Croatia or Greece for a yacht charter?

We are asked to choose between these two more than any other pair, and they are less alike than they look on a map. Croatia is one coast lined with islands. Greece is several island seas, each with its own weather and character. The right choice depends on who is coming, when, and what the week is for.

The difference at a glance

Who each suits

Families. Croatia is the easier choice for young children. Nobody spends a day at sea, the bays are sheltered, the towns are safe to walk in the evening, and there is always a harbour close by. In Greece, the Ionian and the Saronic Gulf offer much the same: short hops and calm water, and in the Saronic a short transfer from Athens. A catamaran is worth considering for a family in Greece, which has more of them than anywhere else we arrange charters: she is stable at anchor and has a lot of deck space.

Couples and honeymoons. Both work well in June or September. Greece has the Cyclades, bright islands and sunsets, but windy in high summer; the quieter Dodecanese islands are another choice. Croatia has Vis, Šipan, the Elaphites and the Kornati, with dinners ashore that feel far from anywhere.

Friends and celebrations. Croatia has Hvar and the Pakleni islands, with beach clubs and a harbour town that stays up late; pair it with quieter islands. Greece has Mykonos and the central Cyclades, with beach clubs and islands close enough to hop between, and the meltemi as part of the deal in July and August.

First charters. Croatia, or the Ionian. Both give a week of short passages and calm water, which is the best way to find out whether life on a yacht suits you.

The weather, and why it matters

The biggest practical difference is the wind.

Greece. The meltemi is a dry northerly wind that blows across the Aegean, mostly in July and August, often for several days at a time, and it can be strong. Greece's meteorological service calls these summer north winds the Etesians. It keeps the heat bearable, but it makes some crossings in the Cyclades rough, and on its strongest days a captain will stay put or choose an island's sheltered side. It blows mainly in the Aegean, so the Ionian sees little of it.

Croatia. The summer wind is usually the maestral, a north-westerly breeze that rises in the afternoon and drops at dusk: pleasant and predictable. The bura, a gusty north-easterly, is mainly a winter wind but can blow for a day or two in summer; the jugo, a warm south-easterly, brings swell. On a coast of islands this close together, a windy day rarely costs more than a change of anchorage.

So: if calm water matters most and you must travel in July or August, Croatia or the Ionian. If you can travel in June or September, the Cyclades are at their best.

The areas

Croatia runs from Istria in the north to Dubrovnik in the south:

• Central Dalmatia: Split, Hvar, Brač, Vis and Šolta, the liveliest stretch and the easiest to reach.

• Dubrovnik and the south: the car-free Elaphites, Mljet's national park, Korčula and Pelješac; slower and greener.

• Šibenik and the Kornati: bare limestone islands, a national park at sea and the Krka river; quiet water.

Greece is several seas:

• The Ionian: Corfu, Paxos, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Ithaca and Zakynthos; green, calm and mostly outside the meltemi.

• The Saronic Gulf: Aegina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses, close to Athens; short legs.

• The Cyclades: Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Santorini and Milos; the islands of the postcards, and the windiest group in high summer.

• The Dodecanese: Rhodes, