Greece Yacht Charter and Sailing Vacation Guide

Greece Yacht Charter Guide - Chartering a Sailboat, Motor Yacht or Catamaran for a Vacation in Greece

About Greece | Greece Sailing Vacation Charters | Greece Motor Yacht Charter | Key Greece Yacht Charter Destinations | Climate | Map | Cuisine | Special Events | Our Greece Charter Yachts

About Greece

The Parthenon in Athens A cathedral on Crete

The birthplace of European civilization, Greece is one of the top yachting destinations in the world. Greece Yacht Charters offer thousands of islands to explore, history, cuisine, water sports, secluded ports and a timeless culture the fits perfectly with yachting.

Greece is a mountainous peninsula in the mainland, projecting into the sea at the southern part of the Balkans. This famous peninsula, called the Peloponnesus peninsula, is separated from the mainland by the Corinth Canal and is surrounded by over 1400 Islands scattered around both the Aegean and Ionian Seas.

Greece Sailing Vacation Charters

The storied Greek Islands offer endless posibilities to discover secluded anchorages, swimming holes and timeless coastal towns by sailing yacht. Each island has its own character and attractions, and classical history and ruins abound.

Sailing Greece is not something done in one yacht charter - normally sailors will explore one of the island groups (see below) and return year after year to further discover the Greek sailing areas. Due to the seasonal wind patterns, it is a very good idea to discuss you itinerary with one of our Greek sailing charter experts, so that you have optimal weather for your next sailing vacation.

Our Greece Charter Sailboats | Our Greece Charter Catamarans

Greece Motor Yacht Charter

Motor yacht charters allow you to efficiently discovering the Greek Islands and provide the charterer with endless possibilities to savour the culture. Island hopping to discover history, culture, great food, quaint ports and friendly people can make for an extraordinary charter vacation. Greece Motor Yacht Charters vary from extended cruises on a luxury yacht to chartering a small motor boat along with a villa for day explorations to nearby islands.

Our Greece Charter Motor Yachts

Key Greece Yacht Charter Destinations

The Saronic Islands Yacht Charter

The Saronic islands are the closest to Athens and relatively undiscovered by tourism. They are a great sailing destination due to its sheltered location. The most popular ones are Aegina, Poros, Spetses and Hydra. These charming & understated group of islands have a lot to offer to the visitor, great dining, shopping, gorgeous waters and the convenience of the proximity to Athens.

Our charter yachts in Athens and the Saronic Islands

The Sporades Islands Yacht Charter

The Sporades islands lie on the eastern coast of mainland Greece and consist of 11 islands of which only 4 are inhabited: Skiathos, where the worldwide acclaimed feature Mamma Mia was filmed, Skopelos, Alonnisos and Skyros.

This unique group of islands are surprisingly green and have the bluest and clearest waters in Greece.

Our charter yachts in the Sporades Islands

The Cyclades Islands Yacht Charter

The most famous of the Greek Islands, the Cyclades are composed of 39 islands, only 24 of which are inhabited. A haven for sailing, the proximity among them and the diversity make them definitely one of the most attractive vacation destinations. The most well-known ones are Amorgos, Andros, Antiparos, Delos, Ios, Kea, Folegandros, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Serifos, Sifnos, Syros and Tinos.

The ideal time to visit the Cyclades Islands is June through mid July and September. By the end of July and August they are affected by the Meltemi wind, which varies in intensity every summer.

Our charter yachts in the Cyclades Islands

The Ionian Islands Yacht Charter

The Ionian Islands are located in the western part of Greece, in the Ionian Sea, also called the Adriatic Sea, famous for its warm and high salt content waters. This part of the world is an absolute paradise, where you will find the true meaning of Greek hospitality. They are composed of Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Zakinthos, Ithaca, Paxoi, Kythira and some others. These islands are famous for their beautiful beaches, charming villages and their green landscapes.

Our charter yachts in the Ionian Islands
A recommended charter itinerary from Athens through the Ionian Islands

Dodecanese Islands Yacht Charter

The Dodecanese islands, located in the southeast part of the Aegean, very near Turkey, are again in a class of their own. Consisting of twelve major islands and a number of smaller islands: Astypalea, Leros, Lipsi, Nisyros, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kastellorizo, Kos, Patmos, Rhodes, Tilos … they offer great beaches, landscapes, history, architecture, superb gastronomy, night life and much, much more..

Our charter yachts in the Dodecanese Islands

Crete Yacht Charter

Crete is the largest island in Greece and is located in the southern part of the Aegean Sea. Avoiding the touristic traps, this island is one of the most beautiful spots in the world. Cretan cuisine, the paradigm of the Mediterranean diet, will make you feel you’ve die and gone to heaven! Self sufficient, this is probably the place where organic food was born!

Getting to Greece

Most Greek Charters start in Athens, an international airport easily reached from any major European Airport. The Cyclades and Saronic islands are easily reachable from Athens, and, given the huge selection of charter boats available in Athens, is makes sense make Athens your charter start and end port. To reach the other island groups, local airlines can be booked to shuttle you to your island destination.

Map of Greece Charter Destinations

Greece Climate

This Greek islands generally have a "Dry Mediterranean" climate, which makes them nearly perfect for chartering during the non-winter months. The weather in the islands is almost always sunny and dry during the summer, with the temperature hot during the day and pleasantly warm at night. Winters are chilly and wet and therefor make chartering risky.

The Etesian winds generally blow from May to October, but can be quite strong in July and August, particularly in the Cyclades islands. When the winds are strong, itineraries can be interrupted and transit hazardous. Please discuss your itinereary with one of our experts when booking a charter during these months.

Greek Cuisine

Greek cuisine is simple yet delicious. During your vacation you will come across the freshest ingredients, the best olive oil in the world and a growing variety of excellent locally produced wines.

Local specialties vary from region to region, but the most popular ones are tzasiki, fresh octopus, fresh grilled fish, mousaka, and fresh olives. And of course, no one should leave this country without having had a souvlaki (maybe with a glass of Ouzo) right before going to bed, after a having enjoyed the nightlife in the Greek Islands!

Our Greece Charter Yachts

Boatbookings.com will work with you to understand your Greece Yacht Charter needs and match them to the perfect yacht. We can find you virtually any yacht in Greece and surrounding waters for your vacation or business event. Click here to see a selection of our Greece Charter Yachts or simply contact us and we'll recommend the best boat for you. Our service is free, and there are very good reasons to charter in Greece via a reputable yacht charter broker such as ourselves.

Other Mediterranean Yacht Charter Destinations: the Italian Riviera | Sicily | Sardinia | the French Riviera | Monaco | Corsica | Mallorca | Ibiza | Croatia