Italian Riviera yacht charter
An Italian Riviera yacht charter is the most scenic short charter in Italy. The Ligurian coast runs from the French border past Sanremo and Genoa down to the Gulf of La Spezia, taking in Portofino and the Cinque Terre in about 30 miles.
It is also the most honest fit for a particular kind of week. This is a marina and tender coast with limited anchorages and an exposed shoreline, so it suits short, stylish itineraries and stopovers on a longer western Mediterranean route better than it suits a full week at anchor.
Why the Italian Riviera?
The best scenery per mile in Italy
The stretch between Portofino and the Cinque Terre packs more photogenic coastline into 30 miles than anywhere else in the country. You are never on a long transit.
It connects everything
The Riviera links the Cote d’Azur to Tuscany, Corsica and Sardinia. It is the natural first or last leg of a longer western Mediterranean charter rather than only a destination in itself.
Culture without leaving the boat behind
Genoa’s old town, the Cinque Terre footpaths and Portofino’s piazzetta are all tender-accessible. Guests who get restless at anchor do well here.
Where it is weakest, we say so
Anchorages are few and Portofino’s harbour is tiny, so berths need booking well in advance. We plan around that rather than pretending it is not true.
Who it suits, and who it doesn’t
This coast suits guests who want scenery, shopping and culture, and who are happy to be in a marina most nights. It is excellent for short charters, for a few days bolted onto a French Riviera week, and for groups who want a sense of arrival at dinner rather than a day at anchor.
It suits you less if the yacht is the point. Sheltered bays are few, the coast is open to the southwest, and total time in the water is lower than anywhere else we sell in Italy. Guests who want to swim off the back every afternoon should be looking at Sardinia, and we will say so on the first call.
Where you’ll go
Two stops carry this coast. Each has its own guide with berthing, anchorages and what is worth doing ashore.
Where to start
Short transfers are one of the real advantages here. Genoa puts you on the boat in under an hour.
- Genoa (GOA): the default, about 40 minutes from Santa Margherita and the widest choice of berths.
- Santa Margherita Ligure: where the practical infrastructure is. A much larger marina than Portofino, two miles round the bay, and where most charters actually lie.
- La Spezia: the southern end, best for a Cinque Terre and Tuscany route. Pisa (PSA) is about an hour away.
- Nice (NCE): worth it when the week runs west into Monaco and the Cote d’Azur, which many do.
See where to start an Italy yacht charter for the country-wide view.
Finding the right yacht
The Riviera has the deepest yacht supply of anywhere we sell in Italy, and that is worth understanding because it works in your favour. This coast, together with the South of France and Monaco, is where the western Mediterranean fleet actually lives. Yachts that end up working Sardinia, Corsica or the Amalfi Coast are frequently relocated out of here.
The practical consequence is choice. A brief that would be difficult in Sardinia is often straightforward on the Riviera, and if you are flexible on where the week starts, beginning here and cruising south can get you a better yacht than insisting on one already positioned at your destination.
The constraint is berthing rather than boats. Portofino is the tightest harbour we deal with anywhere in Italy, and a week that depends on lying inside it needs that arranged at the time of booking, not later.
What a Riviera charter costs
Realistic weekly charter fees for a crewed motor yacht, before expenses.
| Yacht | Typical week, plus expenses |
|---|---|
| 24m to 30m motor yacht | from EUR 80,000 |
| 30m to 40m motor yacht | EUR 150,000 to EUR 300,000 |
| 40m and above | EUR 300,000 to EUR 500,000+ |
The charter fee is only part of it here, and berthing is the line that moves most. Portofino in August is among the most expensive nights in the Mediterranean, and because this is a marina coast rather than an anchoring one you cannot simply avoid marina nights the way you can in Sardinia.
Italian operators also use third-party agents for provisioning and berths, and those agents add a margin. On the plus side, fuel tends to be lower here than on an island-hopping week, because the legs are short.
Read our full Italy cost guide and the APA explainer.
Berthing and anchorages
Berthing, not anchoring, defines a Riviera week.
- Portofino: around 250 berths, very few over 30m, spoken for months ahead in peak season and priced accordingly.
- Santa Margherita Ligure: the practical base. Larger marina, better provisioning, restaurants without the Portofino markup.
- Paraggi: the anchorage most charters actually use for Portofino, a few minutes by tender.
- Portovenere and the Gulf of La Spezia: the most sheltered water on the coast and the fallback when the southwest gets up.
- Cinque Terre marine reserve: zoned and enforced. Anchoring prohibited in the strictest zones, buoys in others, larger yachts limited on approach.
- Sanremo: the western end, full services and the natural stop before the French border.
Riviera or Sardinia?
Choose the Riviera for towns, restaurants and a short, scenic charter, or as the first leg of a longer western Mediterranean route. Choose Sardinia for water, beaches and a full week at anchor.
They also pair well. A yacht starting on the Riviera can cruise down to Corsica and Sardinia inside a fortnight, which is often a better trip than either coast alone and frequently gets you a better yacht.
People also ask
How much does an Italian Riviera yacht charter cost?
A crewed motor yacht starts around EUR 80,000 per week plus expenses, with most clients booking between EUR 150,000 and EUR 300,000. The Riviera also carries some of the highest berthing costs in the Mediterranean, and Portofino in August is the most expensive night of most itineraries. See our Italy cost guide.
Can you berth a yacht in Portofino?
Portofino harbour has roughly 250 berths and only a handful take anything over 30m. In July and August they are effectively spoken for months ahead. Most charters anchor outside off Paraggi or in the lee of the headland and tender in for dinner, which works well and costs nothing.
Is the Italian Riviera good for swimming?
Less than Sardinia or Sicily. This is a steep, largely marina-to-marina coast with limited natural anchorages and real exposure to the southwest. There is swimming, but if time in the water is the priority we would point you to Sardinia instead.
How many days do you need on the Italian Riviera?
Three to five is usually right. The whole stretch from Portofino to the Gulf of La Spezia is around 30 miles, so it works best as a short charter or as one leg of a longer western Mediterranean route rather than a standalone week.
Can you visit the Cinque Terre by yacht?
Yes, and it is the better way to see them. The five villages are built to be looked at from the sea and a tender lands you at the harbour front. The marine protected area is zoned though: anchoring is prohibited in the most protected zones and larger yachts are limited in how close they can approach, so most lie off Monterosso or berth at Portovenere.
Can you combine the Italian Riviera with France?
Easily, and it is one of the main reasons to charter here. Sanremo sits close to the French border, so a week can take in Monaco and the Cote d’Azur with no long passage. It also links naturally south toward Tuscany and on to Corsica.
