Yacht charter and Boat rental in Mexico

On Boataround, the Mexican charter fleet splits between two coasts: Baja California Sur, on the Pacific side facing the Sea of Cortez, holds close to half of all Mexico listings, with the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean side a close second. Motor yachts are by far the largest boat type in the fleet, ahead of catamarans and motorboats.

Why Charter in Mexico

Mexico's two coasts sail very differently. The Sea of Cortez, sheltered between the Baja California peninsula and the Mexican mainland, is calm, warm water scattered with desert islands and sea lion colonies, closer in feel to an inland sea than the open ocean. The Yucatán side faces the Caribbean along the Mesoamerican Reef, the second-longest barrier reef system in the world, with routes built around reef breaks, cenotes and the offshore islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres rather than long open-water passages.

When to Go

• December to April: the main charter season in Baja California Sur, with calm seas and whale shark sightings around La Paz peaking from November to February.
• 15 May to 30 November: the Pacific hurricane season affecting the Baja coast, with the highest risk from August to October; most operators scale back sailing through this window.
• June to November: the Atlantic hurricane season on the Yucatán side, also peaking August to October, after which the Caribbean coast returns to calmer sailing.

Charter Options: Skippered and Bareboat

Mexican law sets no formal licence requirement for chartering a boat, but nearly every boat in the Mexican fleet on Boataround is offered with a skipper, and only around one in ten is available for bareboat charter. For the bareboat boats, charter companies ask for proof of competency instead of a government licence, typically a sailing resume or an International Certificate of Competence, before handing over the helm.

Types of Boats in Mexico

Motor yacht rental Mexico

By far the largest type in the fleet, mostly chartered with a skipper for day trips and short cruises out of Cabo San Lucas, La Paz and Cancún.

Catamaran rental Mexico

The second-largest type, its wide deck and shallow draft suited to anchoring off the reefs and islands on both coasts.

Motorboat rental Mexico

A smaller share of the fleet, mostly used for shorter trips close to the marinas of Los Cabos and the Riviera Maya.

Where to Sail in Mexico

Yacht charter Baja California Sur

Close to half of the entire Mexican fleet. La Paz is the main base, gateway to the Sea of Cortez and to Espíritu Santo, an uninhabited island protected as a biosphere reserve with sea lion colonies and clear water; Cabo San Lucas, further south at Land's End where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez, is known for the El Arco rock formation and marlin fishing.

Yacht charter Yucatán

A close second in fleet size, based around Cancún and the Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coast, with day trips out to the Mesoamerican Reef and the islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres.

What It Costs to charter a yacht in Mexico

Prices for two of the five boat types checked fell from the winter high season to the hurricane season that follows on both coasts: sailing yacht cost about €3,208 for a week (Saturday to Saturday) in February, within Baja California Sur's main season, against about €2,278 in the August hurricane-season window, a different boat cheapest each time. catamaran fell further, from about €4,401 in February to about €2,121 in August - the same boat both times, listed at roughly half the price in August. motorboat and motor yacht did not move at all: about €6,656 and €6,608 in both windows, with the same boat cheapest each time and no discount either month. power catamaran went the other way, from about €5,162 in February to about €5,683 in August - again the same boat, but listed at a higher price in August despite a similar discount. With few operators in each category, concentrated mostly around La Paz and Cancún, the cheapest available boat in a given week reflects operator availability and discounts as much as Mexico's split winter-season, hurricane-season calendar.

Yacht charter and Boat rental in Mexico

Charter a yacht and explore Mexico! Prices start from 5677 Kč per day. Choose from the largest selection of motor yachts, catamarans, motor boats, sailboats, power catamarans and houseboats.

Popular regions are Baja California Sur, Yucatán, Jalisco, Quintana Roo and Nayarit.