Charter a yacht, sailing vessel or motorboat in Greek waters, arranged end to end — the boat matched to your party, the route planned around the weather, and the transfer that gets you to the quay.
Our specialised team recommends the vessel that suits what you actually want from the time on the water, rather than whatever happens to be free that week. Every yacht is delivered fully equipped and serviced, chartering costs are competitive, and we will say plainly when a smaller boat or a shorter charter would serve you better.
Choosing the vessel
Three questions settle almost everything: how many are sleeping aboard, how much of the time you want to spend moving, and whether you intend to sail the boat yourself.
Motor yachts
The choice when the itinerary matters more than the sailing. A motor yacht will cover in a morning what a sailing boat covers in a day, which means Mykonos or Hydra without surrendering a day of the charter to the passage. Expect a generator, air conditioning throughout, and a tender for watersports and going ashore. Fuel is the trade-off and is billed separately from the charter fee.
Sailing yachts and catamarans
Monohulls in the forty to fifty-five foot range remain the classic Aegean charter, and the most economical way to spend a week aboard. Catamarans sit flatter, draw less water, carry far more deck and shade, and are almost always the better answer for families or for a group with mixed sailing experience. They are also the first vessels to go: peak-season catamarans are routinely booked before the turn of the year.
Motorboats and day charters
Not every charter needs to be a week. A day boat out of Alimos, Vouliagmeni or Lavrio reaches Aegina, Agkistri, the Athens Riviera coastline or Cape Sounio comfortably within a day, with swimming stops along the way — a good option for a visiting group, or for the day either side of a business commitment.
Crewed, skippered or bareboat
Crewed. A captain, and according to the size of the vessel a chef, a stewardess and a deckhand. Running costs — fuel, berthing, provisioning, harbour fees — are handled through an Advance Provisioning Allowance, customarily around thirty per cent of the charter fee, held by the captain and reconciled against receipts at the end of the charter.
Skippered. You take the boat, we put a professional skipper aboard. This is what most groups actually want: the freedom of a bareboat charter without carrying responsibility for the vessel, and someone aboard who knows the anchorages and reads the forecast properly.
Bareboat. You sail it yourself. Greek authorities require a recognised skipper’s certificate together with a VHF operator’s licence, and a second competent crew member is declared alongside you. We confirm what your particular licence permits before anything is reserved, rather than at the charter base on the morning of departure.
Where the charter takes you
The Saronic Gulf
Aegina, Agkistri, Poros, Hydra, Spetses, Ermioni. Short hops, sheltered water and no long open crossings, which makes it the sensible first charter and the right choice when time is limited — you can leave Athens after lunch and be at anchor by evening. Hydra permits no cars at all, which is much of its appeal.
The Cyclades
Kea, Syros, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Ios, Sifnos, Serifos, Milos, Santorini. The islands most people have in mind, and also the most exposed. The meltemi, the northerly summer wind, can blow hard for several consecutive days in July and August and will dictate where you go and when. A Cyclades itinerary should always be planned with alternatives built in, and we plan them that way.
The Ionian
Corfu, Paxos and Antipaxos, Lefkada, Meganisi, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Zakynthos. Greener, gentler and considerably calmer than the Aegean — the summer breeze fills in through the afternoon and drops away at night. Charters here generally start from Lefkada or Corfu rather than Athens, so the connection forms part of what we arrange.
The Dodecanese and the Sporades
Rhodes, Symi, Kos, Kalymnos and Patmos to the south-east; Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos to the north, where the National Marine Park shelters one of the last populations of Mediterranean monk seal. Both suit longer charters and guests who have already done the Cyclades once.
When to sail
The season runs from April to the end of October. May, June, September and early October give the best combination of warm water, workable wind and room at the quay. July and August are the hottest, the busiest and the most expensive, and they are the meltemi months. Peak weeks on the better boats are taken far in advance — for crewed yachts, earlier still.
What the price covers
Bareboat and skippered charters are quoted for the vessel. Fuel, berthing, provisioning, the skipper’s meals and end-of-charter cleaning sit outside that figure, and we set them out before you commit rather than afterwards. Crewed charters are normally quoted on standard MYBA terms with the Advance Provisioning Allowance on top.
A refundable security deposit is standard practice and can usually be replaced by charter damage insurance. Because cost turns on vessel, season and duration, we quote in writing once the shape of the charter is settled — never a figure over the telephone that moves later.
Getting there, and what happens ashore
On request we arrange transport to and from the airport, or from any other point you designate — by road, or by air with a Learjet or a helicopter where time is short or the island is distant. Hotel accommodation either side of the charter and a short tour of the city can be arranged at the same time, so the trip is one booking rather than five.
Where the transfer needs to be discreet as well as punctual, it is run by the same team that handles our executive security transfer.
Privacy and security on board
A yacht is a private place until it is moored stern-to in a crowded harbour in August. For clients who need more than the illusion of privacy, we place trained personnel aboard, assess ports of call before you reach them, and manage arrival and departure so that a berth in a busy marina does not become a public appearance. This forms part of our wider maritime and personal security work and can be added to any charter we arrange.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht in Greece?
Only if you intend to sail it yourself. A bareboat charter requires a recognised skipper’s certificate together with a VHF operator’s licence, and a second competent crew member declared alongside you. If you do not hold these, a skippered or crewed charter puts a professional aboard and the requirement falls away. We confirm what your particular licence permits before anything is reserved.
What is the difference between crewed, skippered and bareboat?
Crewed means a captain and, on larger vessels, a chef, stewardess and deckhand, with running costs handled through an Advance Provisioning Allowance. Skippered means you take the boat and we put a professional skipper aboard — the freedom of a bareboat without the responsibility. Bareboat means you sail it yourself, licence permitting.
When is the best time to charter in Greece?
May, June, September and early October give the best combination of warm water, workable wind and room at the quay. July and August are the hottest, busiest and most expensive weeks, and they are the meltemi months in the Aegean. Peak weeks on the better boats — catamarans and crewed yachts especially — are taken far in advance.
What does the charter fee actually include?
Bareboat and skippered charters are quoted for the vessel; fuel, berthing, provisioning, the skipper’s meals and end-of-charter cleaning sit outside that figure, and we set them out in writing before you commit. Crewed charters are normally quoted on standard MYBA terms with the Advance Provisioning Allowance on top. A refundable security deposit is standard and can usually be replaced by charter damage insurance.
Where should a first charter go?
The Saronic Gulf. Short hops, sheltered water and no long open crossings mean you can leave Athens after lunch and be at anchor off Aegina or Poros by evening. It is the sensible first charter, and the right choice whenever time is limited.
Can security personnel be placed aboard?
Yes. For clients who need more than the illusion of privacy we place trained personnel aboard, assess ports of call in advance, and manage arrivals and departures so a berth in a busy marina does not become a public appearance. This can be added to any charter we arrange.
Arranging a charter
Tell us the dates, how many are aboard, and roughly what you want the time to feel like. We come back with two or three vessels that genuinely fit, and what each one costs fully loaded rather than as a headline. We are reachable at any hour, and for peak-season dates the earlier the conversation happens, the better the boat you get.