A new study by Goolets, suppliers of luxury yacht rentals and charters, has revealed the top yacht destinations of 2025, just in time for people researching new travel spots for their vacations in 2026.
The research ranked over 100 popular yacht destinations against four ranking factors – the number of enquiries from Goolets’ own sales data to each destination, the number of Google searches in the last 12 months, the YoY increase in Google searches, and the number of Instagram hashtags, to give each location a final score out of 100.
The Greek island in the Aegean Sea of Santorini ranked at the top of Goolets’ index with a score of 43/100. Ventotene Island in Italy placed second with a score of 38/100, followed by Sakarun Beach in Croatia which scored 36/100 for third place.
Santorini named the top yacht destination of 2025
| Rank | Destination | Country | Google Searches | Google Searches YoY Change | No. of Enquiries | Instagram Hashtags | Total Score (out of 100) |
| 1 | Santorini | Greece | 2,240,000 | 0.00% | 1,728 | 8,400,000 | 42.80 |
| 2 | Ventotene | Italy | 90,500 | 306.00% | 1,060 | 92,000 | 37.56 |
| 3 | Sakarun Beach | Croatia | 590 | 181.00% | 11,544 | 10,200 | 35.73 |
| 4 | Athens | Greece | 673,000 | 0.00% | 1,728 | 13,500,000 | 34.76 |
| 5 | Naples | Italy | 673,000 | -18.00% | 1,060 | 10,700,000 | 26.40 |
| 6 | Kea | Greece | 2,240,000 | -18.00% | 1,728 | 24,000 | 25.23 |
| 7 | Pakleni Islands | Croatia | 1,000 | 84.00% | 11,544 | 37,700 | 24.79 |
| 8 | Mykonos | Greece | 1,000,000 | 0.00% | 1,728 | 5,800,000 | 24.12 |
| 9 | Capri | Italy | 1,000,000 | 22.00% | 1,060 | 4,300,000 | 23.02 |
| 10 | Positano | Italy | 823,000 | 0.00% | 1,060 | 2,900,000 | 15.93 |
Santorini ranks as the top yacht destination of 2025, with its popularity for yacht trips tipped to continue to rise in 2026. The Greek island famous for its dramatic volcanic caldera and whitewashed cliffside villages had the highest number of Google searches in the last 12 months at over 2.2 million. Santorini also has the third highest number of Instagram hashtags from the 113 locations analysed – 8.4 million in total. Santorini’s total index score of 43/100 made it a clear winner.
In second place is Ventotene, Italy. Ventotene is one of the Pontine Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea and has seen a huge surge in Google searches in the past year, increasing by 306%, more than triple the amount of all bar one other location. Ventotene has a total index score of 38/100.
The only other popular yacht destination with more than double the amount of Google searches compared to the year before is Sakarun Beach in Croatia. Despite a low number of total Google searches and Instagram hashtags, Sakarun Beach ranks third in the index with a score of 36/100. This is due to having the second highest increase in Google searches, increasing by 181%, and being in the most popular region for sales enquiries, making it an emerging destination for luxury island holidays.
In the top 10 there are four destinations in Greece, including the capital city of Athens in fourth place with a total score of 35/100. Athens has more Instagram hashtags than any of the other 113 locations analysed in Goolets’ study – 13.5 million in total.
As well as Greece, Italy also has four destinations in the top 10 most popular yacht destinations of 2025. Naples, which was originally founded by Greeks, has a total score of 27/100. Naples ranks fifth in large part due to boasting the second highest number of Instagram hashtags at 10.7 million.
Kea and Mykonos are the third and fourth Greek locations in the top 10 at sixth and eighth respectively. Kea has a score of 25/100, while Mykonos scores 24/100.
Pakleni Islands, also known as the Paklinski Islands, is the second Croatian destination in the top 10, ranking seventh with a score of 25/100.
Capri and Positano, both in Italy, rank ninth and 10th respectively. Capri has a total score of 23/100, while Positano scored 16/100.
Aymen Boulehmi, Head of Marketing at Goolets, commented on the findings of the study:
“As we tend to see bookings for yacht trips increase during the New Year period, our ranking of the most popular yacht destinations in 2025 hopefully gives tourists some valuable travel inspo for 2026. As well as mainstay destinations such as Santorini, Athens, and Naples, our top 10 also reveals some lesser-known islands such as Ventotene, Saharan Beach, and Pakleni Islands that are emerging hidden gem destinations with breathtaking views.”
Opulence Magazine – the luxury magazine UK readers turn to for curated style, travel and fine living.
