Greece Yacht Charter

In the Eastern Mediterranean a Greece yacht charter holiday offers so much, around the various famous sunny Greek Islands. There’s amazing ancient history, humbling architecture and beautiful little waterfront villages tumbling down the island mountains. Greece yacht charter vacationers seem to want to revisit Greece year after year. Everywhere you go there is ancient ruins and ancient history to soak up. Anyone herd of Homer, Virgil, Ulysses, Socrates or Troy?

Greece has exquisite natural beauty too. The stunning aqua or dark blue waters and the faultless blue skies are a draw card for sailing yacht charters vacations as well as luxury motor yachts. Greece is still one of the most popular yacht charter areas in the Mediterranean, be it luxury crewed yacht charter, or bare boat yacht charter, due to the huge number of things to see and do and the relative close proximity of everything by water.

Perhaps it’s the sexy sophistication of Mykonos, the music and dance of Zorba and the timeless romance of Santorini that attracts Greece’s shores. The Greek Islands are an intense blend of past the present, old and new. The Greeks are strong in their traditions and beliefs. Widows dressed in black can stare accusingly at the scantily dressed tourists, yet moments later, invite you in as welcomed guests. Bustling taverns and modern discos entertain the young and young at heart.

The Greek hospitality is unchallenged. A sailing yacht vacation or a power boat charter is a great way to experience all the Greek Islands have to offer. There is also increasing demand for luxury yacht charter and superyacht charter in Greece. After sun down you can sit in your charter yacht’s cockpit feeding on Greek wine, dolmadikia (stuffed vine leaves) and tzatki whilst listening to the soothing sounds of bouzouki music drifting from a little harbor village.

As a Greece yacht charter covers so much territory, let’s have a brief look at the main areas to charter your yacht. For ease we have broken Greece charter locations up into 4 main yachting areas: The Ionian Islands, The Aegean & Sporades, The Cyclades and last but not least the Dodecanese.

The Ionian Islands
Each Ionian Island in Greece holds a different charisma and charm for sailing yacht charters vacations. The Islands that you can explore on your yacht charter include Eptanisa (The Seven Islands): Corfu, Kefallonia, Zakynthos, Lefkada, Ithaca, Paxi and Kythera. Some highlights include busy touristy but beautiful Corfu as well as Smugglers Cove, which can only be accessed by sea at Zakynthos which is one of the most famous and stunning beaches in Greece. The Blue Grotto is another spectacle of the ocean.

The Aegean & Sporades
Greece’s Aegean Islands are less visited than the Cyclades, which makes them the perfect place for a less crowded yacht charter holiday, particularly if you’re interested in art, culture and history and also the fertile countryside is simply beautiful. Some of the islands include Samos, Lesvos and Somothraki. Also, The Northern Sporades on the eastern side of Greece are a very popular yacht charter area with some of the prettiest, thickly wooded, islands in the Mediterranean.

The Cyclades
The Cyclades offer both culture and the offer of hedonistic pursuits. There are ancient sites, Byzantine castles, museums and lively nightlife, shopping, dining, and of course the famous beaches. Some hotspots in this area include Mykonos, Delos, Santorini, Sikinos, Paros and Naxos, and Serifos.

The Dodecanese
The Dodecanese is the most southerly group of islands in the Southern Sporades. The group includes the 14 larger islands of Lipsi, Patmos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos, Astypalea, Nisyros, Symi, Tilos, Rhodes, Khalki, Karpathos and Kasos, together with some 40 smaller islets and rocks – plenty to see and explore on your yacht charter.

Each Greece Island often holds its own unique charm. While on your charter yacht you can easily acquire wonderful food such as fresh tomatoes, olives (off-course), oranges, strawberries, melons, feta, yogurts and bread from all Greece’s main islands.

Many yacht charters around the Greek Islands tend to be sailing bareboat or traditional Turkish Gullets. The cruising grounds are varied with the startling beauty of the Ionian Islands to the west, the modern sophistication of the Cyclades and the undiscovered history and artistic charm of the Aegean Islands. A sailing yacht charter holiday is the best way to enjoy a land of intriguing culture and startling beauty.

As one of the most well known yacht charter grounds in the Mediterranean, Greece offers all the main types of yacht charters. These include luxury motor yachts, sailing, bareboat charter, skippered, crewed yachts, catamaran, power boat, sailboat, luxury yachts and the ever increasing super yacht charter.

Like most of the Mediterranean, the Greece yacht chartering season generally runs from April to the end of October. The summer season in July and August is the hottest and tends to have strong meltemi winds blowing frequently. This is also the high season as far as numbers go. The best time to charter a yacht is probably either of the shoulder seasons (April-May and September-October), each side of the main summer season, as the temperatures are the most comfortable, the wind lighter (yet reliable) and the onshore tourists have yet to arrive in their largest numbers.

Ionian Islands, Greece Yacht Charter
Aegean & Sporades, Greece Yacht Charter
Cyclades, Greece Yacht Charter
Dodecanese Islands