Yacht Charter in the Caribbean

Leeward Islands | Windward Islands | Antigua & Barbuda | Bahamas | Belize | British Virgin Islands | Cuba | Grenada | Guadeloupe | Martinique | St Lucia | St Martin | St Vincent and Grenadines | US Virgin Islands| Venezuela

If you would like more information on a prospective yacht charter or boat hire in the Caribbean please follow this link and complete the request form

The Caribbean is a very popular yacht charter destination. The region offers calm clear blue waters, warm tropical breezes and white sandy beaches in great yacht anchorages. All the main types of yacht charter can be found in the Caribbean; bareboat yacht charter, skippered yacht charter, luxury crewed yacht charter, monohull and catamaran charter and both sail and motor yacht charter.

Popular bases for yacht charter in the Caribbean include; Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Lucia, St Martin, St Vincent and Grenadines and the US Virgin Islands

Caribbean Yacht Charter

To request information on a prospective yacht charter in the Caribbean please click here and the complete the form. To find boats and yachts for charter in the Caribbean please take a look at our marine directory and search under the category of "Charter & Holidays"

Yacht Charter in the Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region of the Americas consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands and the surrounding coasts. It is located southeast of Northern America, east of Central America and to the north and west of South America. The Caribbean comprises more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs and cays. The name "Caribbean" is named after the Caribs, one of the one of the dominant Amerindian groups in the region at the time of European contact during the late 15th century.

The high season for yacht charter in the Caribbean in general is the winter months, during the holiday vacations of Christmas, Presidents week and Easter break. Booking well in advance is advised to get the charter boat of your choice.

There are plentiful flights to various island throughout the Caribbean. But some of the islands have several connections in order to get there. Consider a private plane charters to cut out some of the many connections and they are not very expensive. Many private air charters will pick up in San Juan Puerto Rico or St. Thomas and fly to places like Martinique or St. Vincent.

Many parts of the Caribbean have mooring systems in place and anchoring a yacht is prohibited. This measure prevents anchors damaging the coral reefs. Cynics will argue that the measures are more about revenue generation that protecting the environment and at $30 per night for a yacht mooring it is hard not to have some sympathy with this point of view. Yacht charter boats should aim to arrive at an anchorage in order to get a mooring or spot before the crowds arrive.

The climate of the Caribbean mainly ranges between sub-tropical to tropical and depends a great deal upon location in proximity to the tradewinds that blow towards the Eastern Caribbean islands heading northwest up the chain of Windward islands. When these tradewinds arrive close to the island of Cuba they tend to be overcome by other minor jet streams across the Caribbean region. Normally hurricanes which at times effect the region usually strike northwards of Grenada and to the west of Barbados. The principal hurricane belt arcs to northwest of the island of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean. September and October are considered the height of hurricane season, although the nominal season is June through November. Check yacht charter company policies in regards to hurricanes. During the November through January winter months; the prevailing wind is 15 - 20 knots from the northeast. On and off all winter, the famous "Christmas Winds" blow at 25 - 30 knots for several day periods. Beginning in February and finishing in June, the winds move from a northeast direction to southeast when 10 - 15 knots can be expected. Late summer through autumn is the Caribbean's rainy season. However, rain squalls can occur at any time but are usually short lived. Average high temperatures range from 85° to 90° with the highest in July through October; average low temperatures are about 10° less.

The geography in the Caribbean region varies from one place to another. Some islands in the region have relatively flat terrain of non-volcanic origin. Such islands include Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, the Cayman Islands or Anguilla. Others possess rugged towering mountain-ranges like the islands of Antigua, the British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. The waters of the Caribbean Sea are home to large schools of fish, turtles and coral reef formations.

Most islands at some point were, or still are, colonies of European nations and the influence of these "mother countries is still very evident;
The Spanish West Indies Cuba, Hispaniola, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica until 1655, the Cayman Islands, Trinidad until 1797 and Bay Islands until 1643.
The French West Indies Anguilla briefly, Antigua and Barbuda briefly, Dominica, Dominican Republic briefly, Grenada, Haiti, Montserrat briefly, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius briefly, St Kitts briefly, Tobago briefly, Saint Croix, the current French overseas departments of Martinique and Guadeloupe, including Marie-Galante, La Désirade and Les Saintes and the current French overseas territories of Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin.
The British West Indies Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bay Islands, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica from 1655, Montserrat, Saint Croix briefly, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago from 1797 and the Turks and Caicos Islands
Danish West Indies present-day United States Virgin Islands
Dutch West Indies present-day Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, Virgin Islands, Saint Croix briefly, Tobago and Bay Islands briefly.
Swedish West Indies present-day French Saint-Barthélemy.
Portuguese West Indies present-day Barbados, known as Los Barbados in the 1500s when the Portuguese occupied the island during the same time as Brazil. However, the Portuguese abandoned Barbados in 1533, nearly a century prior to the British arrival on the island.