Explorer and expedition superyachts give owners “total freedom to travel the world’s oceans, roaming wherever their desires take them”.
According to BOATPro’s Global Fleet Tracker, voyages reached 151,955 nautical miles in the first half of 2023, with more luxurious vessels than ever sailing to less traditional areas like the Middle East and Pacific regions during winter – a season previously reserved for the Caribbean.
Let’s highlight some travel ideas, exploring where adventurous super yachters are journeying to so far this year, from Hawaii and the Norwegian Fjords to French Polynesia and the Aegean Archipelago.
Rio de Janeiro, Caribbean islands, Bahamas, and Svalbard Archipelago
Yacht: Hanse Explorer, 48 m
Distance traveled: 19,541 nautical miles
Hanse Explorer.
Fassmer’s Hanse Explorer is a robust superyacht built for tropical and polar waters. Following a multi-million dollar refit in 2021, the vessel was transformed into a deluxe charter yacht with contemporary interiors.
Hanse Explorer sailed up the South American coastline, stopping at Rio de Janeiro, where marinas like Glória, Rio Yacht Club, and ICRJ – Palmas are located. Wide golden beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema spread 90 kilometers along the coast, while sights like Corcovado Mountain, Christ The Redeemer, and Sugar Loaf are visible from the water.
Additional stops include tropical paradises like the “Spice Isle” of Grenada, Barbados, Saint Lucia, St Vincent, the British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, and The Bahamas, where Tiffany-blue waters surround you.
Home away from home:
Meanwhile, over in the Norwegian Svalbard Archipelago, enjoy “midnight sun” in the summertime, where Arctic voyages have 24-hour daylight. One of the planet’s northernmost inhabited regions, it’s known for rugged and remote terrain that’s home to glaciers, polar bears, reindeer, and Arctic foxes. In winter, keep an eye out for the majestic Northern Lights.
Baja California Sur, San Diego, Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines
Yacht: Gene Chaser, 55 meters
Distance traveled: 15,105 nautical miles
Gene Chaser Yacht.
Gene Chaser and Amels superyacht Gene Machine are owned by DNA sequencing scientist Dr. Jonathan Rothberg; they cruise in tandem, boasting matching grey hulls and orange bootstripes. After a winter in the Caribbean, Gene Chaser headed to Miami before sailing through the Panama Canal to Baja California Sur – home to 19 anchorages and 15 marinas and one of Mexico’s most upscale destinations. A haven for offshore fishing, watersports enthusiasts, whale watching, dolphin spotting, and turtle releases, the region has some of the country’s most dramatic landscapes, including dormant volcanoes and vast deserts.
Up in San Diego, there’s a plethora of marinas to choose from, including Safe Harbor Cabrillo Isle, Harbor Island West, Sun Harbor, Loews Crown Isle, and the Bay Club Hotel. Next stop is Hawaii, where 137 islands await, with eight major ones to explore. Diverse scenery spans sprawling beaches, lush rainforests, and volcanoes, and activities like surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and kiteboarding are popular.
Home away from home:
Heading across the North Pacific Ocean, there’s Japan to discover, offering plenty of places to dock including Yokohama Bayside Marina, the largest in the country, Nishinomiya, and Hiroshima Kannon. Enjoy the freshest sushi at Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market and watch a sumo wrestling match, wander around vibrant Dotonbori in Osaka, learn about Hiroshima’s harrowing atomic bomb history, and sail around islands like Miyajima, Onasabi, and Ninoshima.
End the trip in The Philippines: Home to over 7,000 islands clustered into three main groups (Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao), the country boasts wide sand beaches and natural wonders like Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.
Sorrento, Nice, Ibiza, and the Norwegian Fjords
Yacht: Australia, 56m
Distance traveled: 14,871 nautical miles
Australia Yacht.
Benetti Australia is a 56-meter custom vessel that’s popular for chartering, traveling three times her 5,000-nautical-mile range so far this year.
From the Australian Gold Coast, Benetti Australia voyaged to the Red Sea, then into the Mediterranean. First stop? Sorrento, where the two main Marinas are called Piccola and Grande. Known across the globe for its high cliffs and unparalleled views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius (and even Capri on a clear day), Sorrento is the gateway to the scenic Amalfi Coast.
Northwards to France and Nice, mooring options include Port Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, Port de Nice, and Villefranche-Darse. Check out Promenade des Anglais and Musée Matisse, or head west along the coast to the glitz and glam of Cannes and St Tropez or eastwards to Monaco.
