The Cyclades by crewed yacht
The Cyclades are dry, bright islands, and the Greek group most shaped by the wind: the meltemi blows in July and August. June and September are the best months. They suit couples and honeymoons most.
The Cyclades are what most people picture when they think of a Greek island charter, and for good reason. But they are also the island group of Greece most shaped by the wind. Before you choose the islands, the honest question is when you are going, and on which yacht.
Why go, and whom it suits
Couples and honeymoons
The best fit, especially in June and September. Pick the Small Cyclades between Naxos and Amorgos, Folegandros, or a night off Santorini's caldera. Small harbours, long dinners, and islands that feel far from the ferry crowds.
Friends and celebrations
Mykonos is the obvious choice, and Paros's Naoussa a slightly calmer one. A yacht lets the group go out at night and still wake up off an empty island the next morning.
Families
Possible, and lovely in June or September. In July and August the meltemi can make some crossings lively. A catamaran, which sits flatter at anchor and under way, helps a great deal here. Families wanting the calmest summer water often choose the Ionian or the Saronic Gulf instead.
What's there
The best-known islands
Mykonos, Santorini and Paros: the busiest harbours, the most restaurants, and the most other boats.
The Small Cyclades
Koufonisia, Schinoussa, Iraklia and Donoussa, between Naxos and Amorgos: small, low islands with sandy coves.
Naxos and Amorgos
The largest of the Cyclades, with a mountainous interior, and the long cliff island with its monastery set into the rock.
The western Cyclades
Kea, Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos and Milos: closer to Athens, quieter, and a good first week out of the city.
Folegandros and Sikinos
Small, steep and quiet, between Milos and Santorini.
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When to go
June and September are the best months for most people. The sea is warm, the islands are open, and the wind is usually moderate. July and August bring the meltemi: a seasonal north wind of the Aegean summer, the Etesian, which can blow strongly for days. It is not dangerous with a good captain, but it decides which crossings are comfortable, and on some days it keeps a yacht in harbour or in the lee of an island. May and October are quieter and cooler, and some islands are only half awake.
What it costs
The fee is each yacht's own weekly rate, shown "from" on her page. VAT is added: a reduced 13% for a crewed charter over 48 hours, the standard 24% for a shorter one, shown in each quote. The APA is paid on top for fuel, food, drinks and berths; budget up to 40% of the charter fee for it, and whatever is not spent is returned to you. Crossings between island groups use more fuel than a week of short hops. Mykonos and Santorini are the dearest stops. For what a crewed charter costs, line by line, see our guide.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
A sample week
Paros to Amorgos, through the Small Cyclades. A week for a couple or a small group who want quiet islands and short legs.
- Day 1: Paros. Board at Paros, which has an airport with flights from Athens. Dinner in Naoussa's harbour.
- Day 2: Antiparos and Despotiko. A short hop to swim between the two islands. Uninhabited Despotiko has the ruins of a large ancient temple.
- Day 3: Iraklia. The quietest of the Small Cyclades: a sandy bay and a taverna.
- Day 4: Schinoussa. A short leg and an empty cove for the afternoon.
- Day 5: Koufonisia. The famous swimming rocks and coves of the small Koufonisi island, and the liveliest evening of the week.
- Day 6: Amorgos. Under the cliffs, with the monastery above the sea.
- Day 7: Back towards Naxos. Disembark at Naxos, which has an airport with flights from Athens, or return to Paros.
The yacht, the wind and the group decide the real route; in a strong meltemi, the captain may turn the week around.
The yachts
Greece has the widest choice of any country we cover: catamarans, sailing yachts and motor yachts of every size. Almost all of the catamarans we show cruise Greece, which makes the Cyclades the easiest place to find one. The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Practical questions
Rene GaspersicYour broker
Is the meltemi a reason not to go in August?
No, but it is a reason to choose the yacht and the route carefully. In July and August, plan shorter crossings, pick a yacht that is comfortable in a breeze, and keep a day or two loose.
Catamaran or monohull motor yacht?
For a family or anyone who minds motion, a catamaran is steadier at anchor and has more deck space for its length. A larger motor yacht is faster between islands. We will say plainly which suits your group.
Can we start in Athens?
Yes. Many Cyclades weeks start in Athens or Lavrio, and the first day or two go to the western Cyclades. Starting on an island such as Paros or Mykonos saves the long first crossing.
Can we see Mykonos and Santorini in one week?
Yes, but they are a fair distance apart, and in high summer both are busy. Many couples prefer one of them, with quieter islands around it.
Can we combine the Cyclades with the Dodecanese?
Yes, into the Dodecanese by way of Amorgos and Astypalea, the island between the two groups, on a longer week or a one-way route.
Which islands have airports?
Among others: Mykonos and Santorini, and Paros, Naxos and Milos. That makes one-way weeks practical.
Is it good for a honeymoon?
Yes, especially in June or September, in the Small Cyclades or on a quiet night off Santorini.
Where can we read about each island?
Greece's national tourist board has a page for each of the Cyclades.
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the week is for: a family summer, a honeymoon, a birthday with friends. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with a short list of yachts that fit, say plainly what each one is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
Plan
The Cyclades by crewed yacht.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.