Yacht Charter Sporades

Enjoy fresh breezes, unspoilt harbours and fine sandy beaches on a sailing Sporades holiday from Skiathos exploring the beautiful Sporades islands.

The Sporades islands of Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos, together with the more sheltered Gulf of Volos, offer excellent sailing among very pretty islands. This attractive sailing holiday destination will suit sailors who relish the challenge of fresh sailing winds and the charm of exploring quieter islands and harbours off the beaten track.

Sailing Sporades

A sailing holiday is the perfect way to explore the beautiful Sporades islands, completely unspoilt by tourism. Start your bareboat yacht charter in Skiathos marina, just 5 minutes from the airport. The town has a maze of cobbled streets divided by the Bourtzi, once a Venetian fortress, now a cultural centre with great views. There’s a lively nightlife with shops, bars and restaurants around the harbour.

As you sail westwards from Skiathos to the islands of Skopelos and Alonissos or eastwards into the Gulf of Volos the pace of life becomes quieter and more tranquil. You’ll discover picturesque fishing harbours, deserted anchorages and lovely sandy beaches. There is a limited number of charter yachts in this area so you’ll find the harbours uncrowded.

Do consider the northern Sporades sailing routes for one or two week charter.

Please do fill the Inquiry Form to get more details and charter a yacht from Sporades or even yachting in Greece in general.

Sailing Holiday in the Ionian Islands

The sheltered Ionian on the west coast of Greece is ideal for a relaxed sailing holiday, so popular with families and less experienced crews.

Gentle afternoon breezes make the Ionian one of the safest areas in the world for a relaxed sailing holiday and yet there is plenty to do and see. The scenery is beautiful and there are numerous secure anchorages, picturesque harbours and lively towns.

A sailing holiday is the perfect way to discover the beautiful unspoilt Ionian islands, nestling in clear blue seas, hillsides clad in olive and cypress. Being skipper of your own charter yacht gives you total freedom to explore. There's always time to anchor in a secluded bay for a swim off your yacht. Or enjoy a walk to a market or cliff-top view. Or just relax - there's no rush and once you’ve moored up in a picturesque fishing harbour, step ashore for dinner at a waterfront taverna.

This sailing holiday is perfect for families with children. There's so much going on afloat and ashore - it's such an adventure and no time to get bored! It’s fun to swim ashore for an ice cream at the beach bar, take a trip in the dinghy to explore some caves or eat a picnic on a secluded beach.

Sailing conditions

Weather conditions in the Ionian are very favourable for a relaxed sailing holiday. There are good sailing breezes from late morning through the afternoon, with winds from the northwest Force 2-5 subsiding around sunset. The winds tend to be stronger at the start and end of the season. Summer temperatures reach 26-29ºC

Sailing area

On your yacht charter holiday you can explore the Ionian islands. There are so many sheltered bays and enchanting fishing harbours to visit on the islands of Lefkas, Corfu, Ithaca, Paxi, Cephalonia and Meganisi. See our suggested sailing itinerary below.

Suggested sailing itineraries

Best destinations for sailing in Greece near Athens

The islands of the Saronic and Argolic gulfs are particularly popular with sailors, primarily because they are so close to Athens. Despite their proximity to the megalopolis, they are as packed with as much atmosphere and charm as their more distant cousins in the outer Aegean. The whole area has retained its natural beauty, enhanced by the sense of history, with delightful little ports and coves.

Among their great advantages is that the south coast of Attica protects them from strong winds and rough seas, which in combination with the sheltering arm of the northern Peloponnesus makes them practically a big closed bay, with invariably calm and safe seas enabling flotilla and family sailing holidays in Greece.

The most popular sailing destinations near Athens

1. Attica: In Attica, you will find some of the best organised marinas: Zea, Flisvos (a marina to rivals Monaco’s), Faliro, Alimos, Glyfada and Vouliagmeni. Starting from there, you can go west with your sailboat to explore the beaches and seaside villages of the Peloponnese – Loutra Oraias Elenis, Korfos, New and Old Epidaurus – or southeast towards Sounion, dipping into some of the most sophisticated beach resorts in the Athens area. For a very special experience, spend the night under the Temple of Poseidon there. It’s magical at any time, but especially when there is a full moon.

2. Poros: The ideal destination for sailing holidays near Athens, Poros, lies 25 nautical miles from Piraeus, a stone’s throw from the Peloponnese at Galata. A round, pine-wooded island, its west side is gentle and the sea here resembles a placid lake. Activate your depth sounder because it can be shallow near Galata and the eastern exit. Inside the strait are several safe coves where you can anchor for a swim or a quiet night away from the lively port with its tavernas and bars. However, the east side of the island is rough and exposed.

3. Aegina: Triangular-shaped Aegina is 12 nautical miles south of Piraeus. You can see its characteristic pointed mountain and its port town from the coast. The harbour has a 19th century ambience, with its narrow lanes, neoclassical buildings and colourful seafood tavernas and cafes lining the waterfront. You can tie up in the inner harbour and buy fresh fruit and vegetables from caiques moored nearby.

