Yacht charter Greece
Greece is one of the most popular Mediterranean yacht charter destinations among sailors. A number of charming islands, antique towns and villages as well as culinary highlights attract many charterers to the Greek island world every year. These ideal wind conditions often play a decisive role in picking this classical and beautiful sailing territory for your sailing holidays.
At the same time Greece offers an unprecedented diversity with its various yacht charter regions – beginners, family sailors, culture fans or experienced yacht charter crews alike will find a suitable territory for sailing or a motor boat ride.
Maritime Infrastructure
Greece has good infrastructure for the charter tourism. Still, you need to know that there are more harbours than marinas in Greece. This has the advantage of very low costs for mooring but also means that you will often find none or only very basic sanitary facilities and more often than not no power connection. One thing is certain – in the harbours you will usually benefit from a very central location with tourist attractions, taverns, cafés and shopping facilities within a walking distance from your yacht.
Charter destinations
Greek yacht charter destinations can be divided into the Dodecanese, the Saronic Gulf, the Cyclades, the Sporades as well as the Ionian Sea. While the Sporades, the Ionian Sea and also the Saronic Gulf are perfect for family sailors and beginners, the Cyclades and the Dodecanese are a demanding sailing region where the etesians can powerfully blow in the summer. The northern yacht charter territories i.e. the Sporades and the islands in the Ionian Sea are greener and have more vegetation whereas the southern islands such as the Cyclades or the Dodecanese are drier in the summer due to the hot climate.
Starting points for yacht charter at the Ionian Sea are located on the islands of Corfu and Lefkada. Yacht charter providers in the Sporades keep their fleet in Skiathos. The best way to sail in the Saronic Gulf would be to start off in Kalamaki (Athens), Piraeus, Lavrion or Poros. If you want to get to know the Cyclades, you can start off in Santorini or Paros. Kos, Rhodes and Samos are perfect starting point for a sailing trip through the Dodecanes. You can reach the majority of the yacht charter bases via a direct charter flight or a scheduled flight.
NEW for charter crews wanting to sail in Turkey: the Turkish harbour of Bozburun has recently become an official port of entry and this facilitates the transfer from Greece to Turkey. Until just recently yacht charter crews had to go for clearance to Datca or Marmaris.
Legal regulations, currency, language
In order to enter EU citizens need a valid ID or passport. The official currency of Greece is the euro. The language is Greek and English is widely understood.
In order to charter a yacht in Greece, both you and the co-skipper will need a sailing licence.