Every week we get messages from crew who have just finished their STCW asking us the same question: where should I go to find my first yacht job? We love this question, because the answer is almost never what people expect. There is no single best place. Drazen started on the South of France coast — Cannes, small marinas between Antibes and Genoa, eventually working his way into Italy. Others on our team found their first contracts in Mallorca, Greece, Malta, Montenegro, Dubai, Phuket, and Croatia. The right location for you depends on when you are going, what time of year it is, and how flexible you can be. What we always tell crew is this: get certified, get your CV in order, and we will help you figure out where to go based on your actual situation. That said — here is our honest breakdown of the best places, and what you need to know before you show up.
When Is the Med Season and Why Does It Matter?
The main Mediterranean season runs from April to October. During these months the fleet is active across France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, and Turkey. Before April — from roughly November through March — yachts sit in winter refit in shipyards across the Med. This is one of the most underrated windows to find work. Captains are building their crew teams for the season ahead, there are far fewer job seekers competing for spots, and daywork in a shipyard is one of the fastest ways to get your first contract. If you can be ready by February or March, the winter period gives you a serious edge over the crowd that arrives in May. We cover the timing in detail in our guide to the best time to find a yacht job in the Med.
Top 10 Best Places to Find a Yacht Job in the Med
1. Antibes — South of France
Best time: Year-round, but peak April–June for season start and October–March for winter refit and agency work.
Antibes is the undisputed centre of the European superyacht world and the place our team most consistently sends new crew. Port Vauban is one of the largest superyacht harbours anywhere, and the coastline stretching through Juan-les-Pins, Cannes, and Nice gives you access to dozens of marinas within a short train ride. Drazen spent his early career working this stretch — starting with small boats out of Cannes and gradually moving up to larger yachts as he built contacts. The crew agencies are concentrated in Antibes, which means you can register with multiple agencies in a single day. Crew accommodation is affordable compared to Monaco, and crew houses mean you will immediately meet other people in the same position as you.
Agencies: Crew agencies in Antibes — register with as many as possible in person, not just online. Turn up with printed CVs. Crew houses: Multiple options around Antibes old town — ask in the crew bars for recommendations when you arrive. Dockwalking: Port Vauban and the surrounding marinas — go early morning when crew are on deck. In winter, La Ciotat (40 minutes east of Marseille) is the main shipyard location, and arriving there with your certificates ready is one of the smartest moves a new crew member can make.
2. Palma de Mallorca — Spain
Best time: Year-round. Active in summer season and winter refit.
Palma has become a permanent home for thousands of yacht crew and several of our students have landed their first contracts here. One of our recent deckhand graduates, after finishing his STCW in Split, flew directly to Palma and was on a 45m motor yacht within three weeks — he found the connection through a crew house contact, not an agency. That is how Palma works. The community is tight, everyone knows everyone, and your accommodation puts you in direct contact with crew who know which yachts are hiring. The main marina has some restricted access, but Moll de Llevant and the commercial port area are accessible and worth walking. In winter, Palma stays active with a strong refit scene, making it one of the rare Med locations where January and February are genuinely productive for job searching.
Agencies: Several crew agencies operate in Palma — register in person. Crew houses: Well established, ask in the crew bars or check yachting Facebook groups before you travel. Dockwalking: Work the accessible areas of the marina and ask crew you meet in bars and houses for introductions — warm referrals work far better than cold dock knocking in Palma.
3. Monaco
Best time: April–September. Best visited as a day trip, not a base.
Monaco is where the biggest yachts in the world congregate, and it is absolutely worth visiting — Drazen got some of his earliest connections and daywork here by simply walking Port Hercules and starting conversations. The caveat is that staying in Monaco is expensive. Our advice is to base yourself in Antibes or Nice and take the train to Monaco for the day. Walk Port Hercules with a stack of printed CVs, be confident, look the part, and talk to anyone who will engage with you on deck. Even if nothing comes of it immediately, the contacts you make in Monaco have a way of materialising into something later. Go more than once during the season.