Antiquity lovers will want to visit the temple of Aphaia, situated in a pine wood above the northeast coast of the island. One of the best preserved Archaic temples in Greece, it also boasts a superb view of the Saronic Gulf and the coast as far as Sounion. Back on board, you can either sail south to the former fishing village of Perdika or east to the resort of Agia Marina. For a swim, try Vaia, also called Germanika, a wonderful bay with exotic beaches and translucent water.

4. Angistri: Angistri is a small but very wooded island just 3 nautical miles southwest of Aegina. It’s rimmed with little coves that fill up with Athenian weekend sailors. Despite being popular with tourists, foreigners and Greeks, its spacious harbour has plenty of charm.

5. Methana: The peninsula of Methana on the Peloponnese looms to the west beyond Aegina and Angistri. Vathy, a fishing village on a small but deep harbour, is a good place to spend a night or two. You’ll pass it on the way to the bay of Epidaurus. In the summer, what could be more fun than to sail there and take in a performance at the ancient theatre by the same name.

6. Hydra: One of Greece’s most dramatic and photogenic islands, Hydra could not be more different. Rocky, steep and stark, it has few sheltered coves but its tiny enclosed port is so popular that boats are often tied up three deep. Large boats should contact the port police before entering to verify berth availability. There are many reasons Hydra is one of the most popular sailing destinations in Greece: proximity to Piraeus (36 n mi); handsome stone mansions left from the days when it was a mercantile power in the 18th and 19th century; elegant boutiques, bars, cafes and restaurants; no wheeled vehicles… the list is long.

Take the time to wander around the back alleys, climb the steps that serve for streets beyond the highest houses for a spectacular view of the port. For beaches, you’ll have to circle the island to the east side, but you’ll have them to yourself. Or head down to Trikeri or Dokos, uninhabited islets that are well worth a swim and an overnight stay before you cross to Spetses or the coves on the Peloponnese around Ermioni.

7. Spetses: Also pine-wooded, Spetses a gentle Greek island with a similar history to Hydra’s, is also a favourite with the moneyed classes, but it is not glitzy. It too, has aristocratic mansions along the shore between the main port, Dapia, and the old harbour, where you can anchor or tie up, and the inner harbour, Baltiza, which is ultra safe. Nautical types will want to inspect the last traditional boatyards there, as well as the house/museum of the fiery revolutionary ‘lady’ sea captain, Bouboulina, behind Dapia.

Large yachts can tie up alongside the big jetty next to the Poseidonion Hotel, built a century ago. In June, Spetses hosts a classic boat race and in September the Armata celebration of a historic sea battle with the Ottomans. Extraordinary yachts gather for both occasions. The island is ringed with lovely wooded beaches, where you can anchor safely, while there are more across the way at Kosta, Porto Heli and Ermioni.

Yacht Charter Greece

Are you planning Yacht Charter Greece sailing vacations? Do you dream about Yacht Charter in Greece vacations? Choose and rent either a crewed yacht charter in Greece or bareboat charter. Read our guide and check out Yacht charter Greece prices. Find the perfect charter yacht Greece.

Similar to other destinations in the Mediterranean, Greece’s charter season reaches its peak during the months of June, July and August but to escape the crowds and experience cooler yet still pleasant temperatures, it is well worth undertaking your yacht rental holiday in April, May, September and October. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD SUN YACHTING "YACHT CHARTER IN GREECE" BROCHURE.

Rent Yacht Charter in Greece

 Greece, is a land of blue seas and beautiful islands of endless history and genuine hospitality.

Is there any better way to enjoy all this than by sailing on your own chartered yacht?

Yacht Charter Greece Prices

Let us help you charter a yacht in Greece for a perfect sailing holiday, if you are looking for the best boat rentals in Greece at the best prices.

Charter a yacht in Greece and enjoy sailing to your own wishes and demands. Greece is well known as a country with rugged coastlines, so renting a boat in Greece is the only way to explore all its beauty. The entire Greek Archipelago is at your feet, or better yet in front of your bow.  Some islands have great history, others have a great nightlife. Charming villages surrounded by sheltered bays and hidden golden beaches are waiting for you.

Apart from sailing, you can go swimming, fishing or diving in the clear blue waters, relax in the sun and sample Greek wines and delicacies.

A fleet of more than 2.000 sailing yachts, catamarans, motor sailers and motor yachts of all sizes are at your disposal. For your yacht charter in Greece, you can choose either a crewed yacht charter or bareboat charter, sail wherever you desire and discover the unforgettable beauties of Greece.

Sailing holidays in Greece

Sun Yachting Greece offers a wide range of yachts for rent, from small sailing yachts to bigger motor yachts, catamarans and motor sailers suitable for luxury sailing or power mega yachts for yachting.

Nautical tourism certainly represents one of the most attractive forms of the overall tourism in Greece. We can rightfully say that Greece, the land of a beautiful, intented coastline, is a "heaven for yachting".

If you already have a sailing licence and sailing experience then a bareboat charter holiday could be just the thing suitable for you.

With no itinerary and no set route, our bareboat charters give experienced sailors all the benefits of our well maintained yachts. If you hold a skipper's licence, you have the freedom to sail wherever and whenever you want and enjoy your sailing in Greece holidays.