Things to do on a sailing vacation

Squeeze maximum exploration out of a sailing vacation by combining it with cycling. Jumping into the saddle once on dry lands allows you to delve deeper into landscapes and coastlines, pedalling to little known coves, ancient sites and peaceful villages. On an organised sailing and cycling trip, cycle rental is included and often there’s the option to use an electric bike. The Cyclades Islands in Greece are a popular cycling destination, but beware soaring summer temperatures – this kind of active trip is best taken outside July and August.

Walk to idyllic villages, nibble a picnic lunch by a hill-top church and end each day with a cooling swim and beach barbecue before returning to the boat. The Cyclades is the perfect destination, with numerous islands to explore and beautiful sunsets over the Aegean the blissful finale to each day.

The places you moor at are often bristling with historic buildings, from Roman palaces in Croatia, ancient monasteries in Greece and eerily preserved Pompeii in Italy. Going ashore to eat and explore is one thing, but have a poke around and a chat with local people, too, to really appreciate the history and culture of each place.

Boundless sunsets, sparkling seas, postcard-pretty towns huddled around ancient harbours – there is so much to photograph on a sailing vacation and taking pics from the boat gives a unique, water-based perspective. In Scotland, a zoom lens will help you snap sea eagles and early morning sunshine illuminating the Small Isles, while in Croatia, historic Dubrovnik and Split are best admired from the sea. In Myanmar, fruit bats and Brahminy kites may fly into view and, with permission, you might even create a few portraits of the nomadic Moken people, too.