Bought a boat in South west Italy - where to go?

[Brunan]

So after months of paperwork (and some good advice from MapisM!) I finally became owner of a Rio Colorado 54 with home port in Vibo Valentia.

My plan is in the beginning of May to cruise for 10 days before loading the boat and ship it home to Sweden.
But I'm not sure where to go really. I'm looking for nice marinas, towns with great restaurants and beautiful scenery. No restriction on budget really since this journey will only happen once.
Since the trip will end with that the boat should be loaded on cargo vessel I need to adopt the journey to end close to any of the applicable loading ports.

So with the start in Vibo Valentia, I have three options:
- Go south with end port of Malta.
- Go north with end port Neapel or Rome.
- Just stay in the area and load the boat in Giro Tauro next to Vibo Valentia.

Any tips for a nice route with stops on the way would be highly appreciated.

BR Krister

 

[Flica]

I'd tend to avoid Italy - significantly more expensive with fewer facilities than the rest of the Mediterranean.
My experiences of N Sicily, Cefalu and Trapani, Sardegna, Olbia and Corse, Bastia would probably be stop-offs for the much more desirable waters of S France.
Malta is very overcrowded - besides I suffered a major theft there, so I'd miss that.

 

[BartW]

we sailed most of the Italian coast,
and from Vibo Valentia, I would recommand to go nord towards Naples,

You have Amalfi Coast, one of the most famous stretches of coast in the med,
and can visit very nice places sa Amalfi, Salerno, Sorento ... and islands: Capri, Ischia, Prosida, ..
in May you're off high season, the region is extremely crowded during the high season,
prices for moorings are ok,
restaurants are cheap in Naples region.

 

[westernman]

ship it home to Sweden

Why do that? Summer only lasts 4 days in Sweden - it lasts 4 months in Italy.

 

[Brunan]

The option right now is to go towards Malta due to the limitation in transportation home. So my plan is to cruise the east coast of Sicily and then have some days in Malta at the end.