Anacortes and Annapolis: fantastic for sailing breaks in the USA

While exploring the USA is fun by plane or on a roadtrip, it is even better if you travel around the nation on a yacht. That way, you have the freedom to explore stunning places that not everyone gets the chance to see, such as the San Juan Islands.

Should you need some help researching sailing breaks in the USA, below is a guide to two of the best places to charter a yacht - Annapolis and Anacortes.

The Gateway to the San Juan Islands

Anacortes is known as the Gateway to the San Juan Islands, a beautiful archipelago that is 90 miles south of Vancouver, Canada and 90 miles north of Seattle. It is an historic town on Fidalgo Island, which is the easternmost landmass of the group. It has four main islands - San Juan, Shaw, Orca and Lopez.

One of the best ways to get to know Anacortes is to explore it on foot, walking along the coast in the hope of spotting some whales, browsing the art galleries and searching for a souvenir in one of the independent shops. If you are missing the water already, hire a kayak and get even closer to the coast by paddling in the sea.

The rest of the San Juan Islands should also not be forgotten, although with 172 isles in the group you won't be able to do all of them, as tempting as it is! San Juan should definitely be on your must-visit list and it is here you will find Friday Harbour. As your yacht approaches the coast you will understand why around 8,000 residents have set up home in the town. If you want to learn a little more about the destination, the San Juan Historical Museum and the Whales Museum are well worth a visit.

Beautiful and historic Maryland

Maryland is a pretty state full of history and one of the best parts of the coast to charter a yacht is Annapolis. The city is the state capital and is where you will find Chesapeake Bay. This will come up in your holiday research quite a bit, as it is the biggest estuary in the entire country. It stretches for 200 miles from the Atlantic Ocean in the south to the north's Susquehanna River, so you will understand why it is popular with sailing enthusiasts.

Annapolis itself is full of cultural attractions that even the most ardent history buff will find occupies their time. The Annapolis Maritime Museum, Historic Annapolis Museum Store and the US Naval Academy are just a handful of places worth visiting.

Young and old alike will enjoy visiting the naval base and it provides a fascinating insight into the work of the personnel. Guided tours operate here, and you should definitely book yourself on to one if the US Naval Academy is something you are particularly interested in.

All in all, you have more than 11,600 miles of shoreline to explore when you book a sailing holiday in Annapolis and this is not only great for adventure, but also for your appetite. The restaurants in the city serve huge portions of fresh seafood and you should think about picking up some fresh fish at a local market if you want to recreate a dish back in the kitchen of your boat.