Agencies: Fewer agencies here — the agencies are in Antibes. Monaco is for dockwalking and making personal contact. Crew houses: Not practical to base here due to cost. Dockwalking: Port Hercules is the main target. Be early, be presentable, be direct.
4. Genoa — Italy
Best time: October–March for winter refit, April–June for season start.
Genoa is one of Drazen’s favourite locations on this list and one that most crew overlook. It has a major superyacht shipyard, large marinas, crew agencies, and a genuine working yachting culture without the tourist overload of the French Riviera. The proximity to the French border means you can cover both the Italian and French sides of the Ligurian coast from a single base. In winter, the Genoa shipyard is one of the busiest in Europe — captains there are in refit mode and actively hiring for the upcoming season. One of our students, an Italian who had done his training with us in Split, headed straight to Genoa in February and was hired as daywork crew on a 60m in his first week. Genoa rewards crew who arrive during the quiet months when the competition has thinned out.
Agencies: Several maritime crew agencies based in Genoa — register in person. Crew houses: Available and affordable compared to France. Dockwalking: The shipyard and main marina area — winter refit is the best window.
5. Greece — Athens, Piraeus, and the Islands
Best time: April–October. Athens and Piraeus are year-round.
More of our crew find jobs through Greece than most people realise, and the competition from job seekers is genuinely lower than in Antibes or Palma. The season in Greece runs long — starting earlier in the spring and finishing later in autumn — and the island hopping circuit creates constant crew turnover as yachts move between locations. One of our stewardess graduates headed to Athens after failing to find work in Antibes in early May. She walked the Piraeus marina, registered with a local crew agency, and was placed on a charter yacht heading to the Greek islands within two weeks. Athens and Piraeus are the main hubs; during the summer season, Corfu and Mykonos also attract larger yachts worth approaching.
Agencies: Crew agencies in Piraeus — register in person on arrival. Crew houses: Athens has affordable options; ask the crew agency for recommendations. Dockwalking: Piraeus marina and Athens coastal marinas — go early morning.
6. St Tropez, Cannes, and the South of France Coast
Best time: June–September for peak season. La Ciotat October–March for winter refit.
The stretch of coastline from Marseille through La Ciotat, Bandol, Toulon, St Tropez, and Cannes to Antibes is the most yacht-dense coastline in the world during the summer months. Drazen worked this entire stretch early in his career, picking up daywork and short contracts by simply being present and moving along the coast as the fleet moved. St Tropez in July and August has more superyachts anchored in its bay than almost anywhere else on Earth — but access is challenging since many are at anchor. Cannes is easier to walk and has several marinas with accessible pontoons. La Ciotat, at the western end of this stretch, is the key winter shipyard town and arguably the smartest destination for crew arriving in the off-season.
Agencies: Concentrated in Antibes. Crew houses: Antibes is the affordable base for this whole stretch. Dockwalking: Work Cannes and the marinas between Antibes and St Tropez during summer. La Ciotat shipyard in winter.
7. Montenegro — Tivat
Best time: May–October for season, growing winter presence.
Porto Montenegro in Tivat is purpose-built for superyachts and has grown fast into a legitimate Med yachting hub. Because it is newer and less known among job seekers, you will face far less competition here than in Antibes or Palma. Several of our crew have found their first contracts in Montenegro — typically those who had already tried the main hotspots without success and were willing to try somewhere different. The captains in Tivat are generally more approachable than in the established locations, and the marina management is helpful to crew who are looking for work. If you are already in Croatia and have not found anything, it is a short journey south and worth the trip.
Agencies: Limited local agencies — register with Antibes agencies online before you go and let them know you are in Montenegro. Crew houses: Available in Tivat. Dockwalking: Porto Montenegro is compact — walk the entire marina in half a day and speak to everyone you see on deck.
8. Malta
Best time: April–October.
