Don’t Let The Sun Set On Summer

So, you miss the sun already. Or you'd rather relax on the gentle slope of a beach than the steep slope of a piste. Perhaps it's a riad, a lodge, a villa or a yacht. Even with those booked, the flights still need planning.

From late November to early March, from Marrakech to Mustique and Mendoza, this is what we're lining up.

November: A Long Weekend In Marrakech

There are plenty of reasons to visit Marrakech in late November, and for those seeking culture the film festival takes over the city: premieres and tributes at the Palais des Congrès, and films on the big screen in Jemaa el-Fna for anyone who wanders into the square. This year it runs from 20 to 28 November. With the heat easing, it also marks the start of the season that makes Marrakech one of the busiest private jet destinations in Africa.

Three and a half hours from London, comfortably within reach of a super midsize jet such as the Challenger 350, and Menara airport sits four kilometres from the medina. Paperwork (and therefore bookings) needs filing in advance: Morocco takes 24 to 72 hours to approve a private landing, so we apply on the day you enquire.

December: Pumas On Foot In Patagonia

A month later and a hemisphere away. Torres del Paine has one of the highest concentrations of pumas anywhere, and on the private estancias bordering the park they are tracked on foot. The long December days bring more than sixteen and a half hours of daylight, giving you ample time to trek and record your first sightings.

The route runs south over the Atlantic in a long-range jet such as the Bombardier Global 7500. Puerto Natales, the nearest airport to the park, has a runway built for smaller aircraft, so the Global stays at Punta Arenas and a light jet takes you the last stretch. The alternative is three hours by road.

December / January: New Year Afloat In St Barths

From South America to the Caribbean for New Year's Eve. The regatta in the afternoon, fireworks over Fort Oscar at midnight, and more yachts than Gustavia has berths. With most of the fleet at anchor, many spend New Year afloat, away from the crowds ashore.

The Atlantic crossing ends in St Maarten, well within the range of a Gulfstream G650ER. St Barths' own airport is built for small propeller aircraft and closes at dusk, so the last ten minutes are by Cessna Grand Caravan or PC-12 into the airport, or by helicopter to the island's helipad. We hold the connecting seat now and time the flight from London to land well before dark. Miss the light, and it’s either a night in St Maarten or the crossing by sea.

January: Seeking Solitude In Mustique

Further south down the island chain. Mustique's privacy isn't so much a policy as a runway. The strip takes propeller aircraft only, so a jet such as the Bombardier Global 6500 lands in Barbados or St Lucia, and the island's own Twin Otter does the rest.

The island is just as closely held from the sea. Britannia Bay is its only mooring, with anchoring prohibited elsewhere, which makes it the natural first night of a Grenadines charter that goes on to Bequia, Canouan and the Tobago Cays. We will fly you to the yacht or the villa.

February: From Vineyard To Safari Via Cape Town

Across the Atlantic for February. The penguins at Boulders, the Atlantic seaboard, the Winelands in the middle of harvest. And only two hours ahead of London, so nobody loses the first days to jet lag.

Cape Town is within the range of a Bombardier Global 7500. Arrival times there are allocated in advance, so we secure yours when we book the aircraft. The Winelands airfield isn't due to reopen as a full private airport until 2028, so for now the vineyards are a short helicopter hop from the aircraft steps, booked with the flight. For a safari on the end, the malaria-free reserves of the Eastern Cape are an hour and twenty minutes' flight away, into Gqeberha.

March: Harvest Under The Andes In Mendoza

Back to South America to close the season. The Vendimia, Mendoza's harvest festival, runs from late February into early March, and it's when the wineries are at their busiest. The Andes rise behind the city, with Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas, within reach by helicopter.

A Bombardier Global 7500 lands at El Plumerillo, eight kilometres from the city, and you clear customs there. There's no private terminal, so we arrange your welcome on the ground before you leave London. From there, the Uco Valley vineyards are a helicopter hop away.

Private islands, superyachts or somewhere few have been?

Whether it's a private island for the fortnight, a yacht from Christmas to New Year, or a week further off the map, our team can design the whole experience around your dates — aircraft, transfers and everything on the ground.

Speak to SHY Lifestyle →

Or