Yachts: Greece

Chartering a yacht in the Greek islands offers an exceptional once in a life time sailing experience. We recommend spending a few days exploring Athens to explore the amazing and historical culture before boarding your yacht. Below is a list of options regarding yacht charters in the Greek Islands.  

• Luxury motor or sailing yacht, Captain and Chef hostess will be onboard catering to all your needs.
• Bareboat you will have to skipper the yacht yourself.  Note that you require at least two competent crew before a company can rent you a bareboat. Besides this little obstacle it is of course the most elegant way (no privacy invasions from strangers) to explore the Greek waters.
• Flotillas, when in doubt of your capabilities or just a little rusty, a flotilla might be a nice compromise. This way you sail along with other boats, yet you are still the captain of your own boat but can turn to an “admiral” for advice if you want to. Most, take place in the Saronic, the Ionian, and to a lesser extend the Argolida
• Skipper for Hire: You charter the yacht and have a skipper help navigate the islands,.
• Cabin for Hire; You can rent a cabin and sail with others, this is a great option for the budget conscious and looking to meet other like minded sailing enthusiasts. 

Below are the most popular sailing destinations’ in the Greek islands, call or e-mail  a Compass Point Yacht Charter Consultant and let us help you navigate the perfect yacht and Greek Island sailing destination for you and your crew.

The Cyclades islands, Greece are composed of 39 islands of which 24 are inhabited. The Cyclades are the most famous of all Greek islands with Amorgos, Anafi, Andros, Antiparos, Delos, Ios, Kea, Kimolos, Folegandros, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Serifos, Sikinos, Sifnos, Syros and Tinos. Sailing the Cyclades islands is  where one can find vivid cosmopolitan nightlife and at the same time tranquility and peace.

The Dodecanese Islands are located in the southeast part of the Aegean Sea and consist of twelve major islands and a number of smaller islands: Astypalea, Leros, Lipsi, Nisyros, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kastellorizo, Kos, Patmos, Rhodes, Tilos … Some of those Greek Islands are located at the border to Turkey. These islands  have everything to offer you on your sailing vacation: whitewashed houses, beautiful beaches with crystal waters, charming villages, exciting nightlife and more… known for their beautiful beaches, their charming villages and their verdant landscapes

The Ionian Islands are located in the Ionian Sea, in the western part of Greece. The Ionian Sea is also called the Adriatic Sea. The Ionian are some of the most popular Greek islands and attract a lot of saling enthusiasts.. They are composed of Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Zakunthos, Ithaca, Paxoi, Kythira and some others. These islands are known for their beautiful beaches, their charming villages and their verdant landscapes. A great salingd destination for islands hopping and beach flock ling.

The Saronic islands are situated at a close distance from Athens, the capital of Greece and its port, Piraeus and are scattered between the prefecture of Attica and the eastern side of the Peloponnese. This group of Greek Islands is composed of Angistri, Aegina, Methana, Poros, Salamina, Spetses and Hydra and they have a lot to offer to the visitors: natural beauty, clean sandy beaches and even small deserted islets to explore Yacht charter in Greece is an excellent way to travel in Greece and the Greek Islands and discover the beauty and culture of the country.

If When to sail Greece

The yacht charter season in Greece starts early April and ends in November. Sailing in high Season runs from the last week of July until the first week of September

• The most crowded sailing areas will be Corfu, Lefkas and the Saronic.
• You will also find a lot of non-sailing tourists on the popular islands of Mykonos, Ios, Santorini, Kos, Rhodes, Lesvos, etc.
• In the Aegean Sea the strong Meltemi could not only be a nuisance but also a hazard for sailors.
• Yacht charters will be about 10% more expensive.
• You will have more choice of cabin charters, flotillas and charter flights.

• An abundance of flowers & lush and green islands due to the spring rains of March. This particularly concerns the Cyclades and Dodecanese, which will gradually turn dry and barren during the high yacht charter season. Despite losing some of its freshness and most of the flowers, the Ionian and Northern Aegean islands will remain green and fertile throughout the whole sailing season.
• Cheap yacht charters: the high - and most expensive - season starts last week of July and ends after first week of September. Before May even cheaper.
• Fewer charter yachts; even when arriving late in the afternoon there will be ample space in ports and anchorages, yet most tavernas are already open.
• In the Ionian the Maistro already delivers steady reliable winds much like in the Aegean where there are no strong Meltemi winds yet.

• Again fewer yachts and tourists: Especially in the popular areas of the Ionian Sea and around Athens the amount of tourists will drop dramatically after the first week(s) of September.
• Still steady winds in the Ionian (Maistro wind) and no Meltemi winds in the Aegean.
• Cheap yacht charters : the high - and most expensive - season usually ends after the first week of September (some companies a week earlier or later). And with the start of October even cheaper.
• Seawater with tropical temperatures, ideal for swimming at beaches, snorkeling at anchorages and diving: 28-30 °C (83-87 °F).