Home away from home:
Meanwhile, over on the Balearic island of Ibiza, there’s so much more on offer than bustling nightlife, ranging from the UNESCO-designated Dalt Vila Old Town to the natural beauty of Ses Salines. Home to tech-forward marinas, choose from Eivissa, Botafoch, and Santa Eulalia. Scenic Formentera is 30 minutes across the water and Mallorca’s Palma is reachable in just a few hours.
After venturing to London, continue northwards to the dramatic Norwegian Fjords, where outdoor activities, quaint villages, marina life like whales, seals, and otters, and spectacular viewing points await.
Malaysia, Indonesia, Red Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, and Genoa
Yacht: Triton, 49.7m
Distance traveled: 14,315 nautical miles
Triton Yacht.
This 50-meter motor yacht is designed for global cruising, deep-sea fishing, and reef diving. She made headlines in 2013, after being sold at a court-ordered auction for $11 million.
After leaving New Zealand, Triton headed up to Asia, stopping at a series of Malaysian and Indonesian islands such as beautiful Langkawi and Tioman and unspoiled spots like Lombok, Komodo, Raja Ampat, and Sumatra, as well as more well-known places like Bali.
Home away from home:
Over in the Middle East between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea is surrounded by desert. Incredibly salty and high in nutrients, take in striking turquoise lagoons and pale sands, and enjoy the wonderfully warm sea. Snorkeling and scuba diving are popular: Sharks, turtles, dolphins, rays, and octopi are regularly spotted.
Heading toward Europe, Triton voyaged through the Strait of Messina before reaching the Tyrrhenian Sea and sailing to Genoa on the west coast of Italy, where two main marinas house superyachts: Marina Molo Vecchio and Waterfront. A gateway to the Italian (and French) Riviera, Portofino and Cinque Terre are easily reachable.
Uruguay, Los Angeles, French Polynesia (Tahiti, Mo’orea, and Makatea)
Yacht: Perseus 3, 60 meters
Distance traveled: 14,227 nautical miles
Yacht Perseus 3.
Manufactured by Perini Navi, Perseus 3 comes complete with the single largest sail – 2,604 square meters – and has one of the most notable superyacht spinnakers.
Starting in Uruguay, there’s much to explore, from the ocean-facing capital of Montevideo to the Port of Colonia (one of the oldest in South America). Increasingly popular among high-net-worth individuals, upscale Punta del Este attracts the uber-affluent, with multimillion-dollar vessels vying to dock in the marina. Known as the Saint Tropez of South America, celebrities flock to the seaside hotspot for pristine beaches and glamorous parties.
Home away from home:
Hugging the South and Central American coastlines, Perseus 3 sailed up to Los Angeles next – home to the likes of Del Rey Landing Marina, one of the biggest in the US. From there, the vessel journeyed into the South Pacific toward French Polynesia for the summer: Tahiti, Mo’orea, and Makatea. Picture-postcard, private, secure, and safe, it’s the ideal destination for families, offering natural beauty across waterfalls, lagoons, and sandy beaches. Sail between atolls, savoring the unhurried pace of life.
Bahamas, Aegean Archipelago, and Corfu
Yacht: Hodor, 66.2 meters
Distance traveled: 14,187 nautical miles
Hodor Yacht
Conceived by Incat Crowther, built by Astilleros Armón, and delivered in 2019, Hodor is the first in a new collection of shadow catamarans. She frequently appears next to her mother ship – 87-meter Feadship Lonian – and carries five tenders, a pair of Yamaha ATCs, nine Jet Skis, four Yamaha TW200 trail motorcycles, a three-person submarine, plus more.
Starting in The Bahamas, there’s an array of beautiful tropical sailing spots to discover, including Nassau, Bimini, Exuma, Rum Cay, and the Berry Islands, not to mention the picturesque pink sands on Eleuthera.
From there, it’s all about crossing the Atlantic and cruising the Mediterranean to Turkey before turning and zig-zagging to Greece and the Aegean Archipelago, where seven groups are waiting to be explored, including the Cyclades.
Home away from home:
There’s Paros, where you’ll find golden beaches and a Venetian Fortress, lesser-known Tinos with its rugged beauty, bucket list Santorini, formed after a volcanic eruption, and Mykonos, a haven for jet-setters. Last stop? UNESCO heritage Corfu, where several ports are located – most notably Gouvia, the first privately owned marina in the country.
