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Greece, Sailing, Travel

Sailing in Greece

September 28, 2020
Sailboats with sunset behind them in Athens, Greece

Sailing in Greece is how fell I in love with Greece on my first trip. Taking a sailing holiday in Greece is a great way to see several Greek islands and even some of the mainland in one trip. Not only do you get to see many places in one trip, but you can find spots that you want to revisit on your next Greece trip.

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You sail from one beautiful Greek island to the next. Each will have a wonderful beach with clear turquoise or blue waters that practically beg you to swim in them. Then each night you will dock under the glowing harbor lights of a Greek village harbor and get to know the warmth of Greek hospitality.

There are several options for taking a sailing trip in Greece that can fit all types of vacations. Except for a few options, anyone can go on one of these sailing trips.

Sailing Charters in Greece

A sailing charter in Greece is probably the most common kind of sailing trip. On a sailing charter, you rent the boat, get crew, and the boat is provisioned for you. Usually, the crew and provisioning are included. Sometimes a hostess or cook is also included or can be added to the rental.

If you want a luxury sailing holiday in Greece, this is the way to go! You and your friends can rent the sailboat or yacht together to split the cost.

The other good thing about this option is that you usually have much more say in the itinerary so you can visit the Greek islands that you want or make a change if you decide to stay longer in one place. Dietary issues may also be more manageable since they will provision the boat as requested.

You can opt to have all your meals onboard or visit one of the many tavernas or restaurants in the places you visit.

Cabin Charters in Greece

A cabin charter is how I did my first sailing vacation in Greece. The cabin charter allows you to book a cabin on a charter with others. It can be a cheaper option if you can’t find enough people to charter a whole boat.

On a charter like this, the itinerary is set with mostly set in advance. Although, all sailing trips are dependent on the weather. The nice thing about this is that the captain usually knows the islands or towns very well, so you get top tips for each place.

I have done this type of sailing trip in Greece twice. Most recently, with Sailing Jollies. Although we were also doing a boat delivery and there was no hostess, and there was more responsibility. What I like about the cabin charter that usually you can learn a bit about sailing if you want.

 

Bareboat Charter in Greece

If you have your skipper’s license, you might be able to charter a yacht in Greece. Usually, this means there is no crew, and you provision the boat. This is a great option if you have a large family or group of friends already ready to go on the trip. You can make the food you want.

You also get to set your own itinerary so you can see the places you want without compromise. The only thing is having the yacht or sailboat back to the agreed-upon marina by the end date.

A bareboat charter in Greece is probably only a good idea if you have sailed in Greece before since the winds can be strong at certain times of the year. Another option is to join a flotilla of boats that may be a combination of bareboat or charter sailboats. Going on a flotilla is useful if you are confident in your sailing ability but unsure of the sailing waters. 

Day Sails in Greece

Almost every island has an option for a day sail around that island or to another island nearby. A day sail in Greece may also be possible from Athens and other major ports on the mainland. 

A day sail means that you will leave early in the morning and sail to points during the day. It usually consists of sailing to a swim stop, having lunch, and then sailing to another swim stop before returning to the port. Many times these swim stops are in spots on islands that may be unreachable by car or walking. 

Going on a day sail in Greece means that you might get to see parts of the country you may not have seen on your island vacation only.

Boat Delivery

Maybe you have some sailing experience and would like to build miles, then going on a boat delivery is a great option. The only drawback to these is that sometimes the delivery is on a schedule, and you cannot stop much for leisurely days in the ports. You may only have a few days to make the delivery.

As with some cabin charters, the trip is not going to be round trip, so you will need to find your way back to the starting point if that is where your flight leaves from. Of course, you might be able to pick up another boat delivery or enjoy the place you are in for longer.

Most boat deliveries need people with sailing experience, so this might not be an option for the casual sailor. It depends on the skipper that sail with.

Sunset Sails on the Greek Islands

By far, the most popular option for sailing in Greece is to take a sunset sail. Greek sunsets are out of this world, and unless a cloud blocks it, I have never seen a bad Greek sunset.

