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Greek islands Sailing Holidays

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Greek islands sailing holidays
Greek islands sailing holidays Motor Sailing Yachts Bareboat and Crewed Yacht Charters.

This page gives info and brief description of each individual Greek island group in relationship to mainland in order to assist you in planning the sailing area and itinerary for your sailing vacations in Greece because the ideal way to savor the beauty of Greece, its unparallel coastline and the magnificent Greek islands, guess what? is by boat!

You may choose to charter a sailing yacht or a motor yacht or a motorailer or catamaran or even a mega yacht since we offer all yacht types for chartering some as bareboat and others skippered or crewed.

When you arrive in Greece, certainly you will visit Athens and you will find more info on the previous link because here we will talk only about the Greek islands.
 

Greek islands sailing holidays

The Greek islands with their uniquely distinct characteristics and appearance are of vital significance and have played a major role to the country's civilization and tradition.
The Greek territory consists of 6,000 islands and islets and only 227 of those are inhabited and are spread out in the Aegean and Ionian Sea which is an extraordinary marvel on the whole European Continent!
The country has a total of 16,000 kilometers of coastline and 7,500 of this is consumed by the Greek Archipelago. The coastline's landscape varies with beaches that stretch along several kilometers then has naturally sheltered bays and pebbly beaches alternating with golden stretches of sand and dunes then steep rocks and coastal caves and black sand and coastal wetlands and on and on and finally is the clean and transparent waters which have made Greece and its islands renowned all over the world.
In 2006 Greece was awarded on 404 of her beaches and 5 of her marinas with the "Blue Flag" award under the Blue Flags of Europe program which places the country in a top ranking position among all European countries. Blue Flag is an international exclusive voluntary eco-label for beaches and marinas that works towards sustainable development through strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and other services.
Favorite pastime activities at the Greek islands are all water sports like swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, water skiing, sailing and windsurfing.
The Greek islands are the cradle of some of the most ancient and famous European civilizations like the Cycladic civilization and the Minoan so they are full of unique archaeological sites along with a dazzling architectural legacy and intriguing local traditions.
The ideal climate, the high percentage of sunshine, the safety of the Greek waters, the short distance between islands ports and coasts, the remarkable beauty, the amazing fact that 58 percent of the country's lodging facilities and 62 percent of hotel beds are found in the islands (according to 2003 data) have make the Greek islands so popular both domestically internationally!
The early '60's mark the start of professional development of sea tourism at the Greek islands initially at a slow pace geared towards domestic consumption which gradually started moving faster in order to accommodate foreign visitors as well and the recent years has accelerated to lighting speed.

 SARONIC GULF ISLANDS

The Greek islands of the Saronic Gulf are close to one another, usually within a two or three hours sail, situated in the Saronic Gulf southwest of Athens and are among the most beautiful of the Greek islands.
Long stretches of sandy beaches, fragrant pine forest, and rocky capes against a backdrop of brilliant sunshine and crystal blue water provide an infinite variety of scenic beauty.
 
Most of our yachts berth at the Saronic marinas Athens, Calamaki, Glyfada and Lavrion which is very close to Athens so departure and arrival to/from Lavrion will save you a few hours and will put you closer to the Cyclades islands in the central Aegean Sea.
 
If you charter a yacht from any of the above marinas, with a one week you can visit all the Saronic islands:

 IONIAN ISLANDS

The Ionian Islands are constituted of seven islands (Greek name Eptanisa meaning seven islands) and are:

These beautiful islands are the western borders of Greece with Europe and were the apple of discord between the European conquerors that wanted to occupy them through the centuries.
Each one of the seven Ionian Islands has its own unique natural wonders and impressive monuments, scenic villages and towns that show the wonders of the past.
They are located in the Ionian Sea on the Italian side of Greece, with the exception of Kythera which is south of the Eastern Peloponnesus.
Because they were occupied by the Venetians and the Italians instead of the Turks, the islands have a different architecture and character than the islands in the Aegean Sea.
They are connected by ferry boat to the town of Patras in the Peloponnesus. Corfu, Kefallonia, Zakynthos and Kythera have airports.

With one week yacht charter originating from Corfu, Lefkada or Kefallinia (Cephalonia) island, you can visit all the Ionian Islands and Kythera.

 CYCLADES ISLANDS

The Cyclades are the most popular of the Greek islands and the ones you see in pictures, with geometric white houses, and azure seas. They are all between 4 to 10 hours from Piraeus by ferry and half that time with Flying Dolphin hydrofoils. Some islands have airports and Mykonos island and Santorini island even have international flights. They are also islands with a long history archaeological treasures, traditions, great food and nightlife!

Santorini island:
Who wants to go to Santorini?
Every body!
Greek Islands for sailing holidays on sailing motor yacht chartersSantorini is one of the best known of the Cyclades. It differs from the other islands in the group because of its geological morphology which is the result of action by a volcano now dormant.
The landscape on the western side of the island, where towering cliffs crowned by tiny white houses plunge straight into the depths of the sea.
The steep coastline of the west is countered by the vast beaches of the east side, some of them sandy and others with pebbles.
Santorini which is officially known as Thira, is regarded as the most spectacular of all the Greek islands. Is no wonder that its submerged caldera (crater) alone is enough to justify the spotlight.
Not to mention its postcard images of whitewashed churches and bougainvillea clad houses set against blue sea and sky. The spectacular caldera of Santorini is a remnant of what was probably the biggest volcanic eruption in recorded history. The island's violent volcanic history is visible everywhere you look. The black sand beaches, the earthquake damaged dwellings and cliffs of lava dipping into the sea. Volcanic activity has been low key for the past few decades. Minor tremors occur frequently.

With a 2 week yacht charter you can visit the Cyclades islands or Cyclades and Saronic islands.

 SPORADES ISLANDS:

The Greek islands Sporades are located North and East of Evia and East and South East of the Pilion peninsula and they look like its extension. They are very close to the mainland because they are located at the Northern Sporades complex which consists of eleven islands and only four of them are inhabited:

All of them are rich with green pine forests and white sandy beaches. You can reach them from the port of Agios Constantinos and the city of Volos. There are frequent ferries and hydrofoils connecting these islands to the mainland and to each other. There are flights to Skiathos as well as a weekly ferry from Thessalonica on its way to Crete and back.

With 1 week yacht charter originating from Skiathos, Porto Koufo or Porto Karra, you can visit Evia island which is the second largest in Greece after Crete and the Halkidiki area (Athos mountain, where the the unique monasteries are located), that is so beautiful pristine and unspoiled and the Sporades islands.

 DODECANESE ISLANDS:

Dodekanese Islands is a group of islands in the Aegean Sea. The main islands of the Dodecanese group are:

 With a one week yacht charter originating from Rhodes or Cos island you can visit all Dodecanese Islands including the Turkish Coast. For a visit to the Turkish coast, an additional fee of USD $500 to the Turkish Authorities will be added.

We hope that you found helpful the above information in planning your sailing itineraries to these magnificent Greek islands and we are looking forward to serve you providing the best yacht fitting your budget, taste and sailing needs.

Thank you for your continued trust and support.

Cordially,
The Staff and Management of Yachting-Greece


Greek islands sailing holidays

Greek islands sailing holidays

 

 

Greek islands sailing holidays

 

 

Greek islands sailing holidays

 

 

Greek islands sailing holidays

 

 

Greek islands sailing holidays

 

 

Greek islands sailing holidays

 

 

Greek islands sailing holidays

 

 

Greek islands sailing holidays

 

 

Greek Islands for sailing holidays on sailing motor yacht charters