Amalfi Coast. Only by Boat.

Embark in Naples. Italy’s culinary capital is best introduced by kayak. Head to the Marine Reserve of Gaiola, where Roman-era mosaics can be snorkeled on the seabed. Paddle back to your yacht for dinner. Dress up, dress down, or eat a Neapolitan pizza with your bare hands. On a Y.CO Yacht Charter anything goes.

Wake up in Procida. The Hollywood movies filmed here make it Italy’s most telegenic island. Yet Procida has a lost-in-time sister island. An ancient stone bridge leads to Vivara. This sun-kissed Nature Reserve, off-limits until recently, remains unchanged since the Bronze Age. Your Y.CO Charter specialist can arrange special access for you.

Today you’ll feel volcanically charged. Because Ischia was born in a seismic eruption 66,000 years ago. The island’s cliff-sharp coast hides boat-only beaches solely accessible by sea, while Volcanoes warm thermal springs and effervescent beaches. Head to Spiaggia Le Fumarole. Here you can float in San Pellegrino-style bubbles that rival your yacht’s Jacuzzi.

This morning you'll deep dive Ponza. This lonely Italian island is where Jacques Cousteau made sea life documentaries. Snorkel in Cala Cecata with starfish. Or scuba shipwrecks including an American tank transporter that sank in 1944. Movie on deck after dinner? Choose 'The Life Aquatic' starring Bill Murray. It was shot in these sublime seas.

This morning you'll reposition for a Roman holiday. Emperors and senators once vacationed on Ventotene. It still has no cars, no stress and less than 1,000 people. As far as mainland Italy is concerned, this paradise island is literally out of sight. This afternoon is toy time. Use Ventotene’s limpid seas to host an aquatic Olympics of jetski races and inflatable games. Your crew will provide prizes for the winners back on board.

Escape the beaten track in Capri. The island’s 17km coastline is an electric blue dazzle of unnamed islets, perfect for escaping the crowds. Leap into the sea. Or let your crew create a private island picnic of insalata caprese: buffalo mozzarella, ruby tomatoes, green basil. Regular tourists leave Capri on the last ferry. Only residents and yacht guests can rock in the carefree clubs. You can continue the party back on board your yacht.

This morning tender into Amalfi, a town so splendidly sunny it's protected by UNESCO. Take a tasting tour of a Vini Estremi ('Extreme Wine') vineyard that clings to cliffs. Then hike on through sun-kissed citrus groves, where you can pluck a lemon for your sunset G&T. Quiet dinner? Ask your captain to anchor at Les Sirenuses. This trio of private islands dangles off the Amalfi Coast like rubies on a Boodles bracelet.

After breakfast you’ll be greeted by SUV for your journey to Ravello. Italy’s most spectacular clifftop town looks like a royal palazzo - floating in the sky. Take the daredevil route back down with a hike along a fragrant downhill trail to the coastal gem of Minori. We promise 60 minutes of pinch-yourself ocean views. Swim before dinner? Kayak or paddleboard to Spiaggia Cavallo Morto. This golden sandy crescent is accessible solely by sea.

Seen from a superyacht deck, Positano is an amphitheatre of colour. Its waterfall of pastel-hued villas drips into a royal blue sea. In the words of summer sojourner John Steinbeck: “Positano is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there, and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.”

All roads in Positano lead down to the beach bars of Spiaggia Grande. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote the bluesy track Midnight Rambler here in 1968. Cooler cats now ramble along the coastal footpath to Spiaggia Fornillo, an altogether more exclusive beach.

Today you need to kayak or row to Sorrento. Because this town is so timeless it prohibits modern yachts. Sip cappuccino in a café underneath 15th-century frescoes, then swim in Bagni della Regina Giovanna - an awesome natural swimming pool hidden inside a sea cave. Dinner is more modern. Select market-fresh fish for sushi or ceviche, made especially for you by your onboard Chef.

Return to Naples. But before you fly, take a personalised tour of Pompeii. In 79 AD this wealthy Roman city was engulfed in volcanic ash which preserved 67 hectares of city streets in an organic time capsule. Tour marble villas, frescoed brothels and salons dedicated to hard partying. Your SUV can skirt around Mount Vesuvius to Napoli Airport, a 25-minute drive away.