Greek Islands Yacht Charter Itinerary: Cyclades vs Ionian

About this guide

A 7-day Greek Islands charter itinerary is planned in two decisions: which group of islands, and how to handle the wind. The Cyclades deliver the classic white-village Greece but sit in the path of the summer meltemi; the Ionian is green, sheltered and calm. Get the first decision right for the guests and the second right for the season, and the rest of the week largely plans itself.

This guide covers how experienced crews choose between the two, how they route a Cyclades week around the meltemi, the practical rules of chartering in Greece, and where Guest Trip takes the planning out of email chains.

Cyclades or Ionian: choosing for the guests

Character. Whitewashed villages, volcanic and arid, big-name islands. Green, Venetian towns, quiet bays, olive groves to the water. Wind. Meltemi June to September, peaking July and August at 15 to 25 knots on ordinary days and 25 to 35+ in strong spells. Light afternoon breezes; the easiest water in Greece. Passages. Open-water legs between islands; short, steep seas in wind. Short hops in protected channels. Best for. Guests who want Mykonos and Santorini and can take a lively day. Families, first-time charterers, spa-and-swim weeks. Airports. Athens, Mykonos, Santorini. Corfu, Preveza (Lefkada), Kefalonia. Best months. May, June, September, early October. May to early October

The Saronic Gulf (Hydra, Spetses, Poros) is the third option for shorter charters out of Athens, and the Dodecanese for a more remote eastern feel. Both are calmer than the central Cyclades in high summer.

Seven steps to planning the week

1. Take the meltemi seriously in the shoulder of the plan

The meltemi is a dry northerly that blows from June to September and hardest in July and August. Forecast wind understates the effect: a short, steep sea builds within hours and afternoon gusts are stronger than the morning. In strong spells, keep long legs to 20 to 30 nautical miles, use big islands as breakwaters, depart between 06:00 and 10:00 and be anchored by early afternoon. Always have a bailout harbour within 10 to 15 miles.

each leg is drawn on navigable water and the whole week appears on one overview chart, so a lee-hopping route through the islands reads as a plan rather than a compromise.

2. Fix the fixed points

Flights into Athens or Mykonos set the start; Santorini's caldera has limited berthing and almost no anchoring, so a Santorini visit is usually a day stop with tenders or a night alongside at Vlychada. Book the Mykonos marina berth or an anchorage plan for Ornos and Platis Gialos early in high season, and the restaurants that matter (Mykonos, Paros's Naoussa, Santorini's Oia) at the same time.

3. Cluster the islands rather than hopping every day

The Cyclades reward clusters: Paros and Antiparos; Naxos and the Small Cyclades (Koufonisia, Schinoussa); Sifnos and Serifos; Milos and Kimolos. Each cluster gives two or three days of short, sheltered legs with a change of scene, and each has a lee to run to when the wind builds. A week that touches five clusters is a delivery, not a charter.

4. Anchor early and on sand

Good anchorages fill from mid-afternoon in July and August. Arrive before 14:00, look for sand in six to eight metres rather than weed, and lay generous scope where gusts are forecast. In a meltemi week the anchor watch is part of the itinerary, and a night alongside in Naoussa or Adamantas (Milos) is often the better guest experience than a rolly bay.

keep your tested anchorages as custom saved locations with their own pins, and reuse them across every Greek itinerary.

5. Know the rules of chartering in Greece

Charters starting in Greek waters must be on a commercially licensed yacht, and the operator handles the paperwork. VAT on charters beginning in Greece is currently 12 percent, among the lowest headline rates in the Mediterranean. Greece also levies the TEPAI cruising fee on recreational vessels over seven metres, paid through the AADE e-TEPAI platform; on a crewed charter this is the operator's job, but marinas increasingly ask for proof of payment before berthing.

6. Layer the onboard programme onto the wind

The chef plans the formal dinners for the marina nights, the interior plans early breakfasts on the days with a long leg, and the spa fills the sheltered afternoons in the lee. In the Ionian all of this is easier; in the Cyclades it needs the day plan to be stable first.

spa, room service and activity requests are switched on per yacht with opening hours, so guests ask for what the crew can deliver on a moving day.

7. Publish it as something that can change

A Cyclades week is the strongest case in the Mediterranean for a live itinerary. When the meltemi forecast changes, the crew edits the days once and every guest's phone shows the new plan, with the route redrawn. A PDF built on Sunday is wrong by Tuesday.

A sample one-week Cyclades structure (from Mykonos)

Day 1. Embark Mykonos; lunch at Ornos or Platis Gialos; welcome dinner aboard. Under 1 hour. Day 2. Morning run south to Paros; afternoon in Naoussa; dinner ashore. About 25 nautical miles. Day 3. Antiparos and the Despotiko anchorages; swim stops and toys in the lee. Short hops. Day 4. Naxos and the Small Cyclades: Koufonisia for lunch, quiet night at anchor. About 20 to 25 nautical miles. Day 5. Ios or Sikinos en route south; spa afternoon. About 20 nautical miles. Day 6. Santorini: caldera by tender, Oia at sunset, night alongside at Vlychada or return to Ios. About 25 nautical miles. Day 7. Reserve or return day; disembark Santorini (or Mykonos on a round trip). Flexible

A sample one-week Ionian structure (from Corfu)

Day 1. Embark Corfu; Old Town evening, dinner ashore. Alongside. Day 2. Paxos and Antipaxos: blue caves, swim at Voutoumi, evening in Gaios. About 30 nautical miles. Day 3. Parga or Sivota on the mainland; quiet night at anchor. About 15 nautical miles. Day 4. Lefkada: Egremni or Porto Katsiki, night at Sivota (Lefkada) or Vasiliki. About 25 nautical miles. Day 5. Meganisi and the inland sea; spa day at anchor. Short hops. Day 6. Ithaca and Kefalonia: Kioni, Fiskardo or Myrtos. About 20 nautical miles. Day 7. Reserve day; disembark Kefalonia or return towards Lefkada. Flexible

Mistakes worth avoiding

• Routing Mykonos to Santorini as one open-water leg in a forecast meltemi.
• Planning a night at anchor in Santorini's caldera.
• Arriving at a popular Cyclades anchorage after 15:00 in August.
• Treating the Ionian as second-best when the guests want calm water and children aboard.
• Sending a PDF itinerary for a week the wind is likely to rewrite.

Frequently asked questions