Sail Balearic Islands.

Four islands, close together, each with its own character. Mallorca gives you the tramuntana mountains dropping into deep-blue coves on the north-west coast, and a string of easy anchorages along the south. Ibiza and Formentera sit a day's sail south-west — clear water over sand that turns the surface a flat turquoise you'll recognise from every postcard, only warmer than it looks. Menorca, quieter and further north-east, keeps the crowds off. Distances are short. You can cover real ground in a week without long overnight passages, and you're rarely more than a couple of hours from a harbour with fuel, water and a decent lunch.

A crewed charter is the full sailing holiday with none of the workload: a professional skipper (and on larger yachts a hostess and chef) handles the sailing, the cooking and the logistics while you relax.

It suits families, groups and anyone who wants to wake up in a new bay each morning without lifting a winch — multi-day, sleeping aboard, the itinerary shaped around you.