Delos & Rinia30 min from Mykonos
Anchor off the sacred island — an entire archaeological city, uninhabited since antiquity. Day visits only ashore on Delos; overnight in neighbouring Rinia's empty bays.
The classic Aegean
Yacht Charters in the Cyclades
White cubes and blue domes above a wine-dark sea, a windmill anchorage off Mykonos, and a Santorini caldera you sail into rather than queue for. The islands everyone pictures are best reached the old way — by boat.
The Cyclades are the Greece of the postcards — a ring of whitewashed islands scattered across the central Aegean, each with its own harbour town, hilltop chora and beaches the road never reaches. From the water you set the pace: anchor off a taverna beach for lunch, tie up in a fishing harbour for the evening volta, and be gone before the day boats arrive at the famous spots.
A week from Athens or Paros threads the greatest hits and the hidden ones — cosmopolitan Mykonos and its Delos ruins, marble-quarried Naxos, the potters of Sifnos, the moonscape beaches of Milos, and the caldera of Santorini as a finale you arrive at under sail. The meltemi gives the Cyclades their reputation for real sailing; your captain reads it and picks the sheltered side of every passage.
What to look for in the right vessel
Filters we pre-applied to the the cyclades shortlist below.
Chora after the ferries leave
The whitewashed hill towns — Mykonos, Naxos, Astypalaia — are a different place at dusk once the day trippers ferry out. Boats stay for it.
Delos & Akrotiri
Sail to the sacred island of Delos off Mykonos, and the Bronze-Age town under Santorini's ash — antiquity most tours only glimpse.
Beaches with no road
Koufonisia's pools, the volcanic coves of Milos, Schinoussa's sand — the best Cycladic beaches are tender-only. That's the point.
Real Aegean sailing
The summer meltemi makes the Cyclades a proper sailor's ground. A crewed or skippered charter turns the wind into the highlight, not the hazard.
Shortlisted vessels
See full vessel directory →Finding the right vessels…
When to go
The Cyclades charter season at a glance. Air and sea temperatures are typical daytime values.
| Month | Air | Sea | Crowd | Vibe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 23°C | 19°C | Quiet | Islands green and flowering, light winds, tavernas just opening. Cool sea but the calmest sailing of the year. |
| June | 27°C | 22°C | Moderate | Warm, long days, the meltemi not yet settled in. The best all-round Cyclades month. |
| July | 29°C | 24°C | Peak | High summer and the meltemi arrives — thrilling sailing for experienced crews, busy harbours everywhere. |
| August | 30°C | 25°C | Peak | Strongest meltemi and biggest crowds. Superb downwind runs but demanding; book berths and charters far ahead. |
| September | 27°C | 24°C | Moderate | The wind eases, the sea stays warm, the crowds thin — many sailors' favourite Cyclades month. |
| October | 23°C | 22°C | Quiet | Soft light, quiet anchorages, warm water into early autumn. Some unsettled days; a relaxed final month. |
MayQuiet
Air 23°C · Sea 19°C
Islands green and flowering, light winds, tavernas just opening. Cool sea but the calmest sailing of the year.
JuneModerate
Air 27°C · Sea 22°C
Warm, long days, the meltemi not yet settled in. The best all-round Cyclades month.
JulyPeak
Air 29°C · Sea 24°C
High summer and the meltemi arrives — thrilling sailing for experienced crews, busy harbours everywhere.
AugustPeak
Air 30°C · Sea 25°C
Strongest meltemi and biggest crowds. Superb downwind runs but demanding; book berths and charters far ahead.
SeptemberModerate
Air 27°C · Sea 24°C
The wind eases, the sea stays warm, the crowds thin — many sailors' favourite Cyclades month.
OctoberQuiet
Air 23°C · Sea 22°C
Soft light, quiet anchorages, warm water into early autumn. Some unsettled days; a relaxed final month.
Getting there
JMK / ATH · Mykonos (JMK) or Athens (ATH) for the Alimos/Lavrio bases
Mykonos marina ~5 km · Athens to Alimos ~15 km / Lavrio ~50 km
From marina
15 min (Mykonos) · 30 min Alimos / 60 min Lavrio from Athens
Transfer
€15–25 Mykonos · €25–45 Athens transfers
Taxi cost
Two natural start points: fly into Mykonos or Santorini to begin mid-archipelago in summer, or into Athens and board at Alimos (Athens Riviera) or Lavrio for a west-to-east Cyclades run. Athens has year-round global connections; the island airports are seasonal.
Practical info
What you should know
- The meltemi wind
- The Cyclades' defining feature: a strong, dry north wind that blows mainly mid-July to early September, sometimes for days. It makes for exhilarating downwind sailing but demands an experienced crew and flexible plans — your captain will route around it. June and September are far gentler.
