Chartering in Greece Santorini/Mikonos

[nauticat]

Would like to charter a cat or monohull June 2020 for 2 weeks , looking at Santorini, Mikonos. Please any suggestions , best place to go etc etc. How much to anchor/marina at Santorini, recommended charter companys. Thanks Julian

[kantafig]

Originally Posted by nauticat

Would like to charter a cat or monohull June 2020 for 2 weeks , looking at Santorini, Mikonos. Please any suggestions , best place to go etc etc. How much to anchor/marina at Santorini, recommended charter companys. Thanks Julian

Do not know for charter companies, was there with my own boat, regarding itinerary....you can try this one....


Santorini – Ios (Manganari Beach) - Amorgos - Small Cyclades - Naxos - Syros - Mykonos - Sifnos - Folegandros - Santorini

[Hartings]

When are you thinking of going ? If during the summer be careful of the Meltemi - if its blowing you may not be going anywhere unless you like big seas and very strong winds. August is notorious for this and it can blow for days on end. Beautiful part of Greece though and lots of fun.

[nauticat]

Thinking of June, can you recommend an area which ticks all the boxes, Easy to get to from Major airport , relatively short sails between ports and easy to get to. Safest sailing.

[Palarran]

Man, if you didn't have your location in your information I'd have bet $100 that you were an American. Santorini and Mykonos are the only two islands that exist for 99% of all Americans who visit Greece. While Santorini is probably one of the top 10 visual sights in the world, it is best to visit by ferry or airplane. There are at least 100 threads here that you can search for to find out why. Mykonos - well, to each their own but it wouldn't rate in my top 10 for Cycladic islands let alone in the Aegean as a whole.

Remove those two and these are pretty good - Amorgos is amazing.
– Ios (Manganari Beach) - Amorgos - Small Cyclades - Naxos - Syros - - Sifnos - Folegandros -

[bobnlesley]

No chartering information/advice, but sailed through and around the Cyclades in our own boat several times; you'll get better and more up to date info from others, but a suggestion I'd make regarding Santorini:

It's certainly a cute spot and well worth visiting, but if you're sailing to a tight time frame, then rather than sail down there and back, leave your charter yacht in Naxos and take a day trip down there on the fast-cat ferry. It'll save you a two days of your fortnght's holiday at the minimum and perhaps a lot more.
As a generalisation it's an easy passage to get down there, but getting back into the central Cyclades (see earlier references to the Meltemi) will be somewhere between a very long and uncomfortable day and impossible. If you're desperate to do it by yacht, then work on the principal that it'll be at the end of your charter and that you'll be sailing from there directly sail back to the Saronic Gulf/Athens area from where you picked-up the yacht; it's still likely to be uncomfortable at best, but with a strong crew, rarely impossible.

[DavidMRea]

The only advantage of Mykonos is that it has an airport. While there it's worth seeing the windmills, and if you like ancient history, you can take a ferry to look at Delos (birthplace of Apollo, it's said). But Mykonos is a cruise ship stop and I'd advise against sailing from there.
Take a ferry from there and pick up your charter from Paxos (or somewhere else). Naxos, Milos, Sifnos, Folegandros, and Sikinos are all lovely and interesting.

[CarinaPDX]

Agree with comments - not really a good idea. Santorini itself has limited moorings, and the nearest marina is a distance away - not really a destination ideal for a sailboat. And Mikonos is a cruise ship port - a classic crowded tourist trap with a gay twist. And generally speaking the Aegean in the summer is a bad choice for a time-limited vacation because the Meltemis can keep you harbor-bound for days at a time. If you want to charter in Greece in June then consider the Ionian instead - there is a fair amount of chartering there, the sailing is easy and the ports close together; sails can be as long or short as you like. The charter would probably start at either Preveza or Lefkas, and would be accessed through the Aktion airport (PVK).

Greg

[DEAN2140]

We chartered in Greece several years ago with Dream Yacht Charters near Athens. I recommend them. You really can't anchor at Santorini. Your best bet is to drop the hook at Ios, which is very nice, and take a ferry to Santorini and book a room if you want to spend a few days. We came back in the evening.

[nauticat]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Man, if you didn't have your location in your information I'd have bet $100 that you were an American. Santorini and Mykonos are the only two islands that exist for 99% of all Americans who visit Greece. While Santorini is probably one of the top 10 visual sights in the world, it is best to visit by ferry or airplane. There are at least 100 threads here that you can search for to find out why. Mykonos - well, to each their own but it wouldn't rate in my top 10 for Cycladic islands let alone in the Aegean as a whole.

Remove those two and these are pretty good - Amorgos is amazing.
– Ios (Manganari Beach) - Amorgos - Small Cyclades - Naxos - Syros - - Sifnos - Folegandros -

HaHa yea havnt studied the Greek islands too much , Santorini is the wifes choice.Ferry sounds good

[CarinaPDX]

For a 2 week vacation I would recommend a week chartering in the Ionian and a week seeing Santorini and other sites by ferry. Trying to mix the two is not going to be very satisfying I'm afraid.

Greg

[nauticat]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

For a 2 week vacation I would recommend a week chartering in the Ionian and a week seeing Santorini and other sites by ferry. Trying to mix the two is not going to be very satisfying I'm afraid.

Greg

Thanks for your helpful comments

[Popaul]

Aegean is phantastic, but in June if Meltemi blows, it might be 5-7 NW to NE
Choose Athens (most choice for yachts) or Lavrio, both around Athens Airport.
Kos might be alternativ if you like to see the islands between Kos and Samos, less touristic than others.
Check that you need 2 people with Skipperlicence for Charter in Greece.
More than 15 years I chartered with Fyly.gr www.fyly.gr. Not the cheapest, but mostly good boats and if problems occur good service and advice.

Good luck its phantastic

[psp2psp2]

Originally Posted by nauticat

Would like to charter a cat or monohull June 2020 for 2 weeks , looking at Santorini, Mikonos. Please any suggestions , best place to go etc etc. How much to anchor/marina at Santorini, recommended charter companys. Thanks Julian

Hi Julian

The four biggest charter fleets in the Greek Aegean are (not necessarily in this order)

Kiriacoulis

Veronicos Yachts

Dream Yacht Charter (seem to specialize in Cats)

Sun Charter

But there are plenty of others! I chartered from Sun Charter many years ago and then bought a yacht that was being retired from their fleet. They were good people to do business with.

Your biggest decision is likely to be where to begin and end your Charter. Choosing a company with a base in the Athens area makes it easier to get there from the airport, but you’re at least a day and a half away from the Cyclades and the islands you mentioned. Speaking of which..., Mykonos is crowded, expensive and fairly “down market”. Santorini, once you’ve admired the view from the cliff top town of Thera, is also crowded, expensive etc.

Your best source for up to date info on marina prices etc is Rod Heikell’s latest edition of GREEK WATERS PILOT. The last time I used the marina at Santorini, nobody cane to collect the money, but don’t count on that being usual!

Here are a few Cyclades island destinations which are less popular but more fun -

Kea

Andros (the harbor at Batsi, not Gavrio)

Kithnos

Sifnos

Amorgos -

(there are more, but these are my favorites.)

In all these places you can anchor for free or moor to a public dock for less than €30 including water and power for a 45’ yacht.

AGE OF SAIL - Home

[Hartings]

Mykonos down market ? What planet do you come from. It is probably the most sophisticated and upmarket of all the Greek Islands with prices to boot. If you really want a party island then this should be your first choice. It comes at a price but it has fabulous eating and clubbing opportunities like nowhere else in Greece, Athens included.