Ionian Yacht Charter, Greece

Each Ionian Island in to visit on a Greece yacht charter holds a different charisma and charm for motor yacht and sailing yacht vacations. The Islands that you can explore on your Mediterranean yacht charter holiday include Eptanisa (The Seven Islands): Corfu, Kefallonia, Zakynthos, Lefkada, Ithaca, Paxi and Kythera. These beautiful islands line Greece’s western boarder and offer close sailing proximity for a yacht charter holiday. Due to their Italian occupation at one point, they have quite a unique style of architecture and character all of their own.

Corfu, the largest of the Ionians was best described by John Fort from the British Consul in 1963. “….Exotic scenery, magical colours, flaming sunsets, romantic moonlight, luxurious vegetation, a riot of radiant flowers and colourful blooms, centuries old silver olive groves, glowing oranges, scented lemons, rich pergolas, sleepy lagoons, forgotten coves, bubbling springs, exciting caves, virgin beaches, golden sands, and pellucid turquoise emerald seas ­there is surely no other island in the whole universe to which these superlatives collectively apply.” Although today, the scenery is still spectacular, there is barely an inch of Corfu that hasn’t been influenced to capture the tourist dollar.

Image credit to Visit Greece - Greek National Tourism Organisation

Many of Greece’s Ionian Islands are smothered in wild flowers during spring time. The island of Lefkas, like many in Greece, has literally dozens of superb coves to explore. There is still hope for those searching for the beauty of Greece, from eras gone by. On the cliff tops and hillsides of Zakynthos (Zante), you can still find the true Grecian spirit. The locals are traditional and proud. The old women stand in doorways, dressed in black, watching the world go by. If you can drag yourself, for a moment from the stunning surrounding of your sailing yacht, hire a moped to explore these hidden treasures. This is the real Greece.

If you’re on a sailing yacht charter holiday you have a distinctive advantage that you can enjoy something special in Zakynthos. Smugglers Cove is one of the most famous and stunning beaches in Greece. Smugglers Cove can only be accessed by sea. The Blue Grotto is another spectacle of the ocean. The intensity and the shades here will have you redefining the colour blue. A yacht charter vacation will allow you to experience so much more than the average mainland holiday maker.

As one of the most well known yacht charter grounds in the Mediterranean, Greece and the Ionian Islands offer all the main types of yacht charter such as motor, 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 and Ionian 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.

Aegean & Sporades, Greece Yacht Charter
Cyclades, Greece Yacht Charter 

Below is a selection of luxury yachts available in this area. You can view additional Greece charter yachts here or contact us for additional information.