A sailing holiday might sound out of reach for most of us—but for novices as well as experienced sailors, it really is accessible to everyone, and makes for a fantastic adventure. Sailors consider sailing the high seas in a yacht or a small boat—whether chartered sailing or bareboat sailing—as the ultimate freedom. You can chart your course in a vast expanse of ocean or island hop on a whim—the best sailing spots in the world combine a bit of both.

While learning to sail competently can take some time, there are plenty of options if you don't sail—from flotilla holidays off the coast of Turkey to chartering a crewed yacht in the Caribbean. And if you want to learn, there are some excellent sailing centres around the world in places like Greece where learning to sail dinghies and small boats creates the fun of the holiday, and you come back with a skill too.

Whatever option you choose, or however well you can sail, here are many sailing holiday and yacht charter companies that can help you.