Perfect 10

Okay, so maybe the 2020 boating season was one to forget—which shouldn’t be too difficult, since few of us managed to get out on the water as much as we wanted, and whenever we did, with the masks and the social distancing, it was just weird.

So here’s to next summer. To help kick it off and get you in the mood to cruise, we present a prime selection of European destinations that absolutely shimmer with positive vibes, from the unreal seascapes of the Arctic to the sun-baked Med. As different from each other as they are from anything Stateside, these are places where sy baritic pleasures can be sampled alongside the full humanities package—history, geography, literature and art, not forgefling languages, ancient and modern.

Whether you plan to charter or go the whole hog and transport your own boat there for the season, I can guarantee that the locals will be as glad to see you as you are to be there. Wherever you end up, you’re in for a summer you won’t want to forget.

1. Southwest England

The hotspots of Hamble, Cowes and Lymington might make the Solent the epicenter of English yachting, but it’s the West Country that