Expertly Crafted Routes for the Best of Greece
We’ve sailed extensively throughout Greece, uncovering the best routes, weather patterns, hidden bays, and authentic local stops that most crews never find. Our powerful interactive maps bring it all to life, letting you explore each route and experience Greece in a way ordinary sailing guides simply can’t match.
The Best Global Charter Destination
Greece is widely regarded as one of the very best countries in the world for charter sailing—and for good reason. It combines an extraordinary range of sailing areas, reliable sunshine, favorable winds, stunning scenery, rich history, warm hospitality, and reliable infrastructure. Unlike many other charter sailing countries so much of it is beautifully undeveloped and so readily accessible.
With six major sailing regions, Greece offers something for everyone:
Prefer calmer waters and short distances? Choose the Ionian Sea on Greece’s west coast. Want adventure, steady winds, and iconic whitewashed villages perched on hillsides? The Cyclades are for you. Looking for something in between? The Dodecanese or the lush green Sporades strike a perfect balance.
Whichever area you choose, and we can discuss these with you in detail, they all have an abundence of the charm, beautiful waters, mouth-watering gastronomy, and outstanding natural beauty in variety that are the Greek recipe we know and love. Honestly, many of our clients are in their fourth year of sailing with us, exploring each region’s new discoveries, built on that common Greek connection across the regions. They want year after year, another Greek sailing holiday experience, and they get it.
Discover your itinerary at the depth you want
We feel we owe it to you to be able to immerse yourself into your cruise with us, so you can know what awaits you. So we have spent time curating these interactive maps for you to explore for yourself to whatever level you like. They are fully 3D, so use your mouse or fingers on your mobile to zoom in, out, pan and pitch!
Click on each day in the side bar to see that day’s route become a moving dashed line. Also the other swim stops and points of interest are by default switched off. Turn them on in the side bar. Regarding the routes themselves, they are preferred routes but by the sheer choice you can see before you, weather and your own preferences may mean we follow a variation of these days.
Click on the squares in the middle of each day route to read a summary of each day. Click on each top swim spot, anchor and point of interest to read more and see pictures we have (in 99% of the photos) taken ourselves!
Ionian Itinerary
© Yachtswork/AviaWorks LTD. All itineraries, photography, route designs and interactive map content protected by copyright.
Watch this space for more itineraries all over Greece!
Set Sail Today!
Take advantage of early booking discounts and availability. Most people actually book 6+ months in advance precisely to get the best deal for their available time slots.
We are a friendly bunch who love what we do, so you can always pick up the phone for free and speak with us.
What kind of yacht should I charter?
Do you want a budget deal or luxury? If you want luxury and comfort you are probably going to want a catamaran, which are designed for space and comfort. Newer catamarans sail well too. If you want a budget option and you organise your crew before you go, you can pay as little as a €300 each per week for yacht rental, in high season, maybe less.
Do think about whether you and your company would benefit from hiring a yacht that has air conditioning and a water maker on board. In the hot months air conditioning can make all the difference and a watermaker means that you don’t have to make stops to fill up or take short showers! These don’t cost extra, but the yacht that they are on may cost more to hire than similar yachts without them.
What are all the expenses I can expect to pay?
There are 4 basic expenses that you will pay:
1 – Yacht rental
2 – Fuel (usually diesel)
3 – Cleaning
4 – Skipper (if you need one!)
There is one more returnable fee you must pay and this is a security deposit. In case you cause any damage to the yacht, it comes out of your security deposit, which will be anything between €1500 – €3000. Most people pay this with a credit card, and the amount isn’t withdrawn, but put on hold. Useful tip! It usually takes 2-3 weeks before the bank release these funds even though the yacht managers release your card as soon as they have checked your yacht. So if you don’t want to wait that long, email them before and ask if they accept cash!
On a sailing holiday, typically you’ll get through most of your 300 litre fuel tank (especially if you have a generator on board for air conditioning). This would typically cost €500 max.
Cleaning typically costs €200 – 250.
Skipper’s fees are usually between €150 – 200 per day, so €1050 – 1400 per week,
If you want a hostess, you will usually pay about the same as for a skipper.
Food is not included. Yachts typically have all cooking and food preparation facilities on board, powered by gas rings and a small over/grill. They are quite adequate for most meals you may wish to prepare.
You will also pay for extra toys like SUPs and WiFi, but book them early because each base has limited supplies!
How can I rent a yacht by myself without hiring a skipper?
You typically need the equivilent of an RYA off shore license before you can be the captain and if you have taken the course you will know very well why this is so! The course can be done over a week, but doing it over a longer period of time because there is a lot of inormation to take in and skills to learn.
If you have just got your license we recommend you hire a skipper, because it takes considerable practice to confidently manage any yacht, not necessarily at sea, but in when maneuvering in port, especially with unfavourable winds! Your crew may prefer this option too! We have skippers and crew available for hire should you want one.
When is a good time to make the booking?
Sailing holidays have become very popular, so the earlier the better, especially if you want to book a catamaran with air conditioning, a water maker and generator. Early means at least 6 months before your holiday. You will also benefit from an earlybird booking and get your yacht at the previous year’s price before they increase. In Greece, yacht hire prices increased 10% from 2022 to 2023, so get in early!
Why do I have to rent from Saturday to Saturday?
To maximise bookings and make yacht servicing and cleaning efficient, there is a worldwide standard regarding when charters start and end. Pretty much all over the world you will be able to board your yacht at around 5pm on Saturday and you will have to return it to port by Friday evening and spend the last night on board in the port. This is so that the yacht can be inspected (and also by a diver who will inspect the hull) and any issues can be fixed before the next charter starts the following day. You will probably asked to leave by 9am Saturday so that the cleaning crews can clean your yacht and all the others in time for the next charterers.
The three exceptions for this standard are:
1 – You want to book 2 or 3 weeks exactly on board.
2 – You are booking a luxury yacht and are paying perhaps over €30,000 a week for it and there may be some flexibility.
3 – You are renting in low season and there may be some flexibility regarding your start and end day. You may still be required to rent for 1 whole week though.
What if I need to cancel?
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Do I need to take out insurance?
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