A sunset sail will usually leave in the late afternoon or early evening, depending on the activities involved. Some are quick for about two hours just to get out to watch the sail, usually with a drink. Others include swimming and a light meal. The boat will head back to the harbor as soon as the sun sets to avoid getting back too late in the dark, usually.

Keep in mind that the time of the sail may vary during the year for the sunset sail since the sunset changes times.

Greek Island Hopping Itineraries

Now, where should you go on one of these fantastic sailing trips in Greece? There are so many options. Of course, if you are going on a cabin charter, flotilla, or boat delivery, you may not have much choice in your sailing itinerary.

However, if you have booked the entire boat, you get to choose! If you depart from Athens, you can choose from the Saronic islands, the Peloponnese, or the Cycladic islands. For example, my first sailing trip was Athens, Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Sifnos, and Ios. The return was Ios, Paros, Syros, Delos, Kea, and Kythnos. This trip was great since we got to see both the Saronic and Cycladic islands.

If you have less time, you could leave Athens and head to Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetes, and return to Athens. My second trip was from Athens to Corfu. This trip was great as we saw lots of mainland villages and sailed through the Corinth Canal.

Another area to consider is the Dodecanese islands in eastern Greece. These islands are closer to Turkey so your itinerary could include Turkey as well as Kos, Kalimos, Leros, and Patmos.

Each of these areas of Greece offers something different, so you will want to do your research and see what kind of experience you would like to have.

Types of Boats

There are many options for types of boats to charter in Greece. If you know what kind of boat you want, you have already narrowed down your choices of charter companies. Some companies only do monohull sailboats and some do a mix of monohulls and catamarans. If you are only looking for motor yachts, then you can look for those as well.

Going on a monohull sailboat is my top choice. If you are unfamiliar, a monohull is a single hulled boat with sails. Many sailing enthusiasts prefer this as you get the real feel of sailing this way. When underway with higher speeds the boat will keel to one side. This is when one side of the sailboat is lower than the other. The wind whips through your hair and occasionally you will get a light spray of seawater!

Another type is a catamaran. These usually have two hulls that are connected. These offer more stability than a monohull. The cabins tend to be larger as is the saloon. These are a great option for people new to sailing or those traveling with young children.

Then there are motor yachts. There are many different kinds of these and I won’t go into them all. The ones you charter will have cabins for sleeping and it will vary on where the helm is. This may or may not matter to you if you are the skipper or not. If you are skippering your own boat, you will know what you prefer. If you going with a skipper, make sure the yacht has the features you desire.

Wondering what to pack for you Greek island sailing trip? Check out my post all about it by clicking here!

Have you been sailing in Greece? Share your experience in the comments!

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Greece, Sailing, Travel

The Little Known Beautiful Greek Islands of Kythnos and Kea

January 16, 2017
Kea and Kythnos

During my Greek island sailing trip, I visited 12 islands and Athens. While I only spent about 24 hours or less on each island, it was enough to tell you which islands were my favorites. Believe it or not, Santorini was not my favorite. Kythnos and Kea are two Greek islands in the Cyclades I would like to consider spending significantly more time exploring.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Kythnos

The fourth Greek island we docked in was Kythnos. The first night we were on Kythnos, we slept in Kolona Bay. We anchored in the natural harbor between Kythnos and a smaller islet. The beach is nice soft sand, which is not the norm in Greece.  There were not too many other people at Kolona Bay. I explored the surrounding hills. There is a small restaurant and bar on the Kythnos side if you want a meal or a beer. We had a sandpit barbecue.

Kythnos and Kea

The next day we sailed around the island and docked at the town of Loutra.  The captain recommended heading up to the hilltop Chora, the Greek word for village, for lunch and to see the town. Several of us piled into one of the two taxis on this side of the island and headed up the winding road. Immediately saw the charm of the village. It is the more quiet, but equally beautiful version of Santorini. Not only that but I had the best meal of my life there.

