Sail Athens area/Saronic/Peloponese.

Athens is the easiest place in Greece to start a charter. You fly into a major international airport, and within an hour you're stepping onto a boat at Alimos or Lavrion. The Saronic Gulf sits right on the doorstep: sheltered water, islands close together, and a run of harbours you can reach in a half-day sail. This is not distance sailing. It's short hops between anchorages, most under three hours, with a taverna and a cold beer waiting at the end of each one.

The grounds suit people who want to actually sail rather than motor, but who also want to swim, eat well, and sleep somewhere quiet. The Saronic is calmer than the Cyclades — you get wind, but rarely the punishing afternoon meltemi that hammers the islands further east. That makes it right for first charterers and families, and a comfortable warm-up for anyone heading on to bigger water.

Two gulfs define the region. The Saronic Gulf holds Aegina, Angistri, Poros, Hydra and Spetses — the classic one-week loop. Aegina is 90 minutes out and busy; its pistachios are worth the stop. Poros sits in a narrow channel with a town quay right under the clock tower. Hydra bans cars and motorbikes, so mules do the carrying and the harbour stays quiet after the day-trip ferries leave. Spetses marks the southern end, with a working old harbour and good tavernas.

South of Spetses the Argolic Gulf opens up: Porto Cheli, the anchorage at Dokos, and the mainland town of Nafplio with its Venetian fortress. Fewer boats come this far, so if you want space, head south early.

Most charters leave from Alimos marina, the largest base in the country, a short taxi from central Athens. Some fleets run from Lavrion, further round the coast near the airport, which puts you closer to the Cyclades if you'd rather sail east. Both work; Alimos is the natural choice for the Saronic loop.

The season runs roughly April to October. May, June, September and early October are the best months: warm water, reliable wind, fewer crowds, and lower prices than the peak. July and August are hot and busy, and August is the one month we'd tell you to book early or avoid.

Wind in the Saronic is generally moderate — a sea breeze that fills in through the afternoon and dies at night. The meltemi, the strong northerly that dominates the Cyclades in summer, reaches into the Saronic in a weaker form. You'll feel it on exposed passages but the islands give plenty of shelter. Expect Force 3–5 on a normal summer afternoon, occasionally more. Mornings are often calm, so an early start means motoring; plan your longer legs for the wind.

You can charter here two ways. Bareboat means you take the boat yourself — you need a valid sailing licence and someone aboard competent to skipper. Monohulls dominate the fleet, from around 35ft up to 50ft-plus, with catamarans available for those who want space and shallow draft. Crewed charters come with a skipper, and often a hostess or cook on the larger boats, if you'd rather not run the boat yourselves or don't hold a licence.

If you have some sailing experience but not the paperwork, a skippered boat for the week is the usual answer — you still sail, the skipper handles the legal responsibility and local knowledge. Crew details on request.

Charter cost depends on boat size, age and season. A mid-size bareboat monohull in the shoulder season sits at the lower end; a newer catamaran in August sits well above it. As a rough guide, a week's bareboat charter ranges widely, and crewed charters add the skipper's fee on top. Rather than quote figures we can't stand behind for your dates, ask us on WhatsApp with your week and party size and we'll give you real numbers.

Budget separately for fuel (you pay for what you burn), the end-of-charter clean, marina fees along the way, and a security deposit held against the boat. A skipper, if you take one, is a daily rate plus their food. Price on request for specific boats and dates.

Day 1 — Board at Alimos in the afternoon, provision, sleep aboard in the marina. Day 2 — Sail to Aegina, 3 hours; anchor off, walk to the pistachio stalls, dinner in town. Day 3 — On to Poros through the channel; town quay under the clock tower, swim on the way. Day 4 — Hydra, 3 hours; no cars, quiet after the ferries go, good walking. Day 5 — Ermioni or Dokos for a quiet night at anchor and a proper swim stop. Day 6 — Spetses, the old harbour and its tavernas. Day 7 — Long leg back north, or break it at Poros again. Day 8 — Return to Alimos by 09:00.

That's an unhurried loop with short days and time to swim. Push south to Nafplio and you'll trade a couple of the easier islands for more sailing and fewer boats.