Marina advice for one month in Greece

[andrescel]

Hi there,
I'm planning to sail next summer to Greece, we plan to arrive there around June. our boat is currently in southern Spain.
I have to leave the boat and catch a flight from around mid July to around mid August. I've been looking at some marinas but would like to know if someone have personal experience in this area and season.
It should be a safe place for the boat (31') and with not too difficult access to an international airport (I guess Athens). I don't mind the services ashore,restaurants or this kind of things because we will not be doing any living there.
Any advice would be very appreciated!
thank you all in advance
cheers
Andres

[OldBawley]

Poros lake. Safe. Rent a mooring, think about 5 €/ day.
One hour ferry from Pireus. Pireus to athens airport 5 € bustrip.

[chuckr]

We stayed at ZEA marina and it very safe and secure - not sure on price but it was ok for our 40' boat -

[dlymn]

In the Ionian, you can leave the boat tied up in almost any small port for a month for nothing and even maybe organise someone to look after it. Ports that have a port police office might charge you a daily fee usually 8 euros pd. This might change before you get here.On Kefalonia, Sami $6 euros per day, Eufimia $12 euros per day. On Lefkas, you can anchor in Vliho bay for nothing. On Meganisi, you tie up to the port Vathy town quay for nothing. On the Mainland, the marina next to Preveza will look after your boat for 7 euros a day (11 with power and water). There's an airport nearby. You can tie up for free at Plataria and then catch the ferry to Corfu and then a cheap flight to Athens. On corfu, you might be lucky to do the same at Benitses, but that is going to be cheaper than Gouvia marina at 55 euros a day. You will find the same range of services in the Aegean.

[FilBrown]

As your coming from Spain to the west of Greece you'll hit the Ionian first.
There are plenty of marinas in Corfu which has a airport within 10-20 minutes.

A bit further down you have Lefkas and Preveza both accessible from the airport opposite the channel from Preveza. There's also a couple of marinas within walking distance from the airport on the entrance to the Gulf of Amvrakikos. Cleopatra Marina on the eastern side has reasonable reviews.

Further around from the Ionian there's Kalamata which has a decent marina which is not too expensive. It has an airport within a 15 minutes drive.

[beirutsailor]

Originally Posted by FilBrown

As your coming from Spain to the west of Greece you'll hit the Ionian first.
There are plenty of marinas in Corfu which has a airport within 10-20 minutes.

A bit further down you have Lefkas and Preveza both accessible from the airport opposite the channel from Preveza. There's also a couple of marinas within walking distance from the airport on the entrance to the Gulf of Amvrakikos. Cleopatra Marina on the eastern side has reasonable reviews.

Further around from the Ionian there's Kalamata which has a decent marina which is not too expensive. It has an airport within a 15 minutes drive.

Best flight connections to Athens or anywhere else are from Corfu, but there is only one proper marina in Corfu, the expensive Gouvia. There are two small clubs, neither safe in a storm. Safest to go on the hard in Corfu Boat Yard. They don't do much business in the summer and you can ask for a deal on the net. Or, since I'll be there next week I can ask for you. Lefkas does not have an airport and is served by Preveza. There are three marinas in Preveza, so best to try there. For flights out of Greece, it is much cheaper to go to any major European city (not Athens) on low costs, and then on from there. Further south, Zante has a cheap, safe and guarded municipal quay and airport. Kalamata has low costs to Europe, but cruising there involves a couple of (the only) ugly ports in the Ionean.

[andrescel]

Thanks all for the advices!
I was thinking about the ionian at first. but I'm flying to Switzerland,and don't know if it's going to bee more expensive at the end with the flights, leaving the boat there instead of paying a bit more for the marina, and leave it closer to Athens where I could find cheaper flights. we will be two persons flying out, so all the flying costs will double.
it seems that the prices close to Athens could be around 350 per month and could fly directly from there to Zurich.
Don't know what would be the best option....

[Barra]

Originally Posted by dlymn

In the Ionian, you can leave the boat tied up in almost any small port for a month for nothing and even maybe organise someone to look after it. Ports that have a port police office might charge you a daily fee usually 8 euros pd. This might change before you get here.On Kefalonia, Sami $6 euros per day, Eufimia $12 euros per day. On Lefkas, you can anchor in Vliho bay for nothing. On Meganisi, you tie up to the port Vathy town quay for nothing. On the Mainland, the marina next to Preveza will look after your boat for 7 euros a day (11 with power and water). There's an airport nearby. You can tie up for free at Plataria and then catch the ferry to Corfu and then a cheap flight to Athens. On corfu, you might be lucky to do the same at Benitses, but that is going to be cheaper than Gouvia marina at 55 euros a day. You will find the same range of services in the Aegean.

This is all true but I wonder should we be encouraging people to take up limited quay space with long term berthing while they leave their boats for extended periods??

I mean the locals hate it as it takes away a spot for transient boats to stop in, spend some euros and see their town.

Other cruisers frown on it as it reduces the number of berths to those using them as intended ie short term stays. And if they are unlucky enough to get the berth alongside one of these abandoned boats they often wind up having various issues with it due to them often having loosened stern lines and or anchor rode. Been there done that a few too many times thanks!

Too many times you also see half submerged boats (or even fully submerged) tied up to quays after owners quick trip home has turned into many months away or even the whole winter leaving the local port authority to eventually clean up the mess.

Please leave the greek town quays to their intended use - shorter term visitor stays with people on board!

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by Barra

This is all true but I wonder should we be encouraging people to take up limited quay space with long term berthing while they leave their boats for extended periods??

I mean the locals hate it as it takes away a spot for transient boats to stop in, spend some euros and see their town.

Other cruisers frown on it as it reduces the number of berths to those using them as intended ie short term stays. And if they are unlucky enough to get the berth alongside one of these abandoned boats they often wind up having various issues with it due to them often having loosened stern lines and or anchor rode. Been there done that a few too many times thanks!

Too many times you also see half submerged boats (or even fully submerged) tied up to quays after owners quick trip home has turned into many months away or even the whole winter leaving the local port authority to eventually clean up the mess.

Please leave the greek town quays to their intended use - shorter term visitor stays with people on board!

Wow, I can't agree more. Last year in the Sporades there was a boat tied alongside, not even Med moored, taking up 3 spaces easily. The local sailors said it had been there for two weeks unattended. A fender had blown and the damage repair to that spot on the boat was for sure going to cost more than a proper marina berth would have.