Why Mykonos and Santorini are difficult to sail too on a 1 week Yacht Charter
A lot of our E-mail inquiries usually start with .........'We would like to charter your yacht for a week and visit Mykonos and Santorini.'.... 2 islands from over 3000 .
These 2 islands are the most advertised in Greek tourism. Consequently they are also the most busy and crowded of all the greek islands. Regular Cruise ship visits make them a flood of people in July and August.
The following refers to those who... plan to see the 2 two Greek islands/areas or just Santorini island within a ONE WEEK CHARTER only.
We will always do our best to full fill our clients wishes and to avoid any misunderstandings or non-feasible planning. We like to discuss plans well in advance of the yacht departure.
For example,"the Cyclades often has a very strong North wind blowing . A novice sailor may find these winds too strong but to an experienced sailor it could be "a piece of cake" ....but not for others ...
ATHENS - MYKONOS - ATHENS
Starting in Athens Mykonos is about 110 nautical miles south. It may not sound like a lot but when your mode of transportation only goes 6-7 miles an hour, it quickly translates into alot of hours..18.6 at 6K...non stop. Along the way take into account the weather and all of sudden things get complicated. A quick time to Mykonos is 2 days, assuming the weather is ok. 2 days to enjoy the island and area and then 2 days back to Athens. All assuming that the weather is constant. The PERFECT CHARTER....
Unfortunately life is not like that, the reality is a week is a minimum needed to sail to and from Mykonos safely.
ATHENS - SANTORINI - ATHENS
Santorini is over 150 nautical miles SSE of Athens. The island is the left over rim of a huge volcano that blew up thousands of years ago. As a result the depth of water around the island is extreme, all the way up to the cliffs. The island does not have any marina/yacht facilities to safely moor a yacht .
To sail to Santorini from Athens would take a mini mum of 3 days. How ever with no marina facilities it would be difficult to stay over night. Once you would arrive it would be time to return to Athens as now all the sailing would be upwind against the wind and waves. This typically is slower and takes more time.
So where does this put the client, a one week charter to Mykonos is possible with still time to return to Athens. A 'One Way' to Paros Island stopping at Mykonos is also possible. This would enable the client to take a quicker Ferry to Santorini.Athens-Santorini-Athens could be done within one week, but it will sure create fatigue, and the plan's success will also be subject to the weather conditions.
After all sailing upwind for 120 miles... is more like work than a holiday.If you are interested and want to learn more about our sailing routes and other options, please contact us direct for information, or watch the specials window for up coming sailing events
E MAIL TO GET SOME ALTERNATIVE SAILING ROUTES
