Greece bareboat charter.

## Why sail Greece

Greece is two sailing countries wearing one flag. To the west, the Ionian: green islands, short hops, water that goes flat by breakfast, tavernas a stern-line away. To the east, the Aegean: bare Cycladic rock, a wind that gets up every afternoon in high summer, and the kind of passage-making that rewards a crew that knows what it's doing. You can spend a week never sailing more than 12 miles between anchorages, or you can point a bow into the meltemi and earn your dinner. Both are Greece. Pick the side that matches your crew, not the postcard.

## The sailing areas

The **Ionian** — around Corfu, Lefkas, Kefalonia and Zakynthos — is the beginners' and families' ground. Distances are short, the swell rarely builds, and you can plan a week by lunch stops. The **Athens area, Saronic and Peloponese** ground is the most-chartered in the country: quick to reach from the airport, sheltered water, Aegina and Hydra within a day's sail, and Poros as a reliable turnaround.

East and south, the **Cyclades** — Paros, Naxos, Mykonos, Santorini — are open, dramatic and exposed. This is where the meltemi lives. The **Dodecanese** — Rhodes, Kos, Symi, Leros — sit close to the Turkish coast and mix Byzantine harbours with sheltered bays; a strong option in shoulder season. North, the **Sporades** around Skiathos and Volos are green, quiet and underrated. **Northern Greece and the Aegean** and **East Macedonia and Thrace** round it out for crews who want emptier water.

## Season and winds

The charter season runs roughly May to October. **June and September** are the sweet spots: warm water, settled weather, fewer boats. **July and August** are hot, busy and — crucially in the Cyclades — windy. The **meltemi** is a dry northerly that funnels down the Aegean in high summer; it can hold Force 5–7 for days and shuts down the exposed Cycladic passages for less experienced crews. Plan Aegean summers with bail-out anchorages in mind.

The **Ionian** is far kinder. The prevailing summer breeze there is the *maïstro*, a gentle north-westerly that fills in around midday and dies at dusk — sail in the afternoon, anchor for a swim, dine ashore. Spring and autumn bring more variable weather and the odd blow, but also empty quays and cheaper rates. Water is swimmable from late May into October.

## Charter types

Most of the fleet is **bareboat** — you and your crew, no professional aboard — spread across monohulls and catamarans from small cruisers up to larger 50-footers. If you'd rather not skipper, **skippered charters** put a local aboard who knows the anchorages and the forecast; the best reason to take one in the Cyclades is meltemi local knowledge. **Cabin charters** — booking a berth rather than the whole boat — suit solo travellers and couples. **Flotillas**, where a lead boat shepherds a group, remain the gentlest way into Greek sailing for first-timers, especially in the Ionian.

Catamarans book out first for families and groups wanting space and shallow draught. If you want one for July or August, reserve early.

## Costs

A bareboat monohull in the shoulder season starts lower and climbs steeply into August; catamarans sit well above monohulls of the same length. Rather than quote figures that go stale, we give you a real range on the boats actually free for your dates. **Price on request** via WhatsApp — send us crew size, dates and preferred area and we'll come back with options.

Budget beyond the charter fee for: fuel (you pay for what you burn), the end-of-charter clean, an optional skipper if you take one, and mooring. Many Ionian anchorages are free; town quays and marinas charge, and Cycladic marinas in season are not cheap. Provisioning a week aboard is comfortably cheaper than eating ashore every night — the tavernas are the treat, not the obligation.

## A sample Ionian week

**Day 1 — Lefkas.** Board in the afternoon, provision, short hop to Nidri or Tranquil Bay to settle in. **Day 2 — Meganisi.** Round into Vathi or one of the fingered bays; swim, walk to a hillside taverna. **Day 3 — Kastos or Kalamos.** Quiet islands, stern-to on the quay, one taverna, no traffic. **Day 4 — Fiskardo, Kefalonia.** The prettiest harbour on the route and the busiest — arrive early or anchor off. **Day 5 — Sivota, Lefkas.** A landlocked bay ringed with tavernas; easy night. **Day 6 — Vathi, Ithaca.** Homer's island; grab a lunch swim off Gidaki. **Day 7 — back toward Lefkas** for the canal timing and an early handover. Short days, warm nights, no passage over about 20 miles.

## Getting there

For the Saronic and Athens ground, fly into **Athens (ATH)** and transfer to the marinas at Alimos or Lavrio. For the Ionian, **Preveza (PVK)** serves Lefkas, **Corfu (CFU)** the north, and **Kefalonia (EFL)** the south. The Cyclades run through **Athens** or seasonal flights to **Mykonos** and **Santorini**; the Dodecanese through **Rhodes (RHO)** or **Kos (KGS)**. Most bases sit within 30–90 minutes of their airport.

Bring the paperwork: EU-style photo ID or passport, and the skipper's sailing qualification plus (for many charters) a VHF certificate. Handover is usually Saturday, boarding mid-afternoon, off by morning at the end. Right for first charterers and families on the Ionian and Saronic; the Cyclades in summer suit crews comfortable in a fresh breeze.

Bareboat means you skipper. You'll need a recognised licence (ICC + VHF, RYA Day Skipper or ASA 104+) and a confident hand aboard — if no one on the crew is qualified, take the same yacht skippered and our captain drives.

We brief you on the local navigation: the channels and headlands that funnel the wind, where to anchor versus take a mooring, provisioning ports, and the best first-timer route versus the longer run for experienced crews.