| When to
go?
Choosing that time to go to Greece can also be a difficult
choice(or no choice at all if the dates that you can travel
are set), as there are advantages and disadvantages to each
season but I can give you a general outline based on price
and weather.
Price?- As with most tourist oriented businesses,
the price is usually lower in the early and late seasons.
Peak season is the highest although exact dates of peak season
are different for each company. If you're looking to save
money, try earlier or later in the season. You will also want
to consider air fare
which is highest during Peak Summer Travel(early Jun to late
August depending on the airline). Also, unless you are sailing
out of Athens(which is a $20-30 taxi ride), you'll want to
take into consideration the cost of getting to your yacht
which could be as little as a $20 ferry ticket or as much
as a $120 flight plus transport costs to the marina.
Weather?- Fall and Spring weather is cooler and little
less predictable than the summer(which is hot!). I've spent
a lot of time in Greece in the fall and spring(and in the
winter). Most of these trips have been for 2-4 weeks and I
can say there was always at least 5 days of wonderful weather-
meaning in the 70's and clear). Even in January there were
five days of 75 degree weather and then a snowstorm and bitter
cold for the last two days of my stay.
If you want hot, sunbathing weather for the whole trip, then
the summer is for you. If you want cooler weather with more
wind then you'll want to travel in April-early June and Sept
to mid-October. Outside that period the chances of rain and
cold weather increases.
And finally…where to go?
There are 5 main cruising areas in Greece, but the majority
of the charters are out of Athens with easy access to the
Cyclades(Mykonos, Sifnos Kea, etc….and Santorini, although
this is in the outer reaches of a one week cruise form Athens)
and Saronic Islands(Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetse and the northeastern
Peleponnesus mainland).
You can bareboat charter to most of the islands, but the
skippered boats are limited to a starting point of Napflion/Athens(Caraya),
Athens(Stressbuster)
or Syros in the Cyclades(Alba),
although for a one way fee they can probably pick you up somewhere,
but it's usually less complicated and expensive if you go
to the yacht. The Cabin charters are limited to the Cyclades(Archaeological
Cruise, Cycladic Pearls),
Dodecanese(Seascape
Singles and Couples and Zeus' Grecian
Delights) or the Ionian(Ionian
Odyssey). Flotillas are limited by the itinerary of Poseidon
Yacht Charters.
Cyclades- These are the group of islands stretching
off the coast of Attica(where Athens is located) to the central
Aegean. They include Mykonos, Kea, Paros, Sifnos, Naxos, Ios
and Santorini- to name a few). These are the islands that
you see most often in advertisements for Greece- beaches and
whitewashed villages with colorful shutters and doors. If
you sail in the Cyclades you have the advantage of being able
to sail in almost any direction to reach another island(a
huge advantage because you can choose to sail to the island
that will provide the most comfortable sail instead of fighting
the wind and waves for hours and ending up exhausted at your
destination!)
Saronic Islands- These islands begin with Aigina,
less than 10 miles from the charter parts in Attica and stretch
down along the coast of the Peleponnesus. These islands are
very sheltered, offering excellent protection from the wind
and seas. If the weather isn't conducive to sailing into the
Cyclades, many people opt for the Saronic. This isn't to say
they are less interesting than the Cyclades- being able to
hop back and forth between the islands and the Peleponnesus
will give you many different options- from the scenic port
harbors of Poros(only half a mile from the mainland) and Hydra,
to the medieval town and fort of Napflion to the ancient theater
of Epidauvros.
Dedocanese Islands/Turkey- The Dodecanese(12 Islands)
Islands are located off the coast of Turkey and include Rhodes,
Samos, Kos, Kalymnos….). If you sail from these islands
you'll have to make arrangements to get to the yacht from
Athens. Depending on the island you must get to, you can either
fly directly, fly and ferry if no airport is on the island,
or ferry there- either stopping along the way and exploring
other islands going straight to your destination.
Ionion Islands- These are the islands off the northwestern
coast of Greece and include Corfu and Kefalonia. These islands
are much larger than most of the islands in the Cyclades and
offer great sailing, anchorages and towns to explore, but
three are less destinations which means if the weather is
coming from the wrong direction you will have to have an uncomfortable
sail or wait in the harbor for better weather..
Saronic Islands- Skiathos, Skopelos and Skiros are
off the central eastern coast of Greece. You can either fly
to Skiathos(limited dates and availability) or take land transportation
to Volos and ferry to one of the islands. These, as all the
Greek islands are beautiful, but you will have limited options
as there are only a few islands in this group.
Should I purchase
Travel Insurance?
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