Kythnos and Kea
Kythnos and Kea

After wandering the town, I decided to eat in the main square where the taxi had dropped us. The restaurant was called Messaria, which is the official name of the town. I ordered the fig salad with almonds and the baked eggplant. Both were divine despite their simplicity! The seasoning was just perfect.  I really want to try to recreate the eggplant dish myself. The eggplant is baked with tomato sauce, cheese and spices.

Kythnos and Kea
Kythnos and Kea

The astounding food didn’t stop with lunch. That evening we visited Sofrano Yachting Club Restaurant. Since having mussels last summer in Italy, I have become obsessed. I ordered the steamed mussels. The mussels had been steamed in a combination of ouzo, garlic, and possibly white wine, which made a sauce so good I dipped my bread in it after the mussels were all gone. Sadly, we sailed from Kythnos the next morning and didn’t get the chance to enjoy the natural hot springs.

Kythnos and Kea

Book hotels in Kythnos at Hotels.com or Booking.com.

Kea

Sailing into the small island of Kea, I was really happy for a quiet port. We docked in the small village of Vourkari, which is down the road from the larger port of Korissia where the ferries from Athens arrive. The second week of sailing was rougher than the first and I hadn’t been getting much sleep due to that and we had been on larger islands with busy ports. Vourkari is a small quaint Greek village.

We arrived late in the afternoon, allowing us just enough time to walk to down to the small beach before dinner. The beach was not as rocky as some Greek beaches and there is a beach bar with loungers available. After dinner, we walked around feeding the stray cats our leftover dinner scraps and enjoying exploring the island.

Kythnos and Kea

We headed up to the Chora of Kea the next morning. We walked (hiked, really) to the see the Lion of Kea. It’s a steep climb down to the lion, but worth getting a close-up picture of it. Going back to the Chora make sure you take a look around at the amazing views down to the sea and the surrounding homes.

Kythnos and Kea

Kea also appealed to me because it was quiet, the people were nice and Vourkari had a nice vibe of everyone knowing each other. I wanted to rent an apartment and stay for a month or so on this lovely island of Kea.

Book hotels in Kea on Booking.com or Hotels.com.

Have you been to any Greek Islands? Which ones were your favorites?

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Kythnos and Kea
Greece, Sailing, Travel

Sailing the Greek Islands – Itinerary

January 9, 2017
Sailing in Greece

Since my objective was to be on a boat, I wasn’t focused on what islands we were on the itinerary. I just wanted to be on the water. I knew I want to go to Santorini and that was what prompted me to book two weeks as it allowed two days in Santorini. The guide I had purchased didn’t do most of the island’s justice and eventually, I decided just to learn on board the boat. That was part of the appeal of the charter company I chose; they provided information every day about the places we were going to visit. Several islands will get an individual post, but I want to give you an idea of each island.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Week One

The first stop was the small island of Aegina. Sailing to Aegina doesn’t take very long, and the captain said that this was because they hope to let passengers get their sea legs, so they don’t get seasick.

Aegina is known for the Temple of Aphaea as it is one of the best-preserved temples of ancient Greece. The temple is located at the top of the island, and you have to hike up to the top. I opted not to climb to the temple because I woke up with a migraine and it was still hot in Greece in September and would have made my migraine miserable. Since the island is also known for their pistachios, I went on a pistachio hunt! Later I decided to bring these back to Qatar for my coworkers, but they were some of the best pistachios I have ever had.

Sailing the Greek Islands-Itinerary

After lunch and swim, we headed to Poros, which isn’t far from Aegina. We docked at the town of Poros (I discovered there are many duplications of names in Greece). This was to be our sleeping spot for the evening. First thing on everyone’s mind was a shower. The local beer pub offered showers for €3! So, yes, I showered in a bar. It wasn’t the nicest shower I have ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the worst. And I definitely think it was part of the experience.

Sailing the Greek Islands-Itinerary

The next island was Hydra. Hydra was a happening place! The port was full, and we had a hard time finding a place to dock. There are no cars allowed on the island, and it is full of cats!

