If your cruising or chartering plans for the summer include berths in Italy, expect to pay top dollar. In fact, you’ll pay more there than in any other country, according to a new survey of the world’s leading megayacht marinas.
Engel & Völkers, which specializes in the sale and lease of premium residential property, commercial real estate, and yachts worldwide, evaluated the average daily rates marinas charge during high season. (It excluded special events such as the Monaco Grand Prix, when berths are, understandably, at a premium rate.) It used a 55-meter (180-foot) megayacht as a benchmark, then compiled a listing of the 15 most expensive marinas.
Topping its list: Marina Grande, on the island of Capri. A slip there costs €2,585 per day. Not far behind is Porto Cervo in Sardinia, at €2,574 per day. Rounding out the top three is yet another Italy-based marina: Marina di Portofino, with a daily rate of €2,100. (The equivalent dollar amounts are approximately $3,845, $3,829, and $3,124 per day, respectively.)
Why so expensive? Destination demand is a key factor. As Iñigo Nicholson, license partner of Engel & Völkers Yachting Madrid and Marbella, explains, “Yacht berths in exclusive locations are an extremely rare and highly sought-after commodity. In a similar way to real estate, high demand for a very limited number of spaces leads to a soaring inflation of prices.” It’s particularly true in Capri, where just 10 superyacht slips are available.
There are some surprises among the results. For instance, all but one of the marinas are in Europe. The exception: Yacht Haven Grande in the U.S. Virgin Islands (pictured at top). Interesting enough, its daily rate is negligibly more than that of Monaco’s Port Hercule (pictured directly above), which follows it on the list, as you’ll see below. Other surprises: Croatia is 50 to 60 percent less expensive than Italy, yet about 11 percent more expensive than Monaco.
The rest of the list is as follows (dollar figures are rounded and reflected the exchange rates as of May 4):
4. Puerto José Banus in Marbella, Spain: €2,069 ($3,078)
5. Ibiza Magna in Ibiza, Spain: €1,643 ($2,444)
6. Port de Saint-Tropez in Saint-Tropez, France: €1,356 ($2,017)
7. Port Camille Rayon in Golfe-Juan, France: €1,100 ($1,636)
8. Marina Port Vell in Barcelona, Spain: €1,084 ($1,613)
9. ACI Marina Split in Split, Croatia: €1,001 ($1,489)
10. Yacht Haven Grande in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands: €889 ($1,323) * (see update below)
11. Port Hercule in Monaco: €888 ($1,321)
12. Setur Marina Kalamiş in Istanbul, Turkey: €882 ($1,312)
13. Setur Marina Çeşme in Izmir, Turkey: €743 ($1,105)
14. Porto San Rocco in Muggia, Italy: €720 ($1,071)
15. Port de la Plaisance de Bonifacio in Corsica: €690 ($1,026)
* UPDATE, MAY 13: Yacht Haven Grande contacted us, stating that the rate in the survey is incorrect. The marina office says that the highest high-season daily rate for a yacht of the LOA referenced is $1,170. The dollar amount provided above was the euro-to-dollar conversion as of May 3, which accounts for the difference. Regardless, if you are interested in booking a slip there or at any other marina, it is always wise to call to obtain the rate for the dates you desire.
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