PONANT Unveils 2024 & 2025 Sailings Aboard Superyacht Le Ponant

Le Ponant, the outstanding Relais & Châteaux three-mast sailing yacht, offers a truly intimate and exclusive travel experience, combining high-end elegance and the authenticity of sailing. Bookings for the 2024 and 2025 seasons are now open. From the Mediterranean to Cape Verde and the Caribbean, 29 sailings have been carefully crafted to reconnect with the essentials, embrace the elements and discover iconic destinations.

June to September 2024: The Confidential Mediterranean

Le Ponant invites guests to rediscover the enchantment of the Cyclades and explore the Adriatic coast away from the hustle and bustle of tourist spots, closer to nature, during the next European summer. Guests can enjoy all the charm of isolated islands, meandering through fishing towns and soaking in the delicious scent of fig trees as they reach the coast, with 16 sailings from Athens and Dubrovnik. There will be freedom, swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking, and nighttime ports of call to experience the vibrant atmosphere of the harbours at sunset.

Croatia, Under Sail Aboard Le Ponant: Dubrovnik to Dubrovnik, seven nights, seven sailings, 18 August to 29 September 2024.  

At full sail, you will slice through the water and approach the mineral shores of Croatia and Montenegro. Pomalo – meaning “take it easy” in Croatian – sets the tone here. Incredible landscapes, emblematic cities, and little-known islands will reveal themselves to you as the wind carries you off the beaten path.

The Cyclades, in the Wake of Le Ponant Athens to Athens, seven nights, eight sailings, 2 June to 21 July 2024.  

From the port of Lavrio, located very close to beautiful Athens, you will set sail toward the Cyclades, these small heavenly islets scattered around the Aegean Sea.

Off the beaten path, from exclusive paradises to emblematic landscapes, your journey takes shape, following the rhythm of the wind and the secret havens. Drink in the pure moments of sailing, cleaving through the foam, as you set off to explore intimate coves and hillside villages.

November 2024 to March 2025: To the rhythm of the Caribbean and Cape Verde

Le Ponant will set sail in November 2024 for the Cape Verde, exploring the many facets of the archipelago.  From desert panoramas to lush green landscapes and white sandy beaches, the three-master will sail from island to island. During ports of call, guests will have plenty of opportunity to appreciate the cultural diversity of this archipelago, a blend of colonial heritage, nostalgic rhythms, and tropical flavours.

The Many Faces of Cap Verde: Mindelo to Mindelo, eight sailings, 8 November to 27 December 2024.

Soft music rises from Mindelo, the music of Cesária Évora, “the Barefoot Diva”, who is inextricably linked to her island and her town, where she remains revered. The pastel colours of the façades and the former colonial buildings dot the Cape Verdean towns and villages you will discover from the sea.

Aboard Le Ponant, you will enjoy the privilege of an intimate atmosphere in the hushed comfort of the ship. As your cruise unfolds, you will discover the historic city of São Filipe inexorably turned to the sea on the island of Fogo, and you will explore Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, with its diverse influences, planted with tamarind and silk trees. You will be captivated by the markets with their bright colours and fragrance-filled stalls wherever you go.

The sky and the sea, unspoiled nature and the Cape Verdean soul will sweep you away aboard Le Ponant. Everywhere you look, you will see surprising and larger-than-life landscapes. 

From January 2025, Le Ponant will be heading for the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. From Guadeloupe to the Grenadines, from the British Virgin Islands to Anguilla, 6 sailings are offered to explore some of the secret islands in the Antilles, some uninhabited. Guests are invited to relax and unwind in heavenly locations, discovering treasures of unspoilt nature and being immersed in Creole culture.

Reverie Under Sail in the Heart of the Lesser Antilles:  Phillipsburg to Marigot, three sailings, 1^st February to 29 March 2025.

The Caribbean. The mere mention of this vast archipelago conjures images of waves dancing along the shoreline, lapping against long beaches lined with elegant palm trees. During this unforgettable 8-day cruise, spend your time contemplating and exploring aboard PONANT’s emblematic yacht.

Gliding the Waters of the Windward Islands: Pointe-à-Pitre to Pointe-à-Pitre, three sailings,18 January to 15 March 2025.

Leave Guadeloupe and sail by wind to Dominica, the wildest and most hilly of the Lesser Antilles islands. A boat from Portsmouth takes you deep into the Indian River’s mangrove-lined mangals to visit an indigenous Caribbean tribe. Visit the village, where the chief will share the history of his people and offer food.

Sailing to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Discover Creole culture, sunsets, and vivid waterways from island to island.

After visiting Bequia, where a local fisherman protects Hawksbill sea turtles, you could see one in the warm, clear Tobago Cays and Sandy Island seas. Tobago Cays is a marine animal sanctuary due to the horseshoe-shaped coral reef that connects these four lonely islets.

Sunrise will reveal Saint Lucia’s after sailing beneath the skies. If the weather permits, we’ll anchor and swim on the back deck in this beautiful location. In the evening, go to Les Anses-d’Arlet.

Marie-Galante, your final port of call, has sugar cane and nearly empty beaches. After this freedom-themed crossing, you’ll arrive at Pointe-à-Pitre in style.

Le Ponant: The world’s first sailing yacht to obtain Relais & Châteaux Label

After four years of regular ad hoc partnerships, PONANT and Relais & Châteaux have strengthened their ties. The three master is a full member of the Relais & Châteaux establishments. It is the first sailing yacht in history to obtain the label and be included in its catalogue of the finest travel addresses in the world.

“It is with great pride and excitement that Le Ponant remains the first and only sailing yacht to boast the Relais & Chateaux accreditation’’ says Deb Corbett, General Manager of Sales and Marketing Asia Pacific, “This accreditation solidifies Ponant’s ethos of exclusive luxury, and guarantees an exceptional service to be experienced by each guest welcomed aboard’’.

Both our firms are committed to sharing expertise and promoting the inimitable French lifestyle by offering meaningful voyages. Aboard Le Ponant, the jewel in our fleet’s crown, everyone can reconnect with nature and their own inspirations and live out their desires under sail,” says Hervé Gastinel, CEO of PONANT.

With only 16 elegantly decorated staterooms and suites and a dedicated chef, the travel experience is like your own private yacht. Due to its small size, the ship can offer exclusive ports of call.