The Cyclades are a very special sailing area. Brilliant white villages, fantastic beaches, clear, azure water and partly barren rocky landscapes impress every visitor. There are many islands to discover, which is why a good planning before you start your luxury charter certainly is essential.
Just like the sailing area of the Saronic Gulf, you can explore the Cyclades from one of the many marinas near Athens. Athens International Airport offers the easiest way to get there. Below you will find again an overview of the most important marinas:
-) ZEA Piräus Marina: 670 berths. Luxury yachts up to 150m in length and 8m in draft.
-) The Alimos Marina: 1000 berths, yachts up to 40m long and with a max. depth of 6m can moor here
-) Other well-known marinas are: Marina Delta Kallithea, Lavrion Marina (680 berths with a maximum yacht length of 30m and maximum depth of 7m), and many more.
Paros Island: The small port of Naoussa, which once was a pirate stronghold, should not be missing when you go ashore. There is an exuberant atmosphere here with loud music, both among visitors and locals. If you prefer to take it easy, visit the mountain villages of Lefkes, Prodromos and Marpissa. Marpissa, a small village that dates back to the 16th century, impresses with its traditional windmills and churches!
There is so much more to tell! Below we would like to give you at least a small overview of other islands in the Cyclades that are worth seeing: visit the islands of Kea, Milos, Amorgos, Sikinos, Anafi, Ios, Kythnos, Sifnos, Serifos and Folegandros. The two colossal statues on Naxos amaze visitors and the old town of Karthaia in Kea is also worth a visit. You will surely find your personal paradise in the Cyclades!
If you are enthusiastic about water sports and you are into windsurfing or kitesurfing, you should visit the island of Paros with your luxury charter. Basically, however, you will find providers of various water sports on most beaches, unless you already have the right water sports equipment on board on your luxury yacht. Hiking enthusiasts will find well-marked hiking trails, especially on Naxos, Tinos, Amorgos, Syros and Andros. The wild landscapes in the Cyclades with castles, chapels, old towers and ancient ruins will impress you!
The volcanic soils in Santorini, for example, produce excellent wines, a tasty little tomato variety, different types of capers and white eggplants. On most islands you will find different types of well-seasoned delicious cheese, such as Kopanisti (a Greek blue mold cheese made from raw goat, sheep or cow's milk) or Xinotyro (consisting of traditional products such as yoghurt, shirty, touloumisio and Feta), Arseniko on Naxos and San Michali on Tinos. In Syros and Paros, you will be served tasty omelets called Froutalia, while on Andros and Tinos you should definitely try a variety of sausages and pork fillets (louza). Sweet dishes like pastelli (sesame bars) and amygdalota (almond bread) are almost everywhere to find. Many islands also distill their own liquor. The best known is of course the so-called Raki, which is famous in Tinos for its lightness. In Amorgos you could also try a Rakomelo (honey liquor)!
Greece has a Mediterranean climate with lots of sunshine, mild temperatures and hardly any precipitation.
The geographical location of the country, its rugged and mostly mountainous relief and its distribution between the mainland and the sea mean that there can be great differences in the Greek climate. Winters are very mild in lowland areas, and snow and ice are very rare. Many mountains, however, are usually covered with snow. A common phenomenon is the occurrence of different climatic conditions during the same season (e.g. mild heat in coastal areas and cool temperatures in mountainous regions).
In summer, the dry hot days are cooled by seasonal winds known as Meltemi, while generally lower temperatures prevail in the mountainous regions. The Meltemi will accompany you on your luxury charter very often! It is a dry and cooling north wind that involves a good visibility. It blows mainly in summer (from June to September), but can also occur in May or October. This wind, which is very pleasant for sailors, usually blows in the afternoon and subsides at sunset and can reach 5 (sometimes even 7) Bft. Sometimes it can happen that the Meltemi blows continuously during the day and at night. This peculiarity can even last up to 10 days. When you explore the Ionian Sea from Corfu or Lefkas with your luxury yacht, a reliable north-west wind called Maestro may convoy you. It is predominant in this region from mid-May to early October. In the spring and autumn there can also occur south-west winds in Greece.
Average temperatures fluctuate between 5°degrees and 14°degrees in the winter months, while temperatures reach of up to 30°degrees in high summer.
The sailing season in Greece starts in early April and can last until the end of November. The high season extends from mid-July to early September. Temperatures are high these months, but the cooling Meltemi wind blows in the Aegean. September is a very popular month for sailors because on one hand there is great sailing weather and on the other hand the temperatures are very inviting.
