Need some inspiration on planning a holiday? Explore the world beneath you on a luxury yacht charter voyage! Put world-class diving destinations at the very top of your yachting itinerary. Don’t forget to pack your diving camera. There’s everything from fascinating shipwrecks to kaleidoscope coral reefs, exotic marine life to underwater caves. Onboard a luxurious superyacht benefit from the skills of an expert diving instructor or if you’re experienced, do it alone and jump in from the yacht deck.

1. Virgin Islands – if exploring shipwrecks is your thing, then the Virgin Islands ticks all the right boxes. The sleepy Virgin Gorda Island is home to one of the most famous diving sites in the Caribbean, the wreck of the HMS Rhone, located off Salt Island. Many enthusiastic divers plan their entire yachting vacation around a trip to this famous site which has been in existence since 1867 when the Royal Mail steamer sank during a hurricane. What an adventure! If you love the spirit of sailing superyachts then Maltese Falcon for charter is an ideal option. Full selection on charter yacht available in the Caribbean you can check here.

Virgin Islands

88m megayacht Maltese Falcon by Perini Navi

2. Mexico – Mexico has a number of awe-inspiring dive sites which warrant a visit in their own right. Set sail for the coastal town of Playa del Carmen close to the Yucatan Peninsula. The majestic limestone bedrock is riddled with fresh water-filled skin holes called centos some of which are 14m deep. Explore the underwater caves, a true labyrinth for divers. Visit the Baja Peninsula close to Santa Rosalia and Espiritu Santos. You may be lucky enough to see the giant Humboldt squid which can grow up to almost 2m in length – wow! Why not charter the superyacht Mamma Mia for your next holiday

Diving in Mexico

Monumental underwater museum called MUSA, Cancun, Mexico

3. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia – no top ten diving spots would be complete without the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Considered as one of the natural Seven Wonders of the World, this underwater paradise is a fantastic diving destination from top to bottom, a perfect site for divers of all levels. Get your diving gear ready to explore the Coral Sea with visibility of almost 60m making it ideal for spotting sea snakes and sharks at a distance. It has the world’s largest collection of corals, sponges, molluscs, rays and dolphins. CharterWorld offers a large selection of luxury superyacht for charter in the area, for example the stunning motor yacht True North.

Motor yacht True North in Australia

4. Vanuatu – like many regions in the South Pacific, Vanuatu is home to exciting diving spots. There’s the mighty shipwreck, SS President Coolidge, located off the coast of Espiritu Santo. This 22,000 tonne ship sank fully laden with war machinery during World War II just off the beach. For something a little different, how about diving around Tongoa and Million Dollar Point? It’s a great opportunity to explore the edge of a live volcano, how exciting will that be? The best way to reach all the islands of Vanuatu is on your own charter yacht, which CharterWorld can assist you with.

Vanuatu

5. Rangiroa, French Polynesia – approximately 400 kms from Tahiti are the incredible islands of the Tuamotu Archipelago. They include a string of coral that encircles a luminous lagoon known as Rangiroa, the second largest atoll in the world. With more than 240 tiny islets over a 177 kms, it’s not surprising that this is one of the world’s most intriguing and diverse diving spots – awesome.

French Polynesia diving

6. Egyptian Red Sea – the Egyptian Red Sea is ranked as one of the world’s best diving spots and a great destination for a luxury yacht charter with good reason. The eastern edge of the Sahara supports one of the most spectacular dive sites. Separated naturally from the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea has developed an individual reef system like no other. Diving, scuba diving and snorkeling are very popular water activities here so make the Egyptian Red Sea part of your yacht charter itinerary.

Red Sea, Egypt

7. The Maldives – the best diving spots in the Indian Ocean can be found in the glorious tropical paradise of the Maldives. The channels here are full of caves, caverns and overhangs that hide soft corals, colorful sponges and unique invertebrates. There are plenty of sites to explore in this amazing region. Away from the reefs, you may be lucky enough to spot manta rays, eagle rays or different species of sharks. A yacht charter is the perfect way to enjoy the various adventures that diving sites offer.

The Maldives

8. Cayman Islands – these islands are a group of three islands all of which offer world class diving. Although Grand Cayman is the most established diving destination, for a more relaxed but equally as enthralling, there’s Little Cayman and for the daring, on the northern shore, Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson Point. These are sheer coral cliffs dropping 2,000m into a submarine trench. Many divers consider this to be the finest wall diving in the Caribbean. Some of the best luxury charter yachts will be cruising in the waters of the Caribbean this winter, and are available for charter!

85m luxury charter yacht Solandge built by Lurssen – Photo by Klaus Jordan

Cayman Islands

9. Sipadan Island, Malaysian Borneo – one of the more secluded diving spots can be found off Sipadan Island in the South China Sea. This island is less than an hour’s sail from the mainland, so it shouldn’t take your skipper long to get there. It’s an unbelievable magnet for studying fish from barracuda to horse-eye jacks as well as stunning green turtles which are accustomed to the presence of divers. At South Point you may encounter reef sharks, huge schools of trevally along with herds of parrot fish.

Sipadan Island

10. Surin and Similan Islands, Thailand – Thailand’s best diving spots can be found in the Andaman Sea. There are fabulous diving sites like Hin Daeng (Red Rock) and Hin Mouang (Purple Rock) in the south west, off the Surin and Similan Islands. The Surin Islands are also home to Richelieu Rock, a 30m dive famous for shark sightings and giant schools of fish. There are many wonderful photograph opportunities here.

Similan Islands