Most Expensive Marinas

Where to spot most expensive superyachts. The luxury market is continuously exploring new ways to help the super rich spend their money. The sea still remains a prime spot, allowing its explorers exclusive time off in the private surrounds of a superyacht, but owning a superyacht means not only initial capital outlay – often into tens, and sometimes hundreds, of millions – but also annual running costs that stretch well into seven figures.

A large part of those costs are incurred by mooring fees – after all, a yacht has to be berthed somewhere. To moor in one of the world's most expensive marinas during high season, a superyacht owner can be expected to pay up to $4130 per night, and during prime time events such as the Monaco Grand Prix rates can skyrocket to $100,000 or more for a five-day stay in Monaco's prime berths. Here is our list of the five most expensive, and most desirable, places to park one's megayacht.

Marina di Capri
You can expect to pay around $4000 per night in high season for a place to dock in this Italian marina. Capri has been a favourite with the rich and famous for many years now. In the 1950s, the likes of Clark Gable, Sofia Loren and Jackie Kennedy would congregate on this island.

Today, it is not unusual to see both Rising Sun (eight largest yacht in the world) and Pelorus (twentieth in the top 100 largest superyachts), both owned by media mogul David Geffen, floating out at anchor. A-list celebrities such as George Clooney, Beyonce and Jay Z are also often seen exploring the tiny island, or gracing one of its super exclusive nightclubs.

Marina di Portofino
High season prices skyrocket up to $3335 per night for a mooring in this exclusive marina. Portofino was once a small fishing village and has only one road in and out, which incidentally is usually closed, allowing the area to remain unspoiled. Arguably one of the prettiest harbours out there, Marina di Portofino is where only the wealthiest can afford. It has only 14 berths maximizing the privacy and therefore the exclusivity of the marina.

If you get a spot, expect to mingle with the likes of Steven Spielberg (owner of the yacht Seven Seas), Coldplay front man Chris Martin and pop singer Rihanna. It is also a favorite spot for Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, owner of the 119 metre Philippe Starck-designed superyacht A.

Porto Cervo, Sardinia
To moor your 50-metre-plus superyacht in this super luxe port it is going to set you back up to $3,100 a night in high season – and why not, seeing that back in 1959 Prince Karim Aga Khan carved out this village as a private retreat for his wealthy friends and family. Today, it is a little different from HRH the Aga Khan's original dream.

The “village” today is made up of high-end boutiques, and designer nightspots including the nearby infamous Billionaire nightclub. The world's largest superyachts are often seen gracing the surrounding seas too, including the 110 metre Dilbar, and Serene, the world's ninth largest yacht.

It was in this very town a few years back that George Clooney was refused entry into one of the exclusive nightspots.

Port de Saint-Tropez
Saint Tropez in the south of France has long been associated with the rich and famous. Originally made famous by Bridget Bardot in the 1950s, this French Riviera town still holds the heart of jet-setters, models and celebrities alike. The town has largely kept its quaint charm with its narrow streets.The marina doesn't actually allow superyachts over 70 metres, instructing them to drop anchor out of port.

Bernard Arnault's superyacht Amadeus is often seen floating off France's Côte d'Azur, along with the iconic 88 metre Maltese Falcon, originally built by US venture capitalist Tom Perkins and now owned by Elena Ambrosiadou. Hotel million-heiress Paris Hilton is another fan of Saint Tropez and can be found sampling the delights of La Voile Rouge – one of the most expensive beach clubs in town.

Ibiza Magna
This marina is often referred to as one for the young, rich and trendy. Ibiza Magna is located minutes away from the island's casino strip and infamous nightclub Pacha – renowned for its extortionate bar prices and all-night parties.

For those with yachts below 60 metres be prepared to pay up to $3660, and for superyachts over this length, once again the preference is to drop anchor outside of the main port. The Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal's yacht has been seen out at anchor here, along with arguably the most famous yacht in the world – and the current largest yacht on the planet – Eclipse, owned by Roman Abramovich.

In Ibiza, superyacht billionaires mingle with the stars like Jade Jagger and Kate Moss who either own or regularly rent villas on the island.

For most superyacht owners or megayacht charterers, you could say that these pricey mooring fees are nothing but a drop in the ocean, but it's not only the very rich and very famous who get to enjoy superyachts and megayachts in these exclusive locations – you can too, if you have the wherewithal to charter one of these magnificent vessels. Even the very largest can be available for a once in a lifetime holiday of unparalleled luxury – but more on that another time...

(Source: Google News: News.co.au: Forbes Traveler. View the original story here.)

(Image: Saint-Tropez Harbour, c/o Myosotismail via Wikipedia Commons.)