The Mediterranean Sea is exotic and exciting, a small but perfectly formed body of water studded with stunning islands and ringed by endless fascinating countries offering extraordinary cuisine, exceptional entertainment, fascinating culture and luxurious lifestyles. The Med awaits you in all her briny glory.

As a boat share sales specialist, we adore the seas and oceans. As someone who loves the sea yourself, have you ever wondered why humans enjoy it so much? Some say we feel good being near the sea because the human race followed the coastline out of Africa when we left Africa millennia ago, a reliable source of food whatever the weather. Others, including the respected marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols, think we’re built for the sea, having a “blue mind that is a mildly meditative state characterized by calm, peacefulness, unity, and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life in the moment.” He believes this feeling happens whenever we’re in or near water. Being close to water can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what’s broken. As Nichols says, “Our blue mind is perfectly tailored to make us happy in all sorts of ways that go way beyond relaxing in the surf, listening to the murmur of a stream, or floating quietly in a pool.”

Isn’t that a lovely thought? But whatever the reasons you love being in, on or near the sea, the Med is special. It’s almost totally landlocked, which means it’s often calmer than the open ocean. Historically it has provided a crucial trade route for merchants and travellers during ancient times, allowing different cultures to encounter each other and blend. The Med even provided routes for colonization and war, as well as feeding the populations of the countries that encircle it. The result of all this is an irresistible yacht share destination, varied and constantly exciting.

A 969,100 square mile body of water around 2,300 miles long with a maximum depth of just under 17,000 feet, the entire region delivers a lovely Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. The land is studded with crops including olives, grapes, oranges and tangerines, and there are several thrilling watery subdivisions to enjoy: the Adriatic, the Aegean, the Balearic Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Ionian Sea and Ligurian Sea.

Now we’ve set the scene. To inspire you even more, here’s a bunch of fun facts about the Med, the beautiful sea that everyone loves.

Fascinating facts about the Med

1. On 23rd September 1913, Roland Garros was the first person to fly across the Med
2. The Med’s five biggest islands are Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, Corsica and Crete
3. Yachting the Med gives you access to a total of 22 different countries
4. The temperature of the water varies but tends to fall between 10C and 27C, 50F to 80F
5. The Romans called the Med ‘Mare Nostrum’, translated as ‘Our Sea’
6. The average depth of the Mediterranean sea is 1500m
7. The deepest point is the Calypso Deep in the Ionian Sea, 5,267 m down
8. The Mediterranean Sea’s coastline runs for around 28,600 miles
9. Cyprus and Malta are the Med’s two independent island nations
10. Fish levels in the Mediterannean are worryingly low, according to the European Environment Agency. Apparently over 65% of all fish stocks fall outside safe biological limits
11. The Sea was formed around 5.3 million years ago when the Atlantic breached the strait of Gibraltar, flooding the basin and creating a huge body of water
12. The Med connects to the Atlantic Ocean via the narrow Strait of Gibraltar, passing between the south of Spain and north Morocco. It’s just over 8 miles wide
13. The Mediterranean region is the world’s most popular tourist destination, the place where more than a third of the world’s holidaymakers travel
14. Around 220,000 merchant ships of more than 100 tonnes cross the Mediterranean Sea
    every year
15. The sea is home to more than 700 varieties of fish
16. The year 2100 will see the levels of the Med rise anything from 3cm to 61cm thanks to global warming
17. The Med connects to the Black Sea through the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Bosporus
18. The Eastern Med contains the islands of Rhodes, Crete, Cyprus, Kefalonia, Lesbos, Andros, Samos, Limnos, Corfu, Chios, and Euboea
19. The Central Med is home to the islands of Malta, Pag, Sicily, Hvar, Krk, Cres, Korčula and Brač
20. The Western Med is where you’ll find the islands of Menorca, Majorca, Ibiza, Corsica and Sardinia
21. The Mediterranean connects with the Red Sea via the Suez Canal
22. It contains more than 3300 islands, of which Sicily is the biggest
23. Some like it hot… if that’s you head for the Gulf of Sidra off Libya, where August temperatures regularly soar to around 31C
24. The Persian king Darius I linked the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea by digging a vast canal. It was wide enough for two ships called triremes to pass through at the same time with their oars fully extended
25. Look carefully and you’ll spot eight different types of whale, dolphin and porpoise
26. Almost 10% of the world’s marine species live here including the fin whale, the world’s second biggest whale and the fastest whale on earth
27. Countless rivers flow into the Med, including the Nile, Po, Chelif, Rhône and Ebro
28. The ancient Carthaginians called it the Syrian Sea
29. The Med’s tides are never very dramatic thanks to it being almost totally land-bound
30. The Roman Empire controlled the entire region for 400 years

A magical Mediterranean boat share syndicate can be yours!

Do you need a boat share finder? Walk this way! If the Med strikes your fancy, here’s what’s on offer. We have yachts to share out of the Western Med on the Italian Riviera, Mallorca, Menorca, Spain, South of France. On the Eastern Med we have boat shares available in Malta, Croatia, Cyprus & Greece, Malta and Montenegro. If you’d like to discover the magical Mediterranean for yourself, on a fractional yacht share basis, let’s talk.