Sailing the Greek Islands-Itinerary

The captain wanted to head to Milos, but the weather wasn’t going to cooperate. Instead, we headed to Kythnos. Kythnos was one of my favorites. We slept in two nights in Kythnos in different places. (There will be more on Kythnos later.)

Sailing the Greek Islands-Itinerary

Next, we headed to Serifos for a short swim stop. The tricky part here is there is no harbor. We were given the option to swim to the beach or take the dingy. I was sure I could make it to shore, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to make it back the boat. I opted to take the dingy. The water was so clear here. It reminded me of the Caribbean.

The next and final stop for the first week was Ios. By this point, I was really tired and decided to stay on the boat that day knowing I still had to do Santorini and another week!  This turned out to be a good thing as I was struck down by the opposite of seasickness, land sickness (?) and was dizzy for several days. There are lots sights to see here, though, including Homer’s Tomb. We had dinner the last evening together at an amazing hotel overlooking the harbor and were treated to a spectacular sunset.

Sailing the Greek Islands-Itinerary

Week Two

After two nights in Santorini, I returned by ferry to Ios to begin week two! The land sickness went away for a bit on Santorini but was totally gone once I was back on the boat. Schinoussa was the next island and had the smallest population of all the Greek Islands we visited. As of 2011, 256 people lived there, but it seemed like less than that. There wasn’t anything at the port, but the walk up to the town was magical as they have made a great stone path that is lit at night. I wish we had more time on this tiny island.

Next, we sailed to Paros. Paros was much larger than Schinoussa and some of the other islands we visited. I decided to strike out on my own for the day and the evening meal. The island had great shopping and restaurants. You could wander the streets for hours. My only regret was that I didn’t have more room in my suitcase. The harbor was not protected, and we had a rough night on the boat and eventually, I went to sleep in the lounge area to try to escape the noise of the water hitting the stern where my cabin was located.

Sailing the Greek Islands-Itinerary

The ancient site of Delos was the next island. Delos is not an inhabited island due to the whole island being an archeological site. It is believed to have been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC. If you aren’t on a sailing cruise, you can get here by ferry from Mykonos. Bring your hiking shoes and some water as there is lots to see and the only snack shop on the island is a bit of a walk from the port as are the bathrooms!

Sailing the Greek Islands-Itinerary

Another big island was up next with Syros. Syros is very modern and looks a little Italian. It had a nice mix of sites to see and shopping. We had a wonderful dinner here in a building that wasn’t fully restored, and the ceiling was made of vines that hung down into the dining room. The food was modern Greek.

Sailing the Greek Islands-Itinerary

Last, but not least was Kea. Kea was another favorite of mine. The harbor was small and quaint. The beach was a short walk from there. We slept at Kea and in the morning went to the hilltop Chora (village) to see the Lion of Kea. Kea has a wonderful museum in the village as well.

Sailing the Greek Islands-Itinerary

Are you tired yet? I was by this point and was glad and sad to be heading back to Athens. While I think I would have needed some serious naps, I would have loved to stay on the boat for the next two-week journey.

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Europe, Greece, Sailing, Travel

Sailing the Greek Islands – Arrival and the Boat

January 2, 2017
Sailing the Greek Islands

When I first told people that I was going to sail the Greek Islands, they thought I was going on a cruise, but they were wrong! Inspired by sailing up the Nile in Egypt, I decided to find another sailing adventure. I wanted to be close to the water and for more than a couple of days. After doing some research, what exactly I wanted out of the trip. I wanted a private cabin charter in Greece. Is that all Greek to you?

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Basically, I wanted a small sailboat, not a cruise ship. I also wanted my own cabin. After looking at some budget options, I decided that going with a more expensive charter with some meals included and a tour guide was more my sailing style. Ultimately, I booked with Poseidon Charters for this sailing adventure. Then the long wait for the trip began!

