Top destinations for family sailing holidays

Learning to sail a small dingy is a great way to get started. Tuition is inclusive on your Neilson holiday so what better time to learn the ropes? The beauty of dinghy sailing is that it’s so easy to pick up, with just a few basics to cover with our instructors before you can set sail. Then it’s out onto the water to experience the exhilaration of the wind in your face as you speed across the waves.

Children aged up to 13 can sail a dinghy with a parent or guardian, while children aged 14 and above can join in the adult group tuition sessions. Or why not sign your little sailors up for our Hot Shots kids’ club where they can immerse themselves in all things watersports, including the RYA Youth Sailing Scheme. 

While you can have a go at dinghy sailing at all of our beachclubs (except for Cosmos Beachclub, where it’s all about the windsurfing), we’ve got a couple of beginner favourites:

•    Mar Menor Beachclub, Spain: Enjoy the unique conditions of the Mar Menor, Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon. The calm, shallow waters and steady thermal breeze are made for learning to sail a dinghy, while experienced sailors can try their hand at dinghy foiling. 

•    Portomyrina Palace Beachclub, Lemnos: this chilled out beachclub on a little Greek island is home to a gorgeous sheltered bay with fantastic wind conditions. Its clear waters are a playground for sailors of all abilities, where you’ll find everything from RYA Basic Skills tuition to sailing clinics, races and regattas.    
 

How’s this for a dream family sailing holiday? Our stay and sail holidays give you one week to enjoy beachclub life with its fun inclusive activities, plus another week sailing your very own yacht around the stunning Ionian coast as part of a Neilson flotilla. 

If you’ve never sailed before, you can join our four-day ‘introduction to yachting’ course during your beachclub week – it’ll teach you everything you need to know to skipper your own yacht the following week. 

Kids aged 16 and over can join the course, where you’ll be taught in a maximum group of five per yacht. If you have younger kids aged 13 and over, you can book a private course and all learn together. The course is packed with hands-on training that’ll see you out on the water every day, picking up essential sailing skills from dropping anchor to tacking. And at the end, you’ll come away with a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Level 2 cruising certificate.

You can book a stay and sail holiday at either of these Neilson Beachclubs:

•    Vounaki Beachclub, Paleros: sitting on the shores of mainland Greece with the island of Lefkas just across the clear waters of the Ionian Sea, this beachclub is a real sailing mecca. The winds tend to rise from gentle beginner-friendly breezes in the morning to a steady force 3-4 in the afternoons, giving intermediate and experienced sailors plenty of room to play.

•    Retreat Beachclub, Sivota: further north along the coast from Vounaki, you’ll find this sheltered beachclub backed by rolling hills and woods. Winds are a consistent force 1-2 all season and the sheltered waters here are ideal for beginners. If you’re an experienced sailor looking for thrills, however, you might want to get your adrenaline fix from high-speed watersports like waterskiing or wakeboarding during your beachclub week.  

Join one of our flotilla holidays and set off on a family adventure that will see you discovering a new destination every day, as you explore the gorgeous unspoilt Ionian coastline and its islands. This stunning part of the world is a sailor’s dream with hidden sandy coves, rich marine life, white-washed villages and picture-perfect islands to explore. You’ll skipper your own yacht, sailing as part of a group of boats with the Neilson crew leading the way.

If the idea of skippering your own yacht is daunting, you could choose a skippered flotilla holiday. Every day, you’ll be joined by your own, personal skipper who will show you the ropes and build your sailing confidence, whatever your experience level. Beginners can pick up their RYA Level 2 sailing certificate; while more experienced sailors can work towards their International Certificate of Competence (ICC). Come evening, your skipper will hop over to the lead yacht to sleep, leaving you to relax as a family.   

There is a choice of Neilson flotillas, offering a variety of sailing experiences from island-hopping to open-water sailing. All set sail from either Vounaki Beachclub on the south Ionian coast or Retreat Beachclub on the north Ionian coast.