Malta sits in the centre of the Med and has developed a solid yachting reputation, particularly for charter work. The Grand Harbour in Valletta and the marina at Msida are the main areas. Malta works especially well for crew who are open to starting on smaller charter vessels and working their way up — the boats are less prestigious than Antibes, but the experience is real and the contracts come faster. One of our stewardess students spent six weeks in Malta before landing a contract on a 30m charter yacht that led directly to a larger motor yacht position the following season. Malta is also a practical base between contracts if you are waiting for the right opportunity.
Agencies: A small number of local crew agencies — also register with Antibes agencies who place crew on Malta-based boats. Crew houses: Affordable and available in Sliema and St Julian’s. Dockwalking: Msida marina and Valletta waterfront.
9. Barcelona and Tarragona — Spain
Best time: Year-round. Tarragona particularly good October–March for winter refit.
Barcelona is a major yachting city with marinas ranging from small boatyards to facilities handling 150m+ vessels. During summer the Port Olímpic and Port Vell areas attract large yachts and are worth dockwalking. The crew bar scene in Barcelona is active and gives you access to the kind of informal introductions that lead to work. Tarragona, about an hour south, is the hidden gem of this region — it is a key winter refit location that almost no job seekers think to visit. If you arrive in Tarragona in February with your certificates and CVs, you will be one of the very few people there actively looking for work, which puts you at an enormous advantage with captains who need to fill positions before the season starts.
Agencies: Several in Barcelona — register in person. Crew houses: Good options in Barcelona around the marina area. Dockwalking: Port Olímpic and Port Vell in summer. Tarragona shipyard in winter.
10. Croatia — Split, Trogir, and Dubrovnik
Best time: May–October for season. Trogir October–March for winter refit.
Croatia has become one of the most active charter destinations in the Med, with over a thousand islands driving constant yacht movement and crew turnover throughout the season. Trogir, just outside Split where we run our STCW training, is one of the main winter refit locations for the Croatian fleet — if you train with us in Split and stay after your course, you are already in the right place to start looking for work immediately. Several of our students have found their first daywork or short contracts directly out of Trogir without needing to travel anywhere else. Dubrovnik is worth visiting during the peak summer months when larger yachts congregate there for the charter circuit. For sailing yachts and your first experience on the water, Croatia remains one of the most accessible entry points in the Med.
Agencies: A few local crew agencies in Split and Dubrovnik — also approach yachts directly in Trogir marina. Crew houses: Affordable and plentiful in Split. Dockwalking: Trogir marina (especially in winter refit), ACI marinas along the Dalmatian coast in summer.
Winter Refit Locations — The Window Most Crew Miss
If you take one thing from this guide, let it be this: arriving in the off-season is one of the smartest moves a new crew member can make. The main winter refit locations where captains are actively hiring from November through March are La Ciotat, Antibes, Genoa, Barcelona, Tarragona, Palma de Mallorca, and Trogir in Croatia. Half the crew we have trained who found work quickly did so by showing up somewhere in February rather than waiting until June.
Beyond the Med — Dubai, Phuket, and the Caribbean
When the Med season ends, the fleet splits — some yachts head to the Caribbean (November to April), some to Dubai and the Arabian Gulf (October to April), and others to Southeast Asia, particularly Phuket. Several of our team members and students found their first contracts in these locations. If you finish your training in October and the Med is winding down, it is worth thinking about following the fleet rather than waiting six months for the season to restart. We help crew figure out where to go based on exactly when they finish training — book a free call and we will work it out together.
How Yachtiecareers Helps You Get the Job
Getting certified is step one. Finding the job is step two, and it is the part most training companies leave you to figure out alone. When you train with us, we write your CV, help you understand where the fleet is at that exact moment, tell you which agencies to register with and how to approach them, and give you a dockwalking strategy that actually works. Our crew have found jobs in every location on this list. View our deckhand training packages or stewardess training packages, or just get in touch and we will talk you through it.
