Why choose a motor yacht
A motor yacht compresses distance. Where a sailing yacht makes one anchorage a day, a motor yacht makes three or four: leave Ibiza Town after breakfast, be swimming off Espalmador within the hour, lunch at anchor at Illetes, round to Cala Saona for the sunset and still be back in the marina for dinner. It is speed, comfort and space — air-conditioned cabins, a flybridge for the views, a hydraulic swim platform, tenders and toys — and a boat that gets you home fast if the forecast turns.
Our motor yachts are chartered skippered or fully crewed, so no licence is required: a professional captain comes with the boat, and on the larger yachts a host or chef. The fleet runs from 45 to 70 feet — Prestige 520 Fly, Azimut 60, Princess and Sunseeker flybridge yachts among them — sleeping four to eight in two to four cabins, from €2,000 per day, for anything from a sunset cruise to a two-week Balearic circuit.
Who motor yachts suit
Motor yacht or sailing yacht?
Different holidays. Here is how we frame the choice for crews who are undecided:
| Motor yacht | Sailing yacht | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 20–30 knots — Ibiza to Formentera in under an hour | 6–8 knots — two to three hours |
| Coves per day | Three or four | One or two |
| Comfort | Air-con, en-suites, flybridge, stabilised | Simpler; heels under sail |
| Crew needed | Skippered or crewed — no licence required | Bareboat possible with a licence |
| The sailing | None — you cruise | The whole point |
| Fuel | Significant, charged on consumption | Minimal |
| Price per day | Higher | Lower — a longer week for the same budget |
| Weather | Outruns it — home fast if it turns | Plans around it |
| Best for | Day charters, short breaks, comfort, celebrations | Sailors, longer weeks, value |
Undecided? Tell us your dates and who is aboard; for many crews the honest answer is a motor yacht for a day or two and a catamaran or monohull for the week.
Where our motor yachts cruise
The strongest motor-yacht fleets are in Ibiza — the day-charter capital of the islands, with Formentera forty minutes away — and Palma, for Cabrera and the south coast. From Barcelona a motor yacht turns Sitges into a lunch stop and the Costa Brava into a long weekend; Menorca’s south-coast calas suit a fast boat out of Mahón. Longer cruises linking all the islands are very much possible — fuel planned in advance.
Practical notes
- Price: From €2,000 per day for a 45–50 ft yacht with skipper in shoulder season, rising with length, crew and in July–August. Fuel, berthing away from base, provisioning and chef are charged on top — we give you an all-in estimate for your itinerary before you book.
- Fuel: Charged on actual consumption; a 50–60 ft flybridge yacht burns roughly 150–300 litres per hour at cruising speed. Day trips are modest; long crossings are significant. Ask for the estimate.
- Season: Motor yachts run year-round on request; peak is June to September. Day charters need less lead time than weeks, but summer weekends in Ibiza book early.
- Licence: Not required — our motor yachts come with a professional captain. Smaller day boats may be available bareboat with a licence; ask.
- Sizes: 45–55 ft for up to eight guests by day and four to six overnight; 60–70 ft for six to eight overnight with a host or chef. Larger? See super yachts.
