INDEX

Why Charter a Small Yacht

When to Charter

Where to Charter

How to select a Type of Charter

Outline of Services of Each Charter Company

About the Skippers

What to Bring

Weather Charts

Other Things to Consider/Planning your Trip

IMPORTANT
Working with
the Skipper

Charter Guide Index

Information Request Form

Where to Charter a Yacht in Greece.

There are generally six cruising Areas in Greece. I often get asked which is the "best" place to cruise. My standard answer is that there is not a single best area. Wherever you decide to cruise you will have a great time and won't leave missing that you had wished you gone to another area.

1. Saronic Islands- This group of islands is south of Athens and you can be to Aegina in a couple of hours after leaving Athens. The main islands to visit are Aegina, Poros, Spetse and Hydra, but you also have the whole northeastern of the Peleponnesus(southern mainland of Greece) to explore because the Saronic islands are only a few miles off the coast! These islands are close to Athens and very sheltered so they offer better sailing conditions when the weather is rough!

2. Cyclades Islands- These islands are to the east of Athens in the Aegean Sea and are the most visited islands of Greece(Santorini and Mykonos are in the Cyclades). These are a great group to sail through because there are so many of them. Once you get into them you can sail at almost any direction to get to another one which means you can have the best sailing angle and not have to fight the waves and wind! You can either sail there from Athens are start you charter in the midst of them. If you start in the Cyclades you'll have to take into account the cost of getting to the yacht.

3. Dodecanese Islands- These islands are in the eastern Aegean, close to Turkey. Some of the main islands are Kos, Patmos, Chios, Kalymnos and Samos. They are for the most part less touristy, but you'll have to take into account getting there which can cost over $200 for air fare or take 10-12+ hours by ferry.

4. Ionian Islands- The Ionian Islands are off the western coast of northern Greece and include Kefalonia(Captain Corelli's Mandolin), Corfu and Zakinthos. This area is also a little trickier to get to as you'll have to either fly or take a bus and ferry.

5. Sporades Islands- These islands are located north of Athens and include Skiathos, Skopelos and Skiros. They are are also tricky to get to as you'll have to either fly or take the bus and ferry from Volos. If you have the time to get there it can be a very interesting charter.

If you've never sailed in Greece(or never sailed), I recommend leaving from Athens. That will give you the advantage of being able to cruise either the Saronic Islands or the Cyclades. If the weather is rough, go to the Saronic, if it's great weather then head east to the Cyclades. Both areas are great to visit.

If you've been to Greece before, or if you have more time(or more money to spend on a charter), then head out to the Dodecanese or any of the other sailing grounds, but to be honest you could probably sail for months in the Cyclades before you get tired and want to move on to another area!