Top Ten Airports Near The Beach To Keep A Hunton Yacht
Hunton Yachts are built in Britain, to standards that make other boatbuilders nervous. They are quick, comfortable and beautifully made, and quite possibly the finest things on the water. But a yacht is only as good as the time it takes you to reach it. Nobody dreams of a holiday that begins with a baggage carousel and a forty-minute taxi queue.
So we’ve ranked ten of the world’s most glamorous airports by the only measure that matters: how fast you can get from the aircraft steps to your helm. Think of it as the Bond approach to travel. Land, step aboard, and let the sun and wind do the rest.
1. St Barths
Few airports offer a better welcome. Aircraft drop in over the beach itself, and as you roll to a stop, the Eden Rock Hotel is right there ahead of you. It was badly knocked about by Hurricane Irma in 2017, but it reopens in December 2018 and will no doubt return grander than ever. It’s owned by Pippa Middleton’s in-laws and loved by rock legends (there’s a fully professional recording studio) and film stars. A Hunton on the Eden Rock moorings fits right in. Heads will turn, and not only for the celebrity guests.
2. Monaco Heliport
Perched on a cliff above the harbour, with the whole coastline spread out below, this is glamour with the volume turned up. Your helicopter collects you straight from your international flight and delivers you to the centre of town in minutes. From there it’s a short stroll down to the harbour, where your Hunton waits among the biggest, shiniest and most outrageous yachts anywhere. Bring sunglasses. You’ll need them for the view and for the hulls.
3. Malé, Maldives
Malé’s airport has its own island, with the Indian Ocean lapping at the edges of the runway. The port is about fifty yards from the landing strip, which is the kind of commute we like. Seaplane or yacht are the only choices, and you already know our answer. Step aboard, point the bow at the atolls and head for a private island of your own in what we like to call the Aston Martin of the sea. The water is clear, blue and ridiculously inviting. Customs, then cocktails.
4. Nantucket Memorial Airport
This island hideaway sits just north-east of Long Island and New York, and it’s the perfect base for a summer on the East Coast in a Hunton XRS43, fast enough to cover the miles and comfortable enough to enjoy them. Hop across to Tuckernuck in minutes, or make an entrance at the uber-trendy Martha’s Vineyard. Then keep going: Long Island, Fire Island, Montauk, Newport. Catch the boat shows, lunch at the beachfront restaurants, and linger at the sailing clubs. This is one of the great stages for well-to-do boating folk, so arrive in something worth looking at.
5. Tivat, Montenegro
Tivat lies deep in the Bay of Kotor, beside the Solila Special Nature Reserve, with mountains rising steeply on every side. Two new marinas have opened in recent years, and the coastline is still wonderfully unspoilt: pristine beaches, old stone towns, and plenty of corners no one has found yet. Ashore, the food is traditional and proudly local, and the local wines are well worth a second glass. Point your Hunton at the island of Sveti Dorde, where Our Lady of the Rocks sits on a tiny hand-built islet. It is the sort of thing you have to see from the water to believe.
6. Hamilton Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The airport is the launch pad for scenic flights over the Reef and Whitehaven beach, and the marina is a stone’s throw to the north. You are five minutes from the resorts and about five minutes more from open water. The island itself looks like a postcard, all green forest and blue sky. Potter between the neighbouring islands at your own pace, then go over the side and meet the Reef in person. When you surface, your Hunton and a cold drink are waiting.
7. Ibiza (Eivissa)
The runway ends in the sea, which tells you most of what you need to know about Ibiza. It attracts a wealthy yachting crowd and a party crowd, and the two often turn out to be the same people. A Hunton is the ideal way to get around, because many of the prettiest beaches can only be reached by boat. That means you’ll have them all to yourself. Spend your days on the water, your evenings in the bars, and your nights wherever the music takes you.
8. Ajaccio, Corsica
The runway finishes at a beach directly opposite the town, so there’s really only one sensible way into Ajaccio: across the bay. Glide over the water, tie up in the port, and settle in with a Pastis to watch the multicoloured boats drift by. Dinner, when it comes, will be excellent. The town looks like it was painted rather than built, the Mediterranean breeze does the rest, and within the hour, the rest of the world is a rumour.
9. Mauritius (Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam)
The airport has swooping glass wings inspired by the "Traveller’s Palm", and a waterfall in the arrivals hall. A waterfall indoors is a hard act to follow, but the bay at the end of the runway manages it. Sheltered from the wind, its water stays calm all year, which makes it one of the island’s best spots for waterskiing. As you leave the bay, you’ll pass a lovely private island with the romantic name of Ilot Des Deux Cocos. Tow a skier, then dock for the night.
10. Phuket, Thailand
Phuket’s airport sits in the north of the island, 32 kilometres from Phuket City and right beside the beach. The planes pass so low overhead you can almost wave to the pilots. Once you’re clear of the airport, it’s a quick run out onto the water and away from the pressures of business life. Cross the emerald waves at speed on your way to a private villa. Pull up at the pontoon, make the Hunton fast for the night, and have dinner under the stars as the sun sets on the horizon.
St Barths