- Cruising tax (TEPAI)
- Greece levies a monthly cruising fee (TEPAI) on charter yachts by length, paid by the operator. It, plus VAT, is normally built into the charter price — confirm on your quote.
- APA & fuel
- Crewed charters run on an APA of about 20–35% of the base for fuel, food, drinks and berths, settled at the end. Distances between islands mean a little more fuel than the sheltered Ionian or Saronic.
- Berths & anchoring
- Cyclades harbours are small and fill fast in peak meltemi season — crews often anchor in lee-side bays rather than chase a town quay. Santorini has few anchorages; plan a buoy or the Vlychada marina.
- Tipping
- Discretionary, for good service: 5–15% of the charter fee for the crew is the Mediterranean norm, in cash (EUR) to the captain at the end of the week.
Anchorages within reach
Where most week-long itineraries from this port actually go. Sail times are approximate, in fair conditions.
Naoussa, Paros2–3 hrs from Mykonos
A working fishing harbour turned elegant without losing itself — octopus drying on the quay, then cocktails in the old port. One of the Cyclades' best all-round overnights.
Koufonisia3–4 hrs
The Small Cyclades' star: turquoise pools, a single sandy village, and the swim-through sea caves at Pori. Come before the day-trippers.
Naxos — Apollonas & the west coast3 hrs from Paros
The greenest, most self-sufficient Cyclade — marble villages inland, long beaches (Plaka, Agios Prokopios) to anchor off, and the Portara gate at sunset.
Polyaigos & Kimolosfrom the western Cyclades
The uninhabited island of Polyaigos has the clearest water in the group; tiny Kimolos next door is Milos without the crowds. Pure anchorage sailing.
Santorini caldera — Vlychadasouthern end
Sail into the flooded volcano for the most dramatic anchorage in Greece. The caldera is deep with few holdings — most crews take a buoy or berth at Vlychada marina on the south coast.
Onshore
What to do the day before boarding and after disembarking, plus a short list of restaurants worth the walk.
Day before charter
If you start from Athens, give the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum a morning, then dinner in Plaka or the Athens Riviera near Alimos. Starting from Mykonos, the old town's Little Venice at sunset is the classic first evening before a Saturday boarding.
Day after disembarking
From Mykonos, most flights leave through the day, so a final swim at Ornos or Psarou is easy. Ending in Santorini, stay a night in Oia for the caldera sunset — it is worth arranging your flight home from Santorini (JTR) rather than backtracking.
Where to eat ashore
- Siparos (Naoussa, Paros)Aegean seafood
Beachfront tables at Kolymbithres — grilled catch of the day and Parian wine with your feet almost in the water.
- Captain Nikolas (Koufonisia)Fish taverna
The family boat lands the fish; you eat it on the harbour a few hours later. The essence of a Small Cyclades lunch.
- To Apomero (Naxos)Local Naxian
Hillside taverna with a valley view — Naxian potatoes, graviera cheese and slow-cooked meat from the island's own farms.
- Kiki's Tavern (Mykonos)Grill, no electricity
The legendary Agios Sostis beach grill — no power, no phone, no reservations, just charcoal and a queue. Lunch only.
Or consider another port
Same coast, different starting line — the brief case for each alternative.
The Saronic Gulf →
Sheltered, meltemi-free and straight from Athens — the calm, short-hop alternative for families and first-timers.
The Ionian →
Green, gentle and reliably light-winded — Corfu, Lefkada and Kefalonia for the easiest sailing in Greece.
The Dodecanese →
Medieval Rhodes, volcanic Nisyros and Symi's harbour — a quieter, history-rich east with easy Turkish-coast crossings.
Frequently asked questions
For the cyclades.
Where do Cyclades charters start?
Most start from Athens — Alimos (Kalamaki) and Lavrio marinas are the two big bases, with Athens airport (ATH) 30–45 minutes away. Paros and Mykonos also have charter bases if you want to fly straight into the islands and skip the opening passage.
When is the best season?
May, June, September and early October are the sweet spot — warm sea, open islands and a gentler meltemi. July and August are spectacular and lively but bring the strongest winds; a crewed charter is the relaxed way to sail them.
How windy is the meltemi?
The meltemi is a dry north wind that blows hardest in July–August, often 5–7 Beaufort in the central Aegean. It's what makes Cycladic sailing famous — and why most guests take a skipper or full crew. There's always a sheltered island lee; your captain plans the route around the forecast.
Is it good for first-timers?
With a skipper or crew, absolutely — the distances are classic day-sails and the islands are close together. Bareboat-qualified sailors should have some experience with fresh winds; the Saronic or Ionian are gentler first-charter grounds.
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