A crewed catamaran gives you a wide, stable platform for a week spent in the water: two hulls, a shaded cockpit big enough for the whole group, and a swim platform you step straight off into the sea.
In Italy they come into their own around the La Maddalena archipelago in Sardinia and the Aeolian Islands off Sicily, where the islands sit close together and the days are about anchoring, swimming, and long lunches on board rather than moving port to port.
Broker insight
Italy is not a catamaran market the way Greece or the Caribbean are, and we say so plainly. The fleet here is small and selective. But for a family that wants to anchor off La Maddalena or the Aeolians, swim all day, and not move the boat every morning, a catamaran gives you more living space per euro than anything else in Italy. It is the right boat for the right week, not the default.
Yanna Pristas
Senior Charter Broker, Active CYBA Member
Crewed catamarans in Italy run from around €20,000 to €90,000 per week, depending on size, layout, crew, and season. On top of the weekly charter fee, budget for:
La Maddalena in Sardinia is the strongest fit: a granite archipelago of short hops, clear water, and anchorages a shallow-draft boat reaches easily. The Aeolian Islands off Sicily are the other, with seven volcanic islands close enough together that you never need a long passage. The Amalfi Coast is possible but marina-heavy and busy, which is not where a catamaran is at its best: for that week we would put you on a motor yacht. If you want a catamaran’s space with more speed between the islands, a power catamaran sits between the two.
No, and we are upfront about it. The Italian crewed catamaran fleet is small and selective compared with Greece or the Caribbean, so the good boats book early. Tell us your dates early and we will give you a straight answer on what is available.
Where distances are short and the week is about swimming and anchoring: La Maddalena in Sardinia and the Aeolian Islands in Sicily. For port-hopping along the Amalfi Coast a motor yacht suits better.
Roughly €20,000 to €90,000 per week depending on size, crew, and season, plus 25-30% APA, 22% Italian VAT, and a 5-15% gratuity. See our Italy cost breakdown.
If you plan to move ports most days or want hotel-style service, take the motor yacht. If you want space, stability, and time at anchor, take the catamaran. We wrote a full catamaran vs motor yacht guide on exactly this.
Early. The Italian catamaran fleet is small, so summer dates on the better boats go first. June and September give the best mix of weather and availability; July and August are peak and busiest.
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