As everyone who has lived this great experience will tell you, there is only one true way to really enjoy the Greek islands and the mainland coast of Greece. And that is by chartering a sailboat. Today, there are literally hundreds of yacht companies, skipper-owners, flotillas, cabin cruises cruising the beautiful Aegean and Ionian waters of Greece.
In this guide, I will help you decide what kind of boat you want, where to go, when to go and other small details you need to have in mind to get the best possible sailing experience in Greece.
1) Where to sail
Greece is home to literally thousands of beautiful islands, each one having something new, different and mysterious to offer you. Not even a lifetime would be enough to explore them all! As a sidenote, the Greek islands make up approximately 20% of the total area of Greece and the total coastline is more than 15000 kilometres, pretty impressing for such a small country! If you are looking for a combination of enchanting shores, graphic scenery, traditional food, crystal clear waters and a touch of ancient history than Cyclades, Northern Sporades and the Ionian islands are your best bet.
For an even richer experience, you might also want to combine your travel with a quick tour in the coasts of the neighboring Turkey, which offers a mixture of ancient Greek, Carian, Lycian and of course Turkish culture. The turkish cuisine should is of course another plus!
Bear in mind that the most crowded sailing areas tend to be Corfu, Lefkas and the Saronic.
2) When to sail
Although it is possible to sail all year round in Greece, the summer season is the best option. The warm, clear crystal waters and guarranteed sunny weather will give you an unforgivable memory. It is highly unusual to even see a cloud in the sky during summer (let alone any rain!). Generally, the sunshine-all-day days begin by the end of April and last up to end of September- mid October!
Tip: During September and October the yachts and tourists (and often prices) drop dramatically, especially in the popular areas of the Ionian Sea and around Athens.
3) Bareboat, flotilla, crewed or gulet charter
In case you wonder, yes you can bring your own yacht in Greece but be prepared for lots of formalities and paperwork. If you take the yacht charter route, there are numerous ways to charter a yacht in Greece to explore the magical greek waters. You can try bareboat charter (no hired captain or crew) which will give you optimal privacy and independence. However, besides you as skipper, a second member of your group should be able to sail. If your group consists of more than 12 persons, you probably want to rent a second yacht. If it's been a long time since you sailed and you feel kind of rusty, it's better if you hire an instructor for the first few days. For people who are not that confident in their skills, a flotilla still offers a lot of privacy, while providing the security of sailing along in a fleet of yachts towards each destination. You are the captain of your own boat but you can still ask for help from others when in need. If you think that a flotilla is too restrictive then an assisted bareboat charter is something you should consider as it offers you the option to get partial or full assistance with a crewed charter, including a skipper, cook, instructor, hostess tc
4) Available Yacht Types
In Greece, only a small part of the yachts come with a motor. Furthermore, the majority of them come fully crewed. For bareboat chartering, you have two main options:
- Catamarans
- Sailing monohulls
5) Book in advance
To get the best bang for your buck it is highly recommended to book a charter weeks or ideally at least four months before. Last-minute bookings tend to be quite expensive!
6) Itineraries
The main charter bases are located in:
Athens
Corfu
Kos
Lavrion
Lefkas
Paros
Preveza
Rhodes
Samos
Skiathos
Syros
Some of the itineraries in detail.
7) Other costs
When travelling on a bareboat you must take care of food, water, fuel, and anything else needed during your travel like harbour fees. However, certain things like cooking gas, and GPS are price included whereas outboard engines, spinnaker, additional anchor(s) etc are extra. In crewed charters, the crew pays their own dinner.
More to find at:
https://www.facebook.com/yachtsailgreece
https://instagram.com/yachtsailing.gr/
