.pdf Compare characteristics at a glance.
The Saronic Gulf & Argolic Gulf & Peloponesse east coast is the recommended sailing area for those taking their first sailing holiday in Greece or their first bareboat charter after sailing school. The new Athens international airport provides easy access to the charter bases of Alimos (Kalamaki) marina and Lavrion port in Athens. The area has calm waters, requires a little to some sailing competence / experience, offers all kinds of amenities, sightseeing and a good choice between secluded bays and quite coves to adventure, fun, night life and activities corresponding to the style of organized tourism.
The Cyclades islands are maybe the most popular destination in the world. Cyclades are to offer abundant beauty and adventurous sailing holidays. Apart from Mykonos and Santorini islands (that everyone knows), there are many other Greek islands that belong to the same group. The charter bases that serve the Cyclades are Alimos (Kalamaki) marina and Lavrion port in Athens. The area is renowned for its clear water, sandy beaches and strong winds. Cyclades islands require moderate to advanced sailing competence and skills, rather good experience and offers all kinds of facilities and styles. Sunshine, dryness, rocky isles, white traditional houses and endless number of approaches / beaches are the rule. There are a lot of untouched and unspoiled islands that stand off the beaten track, where technical support for the yacht may fall short. In many islands, in the morning you can relax in a peaceful bay and the same night you can roister in a pub or music club.
The Ionian islands with a mild climate, have more vegetation, more rain, more flat seas and less strong winds than any other regions in Greece. It is the perfect ground to sail with children safely since less experienced crews will carry out things well. Charter bases in the Ionian are located in Gouvia marina in Corfu island and new Lefkas marina in Lefkas island – both of them private and modern marinas with good facilities and a bit expensive dock fee. The area is the favorite one not only for charter yachts but for private boats too, and sailing charters for August should be booked quite in advance before the Italians, French, and Greeks take hold of all the available boats.
The Dodecanese islands are in their bigger part (Kos and Rhodos islands excepted) bare of vegetation although not to such extend as the Cyclades. The Dodecanese islands located at the Southeastern end of Greece are the warmest Greek sailing destination – good to visit even in early April or late October and November. The charter bases are set in the nice new marina of Kos island and in the old harbor of Mandraki in Rhodos. The prevailing winds are blowing from NW and they are less strong than in the open Aegean Sea.
In spring and September, winds are traditionally calmer from Southeast. The character of the islands is influenced partly from the Venetians and a lot by the Knights of St John and the middle Ages, though visually and culturally the Dodecanese remains purely Greek.
The Sporades islands placed on the Northwest side of the Aegean Sea is the sailing area that offers much beauty and an incredible number of wonderful beaches within a limited (is)land extend. The Sporades (their actual name is the Northern Sporades) is not the ideal place to check archaeological sites but it is among the very few islands where yachts anchor in a bay and the charterers in the boat’s cockpit enjoy the natural shade of the pine trees running down to the water. The charter base that ?serves? the Sporades is in the marina of Skiathos island.