Most bareboat charters in Greece start from one of a handful of marinas, and the one you pick decides which islands are realistically within reach in a week. Athens and Lavrio open the Saronic Gulf and the Cyclades; Lefkada, Preveza and Corfu open the Ionian; Kos and Rhodes open the Dodecanese; and Skiathos and Volos open the Sporades.
The decision is less about the marina itself than about the water in front of it. Here is what each starting point puts within range, and the kind of crew it tends to suit.
Short answer
| Starting base | What it opens up |
|---|---|
| Athens, Alimos | The Saronic Gulf, and the Cyclades with more time on the charter. |
| Lavrio | The western Cyclades, without the passage around Cape Sounio. |
| Lefkada and Preveza | The southern Ionian. |
| Corfu | The northern Ionian. |
| Kos and Rhodes | The Dodecanese. |
| Skiathos and Volos | The Sporades. |
Athens: Alimos and Lavrio
Alimos, on the Athens coastline, is the largest charter marina in Greece and the easiest base to reach, since it sits a short transfer from both the airport and the city. It is the natural start for the Saronic Gulf. Aegina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses lie close together, the passages between them are short and the water is sheltered, which is why the Saronic is the usual suggestion for a first bareboat week or a crew of mixed experience.
Lavrio, on the east coast of Attica, faces the Aegean instead. Starting there removes the passage around Cape Sounio and puts the western Cyclades closer to the first day: Kea, Kythnos, Serifos and Sifnos. It suits crews who have come for Cycladic islands rather than the Saronic, and who are comfortable with more open water and stronger summer wind.
The Ionian: Lefkada, Preveza and Corfu
The Ionian Islands are generally the gentlest sailing area in Greece. The summer pattern is a quiet morning, a breeze that fills in during the afternoon and drops again towards evening. Harbours are close together and there is no shortage of sheltered bays to anchor in. The meltemi that shapes the Aegean summer does not reach the Ionian in the same way.
Lefkada and nearby Preveza are the usual bases for the southern Ionian, with Meganisi, Kalamos, Ithaca and Kefalonia in range. Corfu covers the northern Ionian, with Paxos, Antipaxos and the Sivota coastline. If this is a first bareboat week, or there are children on board, this is the part of Greece most crews are pointed towards. Our first week in the Ionian route shows what a realistic seven days from here looks like.
The Dodecanese: Kos and Rhodes
Kos and Rhodes open the Dodecanese, along the Turkish coast. Symi, Nisyros, Tilos, Kalymnos and Patmos are the islands most weeks are built around, and the harbours are generally well protected. Passages here are longer than in the Ionian or the Saronic, so the area suits a crew that wants to cover ground and does not mind a full day of sailing between stops.
The Sporades: Skiathos and Volos
Skiathos and Volos open the Sporades: Skopelos, Alonnisos and the national marine park around them. It is the quietest of the main charter areas, green and pine-covered rather than bare, and the one to choose when the point of the week is empty anchorages rather than well-known harbours.
Crete sits apart from all of these. It is one long coastline rather than an island-hopping ground, and is usually sailed as a destination in its own right.
What decides the base
Four things to weigh up
- How you get there. The base has to work with your flights, because a long overland transfer at either end costs you sailing days.
- How long you have. A week rewards a compact area such as the Saronic or the southern Ionian. Longer charters make the Cyclades and the Dodecanese realistic.
- Who is on board. Sheltered water and short hops matter more with children, or with a crew that is not all sailing.
- Whether you are sailing the yacht yourself. That decides the qualification question rather than the base. See whether you need a licence, and compare bareboat, skippered and crewed charters.
Base-by-base guides: yacht charter from Athens, yacht charter in Lefkada and yacht charter in Corfu. If you are still comparing formats, start with our guide to bareboat yacht charter in Greece.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which base is best for a first bareboat week in Greece?
Lefkada, Preveza or Corfu in the Ionian, or Alimos in Athens for the Saronic Gulf. Both areas give short passages, sheltered water and plenty of harbours within easy reach of each other.
Is Athens or Lavrio the better start for the Cyclades?
Lavrio. It sits on the Aegean side of Attica, so you skip the passage around Cape Sounio and reach the western Cyclades sooner. Alimos is the better choice if the Saronic Gulf is the plan, or if you want the widest selection of yachts.
Can I finish in a different marina from the one I started in?
Sometimes. One-way charters depend on the yacht, the route and the time of year, and they are not available everywhere. Tell us the start and finish you have in mind and we will say whether it can be arranged.
Which base avoids the meltemi?
The Ionian bases. Lefkada, Preveza and Corfu are on the other side of the country from the strongest meltemi, which blows through the Aegean in summer and is felt most in the Cyclades.
Do catamarans start from the same bases?
Yes. Catamarans are based in the same charter marinas as monohulls. They are booked further ahead than monohulls, so the base you want may come down to what is still free for your dates.
Does the base change what licence I need?
No. The requirement is the same everywhere in Greece and depends on how you charter, not where you start. On a bareboat charter at least one crew member must hold a valid sailing certificate. On a skippered or crewed charter nobody in your group needs one.
Sources
- Growthfund, Marina of Alimos. https://growthfund.gr/en/project/marina-of-alimos/
- Greek National Tourism Organisation, Sailing the Ionian Sea. https://www.visitgreece.gr/en/inspirations/sailing-the-ionian-sea
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Etesian wind. https://www.britannica.com/science/etesian-wind
- National Observatory of Athens, Study on the intensity and direction of winds in the marine area of the Mediterranean (in Greek). https://nestos.meteo.gr/pdf/wind_climatology_for_meteo.pdf
- Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency, Management Unit of Alonissos Northern Sporades National Park. https://necca.gov.gr/en/mdpp/management-unit-of-alonissos-northern-sporades-national-park-and-protected-areas-of-eastern-thessaly/
- Hellenic Coast Guard, Law 4256/2014, Tourist ships and other provisions (in Greek). https://isktheea.hcg.gr/nomothesia/%CE%9D.4256-14.pdf
Send us your dates, your group size and the part of Greece you have in mind. We will come back with the bases that work for those dates and the yachts that are actually free.
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