The Ionian islands of Paxos, Zante, Corfu and Kefelonia personify the ancient charm of Greece but in the Cyclades nothing beats the spectacle of Santorini, the vibe of Mykonos, or the history of Delos. Combine the archeological marvels of Athens with a cruise to Hydra, a no-car island that is increasingly part of the new contemporary scene. The windmills, whitewashed villages and simple beach tavernas remain but now, cool new restaurants and clubs are opening and Greece is very focused on making the most of combining classic and contemporary.
If you’re looking for a destination to yacht charter, Greece has it all. With 6,000 islands and islets, of which only 227 are inhabited, a yacht charter in the Greek Islands offers infinite cruising possibilities.
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In this island group in the south-eastern Aegean you can see the result of a culture shaped by Byzantines, Italians, Greeks, Romans, even medieval crusading knights, and it was here at the World Heritage Site of Patmos, where St John wrote the bible’s Book of Revelation over 2,000 years ago. The Dodecanese is the embodiment of the Greek Islands of our imagination – secluded coves, charming villages, history-steeped ruins, welcoming tavernas and, of course, the impossibly blue Aegean Sea, make Greece’s most southerly isles a perfect cruising destination.
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Well placed for those who want to explore the many ancient sites of Athens, and relatively crowd-free, this small clutch of islands offers some of the most authentic sailing destinations in Greece. Use it as a base to flit between city and sea, and don’t miss sites such as the classical temple of Aphaea, one of the architectural wonders of Ancient Greece. The yacht crowd and wealthy Athenians often beeline for the car-free isle of Spetses further south in the Saronic Gulf, to chill out at one of the open-air cinemas or follow in the A-list footsteps of Marilyn Monroe and Ingrid Bergman at the Poseidonion Grand Hotel. Away from the fashion pack, the island’s interior offers excellent hiking.
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“Happy is the man, I thought, who, before dying, has the good fortune to sail the Aegean Sea” wrote Nikos Kazantzakis, celebrated Greek writer and philosopher, and we daresay on your Greek charter holiday you’ll find he had a point. These stunning islands in the South Aegean are the most popular and well known of all of Greece’s island groups. Each island has its own magnetism and charm, but wherever you drop anchor you’re guaranteed to find peaceful pearl-white villages with flashes of colour, endless views of blue seas, all-day sunshine, stunning landscapes and friendly locals – not to mention delicious cuisine. The name ‘Cyclades’ means ‘encircling islands’, and these islands are so named because they form a rough circle around the sacred island of Delos, the legendary birthplace of Artemis and her twin brother Apollo, which is crammed with ancient treasures.
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These islands strung out along the west coast of mainland Greece still bear the marks of centuries of Venetian occupation in the Italianate style of housing and the local cuisine, giving them a slightly different feel to their eastern counterparts. It is also the ultimate destination in Homer’s Odyssey, and once here it’s easy to see why the Greek hero spent 10 years trying to reach his island home of Ithaca, which still retains much of its natural beauty. The island of Kythira, meanwhile, birthplace of Aphrodite, is set apart from the other Ionians and is less touristy and more traditional as a result. If dazzling white sand beaches backed by soaring cliffs is your vision of Greek charter holiday perfection, then this is it.
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Take the blue seas, sandy beaches and lively tavernas required for a Greek charter holiday, add atmospheric ancient sites, brooding medieval castles, dramatic mountain peaks, pine-covered hills and a glorious absence of crowds and you have the Peloponnese, the southern peninsula of Greece. The well-heeled and cosmopolitan resort of Porto Heli is the nucleus of what’s considered the Greek Riviera, a hub of exclusive restaurants and hotels popular with local celebrities and visiting yachts. For more seclusion, wander the medieval tangle of alleys at Monemvasia, or bliss out on the beach paradise isle of Elafonisos.
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These scattered isles in the Aegean are known for their wooded hills, sandy beaches, transparent waters and secluded coves. Just four of the 24 isles are inhabited and boasting no fewer than 65 beaches – most of them sandy – Skiathos is the most developed of them all. A long-time favourite with Hollywood A listers, this beautiful island has bars, beaches and evening beats in abundance. Just west of Skiathos, the larger island of Skopelos ticks all the Greek island boxes: sparkling coves, verdant hills, domed white churches, olive groves and a pretty harbour town.
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