitude.

There’s a better local experience

There’s a glorious, relaxed atmosphere to cruising in the fall. The locals are more authentically welcoming, sights and attractions are less crowded, and you’re welcomed into prestigious Michelin star restaurants and A-list clubs with open arms.

In the late season, market stall holders have time to chat, locals take back their town for the season, and Mediterranean villages celebrate fall harvest festivals, giving you an incredible insight into the true nature of the place you’re visiting.

You have a lot more privacy.

In midsummer, crowds await on the dock when you come into port in glamorous places like Saint Tropez, everyone rubber-necking to spot any celebrities onboard.

It’s exciting, certainly, but those who like their privacy may prefer to charter in the early fall, when the people walking along the port are simply out for an afternoon stroll in the sunshine and there’s no pesky paparazzi hiding behind a tree. For a quiet family charter or high-profile guests wanting a break from the celebrity attention, a late season charter is a superb option.

The Downsides of Chartering in the Late Season

For all the advantages of late season chartering in the Med, there are a few things to think about.

More variable weather

For every silver lining there is a cloud, and late season charterers have a higher risk of seeing those very clouds during their yachting vacation. One of the reasons that July and August are prime yachting season is because traditionally the Mediterranean experiences little rain during these two months.

As the summer turns to fall, the weather becomes more variable. September is generally very lovely across most of the Mediterranean, with warm, gentle temperatures in Southern France, Italy and the Balearics, and warm to very warm temperatures in Greece, Croatia, Malta and Turkey.

There’s an increased chance of change-of-season storms in September, but weeks of superb weather too. October becomes less predictable again, with a combination of utterly, deliriously perfect blue sky days and cooler nights, occasional storms, and possibly longer spells of rain and wind.

Of course, each yachting destination is different, depending on its geographic location. Some destinations such as Turkey tend to be dry and clear right through October, while the French Riviera tends to succumb to cooler weather earlier than places like Sicily. 

Yet even if the weather’s wild and windy, there’s a silver lining on that too. If the weather turns, the captain will find a great nearby port with lots of shopping, restaurants, and museums nearby, or you can just relax on the yacht, hosting fancy dinner parties, dressing up for poker nights or kick back in the luxurious salon watching movies with family and friends.

Even when stationary, your yacht functions as an ultra-luxury hotel … that is, when your group has booked the entire hotel and you have your own private chef and staff. There are worse places to be than on a superyacht docked in an exotic port.

Some boutiques, restaurants, and bars will be closed for the season.

Beach clubs, shops and restaurants will be open until the end of September, but you will generally notice a higher number of seasonal places shuttered up after that, in particular beach clubs. However, this is changing too — as more yachts extend their seasons, so do many local businesses.

Cities such as Cannes, Barcelona and Athens remain wonderfully vibrant year-round, and there are always one or two beach clubs that stay open through the fall so you can experience the glamorous beach club lifestyle.

The party is (almost) over

If you’re the type who loves a party, late season isn’t generally going to deliver the high-octane, champagne-spraying celebrity fest you’ll find in the Med in high summer. But fear not — there are still fantastic options for you to dance until dawn when you choose the right destination.

Ibiza is rocked by huge closing parties in October, meaning you can take advantage of the low season charter rates to party on the White Isle, while nearby Palma and Barcelona offer a brilliant party scene year-round.

For those cruising the French Riviera in late September/early October, the exclusive Monaco Yacht Show offers glittering parties and champagne galore, and Saint Tropez has a last season blast with the fabulous Voiles d’Antibes regatta.

When it comes to late season chartering, there are many more pros than cons — and even the cons have a silver lining!

To learn more about late-season charter vacations, contact one of Denison’s luxury charter specialists: