From Portofino and Saint-Tropez to Spain’s Guadalquivir River and Sicily’s volcanic landscapes, the owner of the 45.2-metre Royal Hakvoort Shipyard yacht Milele recounts a summer of slow, exploratory cruising in the Mediterranean...
Owner of Milele
Length: 45.2m
Year: 2023
Location: Sicily
Where did your summer start?
We picked up Milele in the middle of May in Livorno and travelled to Portofino and Genoa, visiting relatives of my wife and celebrating my birthday. We also took in Monaco, Saint-Tropez and Cannes.
Then you went a slightly untraditional route...
We kept heading west, to Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera, so nothing unusual about that. But it became really interesting when we went to Tabarca, a tiny little island off mainland Spain, and on to Alicante, Cartagena and Marbella. Then we hopped to Cádiz and nosed into the Guadalquivir River and travelled up as far as Seville, which I don’t think many large yachts do.
What was it like?
It was very unusual, slow, peaceful cruising. The trees were full of birds – it was like being on safari – and we watched storks breeding along the shore. After eight hours of this, we made it to Seville, which is beautiful. It’s very green with huge trees, and you can really feel the history, as it was from here that Columbus set off on his mission across the Atlantic. There are palaces and churches, and it feels like there’s a discovery around every corner. I would highly recommend you make the trip.
Where did you head after that?
Since the beginning of August we have been to Sicily, Trapani, Levanzo and Favignana, which is well known for its tuna fishery. We went across to Hammamet to bunker and then spent a few days in Pantelleria, which is another cute island. Just yesterday we were in Agrigento visiting the valley of temples, which was very impressive.
I’m writing now from Syracuse, where we’ll stay for another night before visiting Taormina. We plan to take a helicopter flight over Mount Etna and visit the Villa Romana del Casale, which is a late Roman villa that has a famous collection of mosaics. We’ll take in the Aeolian islands, too.
Is your season over?
No! We will be back on board in Sardinia in September. We’ll spend 13 weeks on board in total, with family and friends. I don’t love having guests on for long periods, so there’s lots of hopping on and off. We’ve been taking it pretty slow this season. Despite having a boat that can go 25 knots, we don’t hit top revs very often, but it’s nice having the option!
First published in the October 2025 issue of BOAT International's Life Under Sail. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.