The Dodecanese archipelago is located in the eastern Aegean and has been part of Greece since 1948. Until 2010 it was administered as a prefecture and then transformed into four regional districts, which are now part of a total of 13 regional districts in the newly formed region "South Aegean".
The name Dodecanese derives from the Greek words for "twelve islands", meaning the 12 main islands of this region. From a geographical point of view, the majority of the approximately 160 islands in the Dodecanese archipelago (of which around 25 are inhabited) belong to the Southern Sporades.
Different tribes, ethnicities and cultures have left their traces in this island world. In addition to the Ionians, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans, the Italians also shaped this region from 1912 to 1947 before it became Greek. Every island has its own character!
The islands briefly presented below are a recommended selection for your luxury charter in the Dodecanese archipelago:
Island of Rhodes: The Rhodes Marina offers an idyllic harbor for your departure and is located in the immediate vicinity of the medieval old town. In addition, this beautiful and well-preserved historic city center received the status of the UNESCO World Heritage. Rhodes town has countless impressive monuments, including "the Street of the Knights", the "Palace of the Grand Masters", the ancient Acropolis of Lindos and the fortress of Agios Nikolaos. The famous Valley of the Butterflies is also worth seeing. This is a green canyon where millions of butterflies can be found every year! You will be enchanted!
Kos Island: If you want to start your luxury charter on the island of Kos, you will set sail from the modern Marina Kos. Kos is particularly known for its busy nightlife; party enthusiasts can turn night into day! Away from the hustle and bustle, however, you will find enough quiet bays to relax and linger. By the way, Kos is the birthplace of Hippocrates! If you are planning a shore excursion, you should visit the small village Zia in the inland, which welcomes its guests in the typical Greek style, also worth seeing are the Nerantzia Castle and the Mylotopi in Kefalos. The area of Mylotopi is located in the southwest of Kos and lies on a hill above the village of Kefalos, from where you have a wonderful view of the village and the surrounding sea region. There is a lot to discover at this former mill place: traditionally reconstructed houses, a small bakery and an imposing lovingly restored mill that is already around 1000 years old.
Other interesting islands and exciting sights in the Dodecanese archipelago are:
-) The Island of Nisyros, where you can find a volcano with three craters, which resembles an impressive lunar landscape. It is best to moor in the idyllic harbor of Mandraki for this.
-) On the Islands of Symi & Kastelorizo, architecture enthusiasts will get their money's worth, yet the neoclassical towns will delight you!
-) The Island of Astypalaia with its capital Astypalaia Hora will fascinate you with its windmills and white-painted houses!
-) On the Island of Kalymnos, you will discover one of the most impressive fjords in Greece: Vathy and Esperidon. This island is very popular for divers due to the intact underwater world with all its treasures, including a variety of sea sponges.
If you are excited about sports, you will fully enjoy this island region. Prassoni (in Rhodes), for example, is one of the best windsurfing regions in Greece. In addition to excellent windsurfing options, the island of Karpathos also offers a variety of trekking routes where you can benefit of the magnificent beauty of the island with impressive mountain slopes and a view of the endless blue! If you would like to climb on your luxury charter, the island of Kalymnos would certainly be a hot tip since there are some of the most popular climbing routes in Europe.
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 rare. Many mountains, however, are mostly 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 can be described as a dry and cooling north wind with 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. It can reach 5 (sometimes even 7) Bft. Sometimes it can happen that the Meltemi can be found 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, you will be accompanied by a reliable north-west wind called Maestro, which can be found in this region from mid-May to early October. In the spring and autumn there can also be south-west winds in Greece.
Average temperatures fluctuate between 5 ° C and 14 ° C in the winter months, while temperatures of up to 30 ° C are reached 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 the one hand there is great sailing weather and the temperatures are very inviting.