Arrival in Athens

The start of the two-week sailing trip begins in Athens. Most charters will leave from Athens, but some have options of leaving from one of the Greek Islands. Three years ago, I had a trip planned to Athens, but I had a medical emergency and it was canceled, so I arrived a day early so I could do a quick stop at the big attractions. I did the usual Acropolis, Hadrian’s Library, Agora, Acropolis Museum and some people watching.

Sailing the Greek Islands

I would say the best part of Athens was meeting a cousin I had never met before! Yes, I had to go all the way to Athens to meet my American cousin. She was there starting a semester abroad, and we thought we should meet up. She lives in Nebraska and given how little I am in the US now; this made sense. Unfortunately, we are not related on the Greek side, only the German side so I am still not Greek! We also didn’t have the good sense to take pictures of this epic meetup, so we will just have to remember that it happened.

Boarding the Boat

I will admit that getting to the marina and finding the boat made me nervous. Yes, even after all these trips, I still worry about some things. The best way for me to get to the marina was to take the tram, but the tram wasn’t close to my hotel and dragging my suitcase across ancient streets and summer tourist crowds was not appealing to me. I also wasn’t too keen on taking a taxi in Athens as I have heard of people being scammed. I can be very firm, so I decided to let the hotel call me a taxi and they estimated it should be €15 to the marina. They gave the taxi driver directions in Greek, and I prayed I would make it to the correct Marina! Even though he didn’t speak a word of English and my Greek is zero, I made it, and he got a big tip from a grateful tourist.

The charter company had sent good directions, but arriving at the marina, I became worried as there were hundreds of boats. I walked down the pier looking for the name of the boat. It was all the way at the end due to its size. Arriving early in case of taxi mishaps, I had about an hour and a half to kill.  I took off to buy drinks for the happy hour aboard the boat as alcohol is not provided by the charter company.

Sailing the Greek Islands

Life Aboard the Sailboat

Once I returned to the boat, most of the other passengers had arrived and we were allowed to board. As I hadn’t seen my cabin yet, I was anxious to see what my home for the next two weeks would look like. I had been told the cabin was on the short side. This turned out to be just fine for me since I am short. The bonus was that it was wider than the other cabins and I was able to stand up in part of the cabin. I did, however, have to shower sitting down.

Sailing the Greek Islands

The first night we went to dinner near the marina and then slept on board in the harbor. We left early the next morning after a wonderful breakfast of greek yogurt, fruit, boiled eggs and granola; this would become the standard breakfast for the whole trip.

After leaving the harbor of each place we slept at, we would usually leave early, motor out till we found some good wind and raise the sails. Then we would head to the swim stop.  Some days this was on an island and other days it was off-shore somewhere. We would then have lunch aboard the ship. Lunch was usually something light and quick as sometimes we were underway while eating lunch. Other days we had more elaborate lunches, like the day we had spring rolls! The captain had brought the rice sheets all the way from Canada. Still not sure how he rolled all of them with the rocking back and forth.

Sailing the Greek Islands

After lunch, we would head to our next port, which is where we would anchor for the night. People have asked if we slept in hotels on the islands and the answer is no. We slept on the boat. Given the unpredictability of weather, there is no guarantee of what islands we will sail to, so you can’t make a hotel reservation in advance. Only one island was a guarantee, Ios, as that is where the second-week passengers get on. Not everyone did two weeks like crazy me!

Sailing the Greek Islands

After arriving at the next island, we might have time to sightsee if we arrived early enough and then we would usually go to dinner as a group. If we didn’t have time in the evening, a few places were closer together and we could go sightseeing in the morning. One night we didn’t anchor at a marina and we slept in a bay. This was my favorite night. We had a barbecue, stayed up watching the stars and a thunderstorm in the distance and I awoke to a stunning sunrise.

Sailing the Greek Islands

In the next post, I will talk more about the itinerary and what I did all day! There will more posts about specific islands later too, so stay tuned!

Have you gone sailing on a vacation? Tell us where and if you liked in the comments!

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Sailing the Greek Islands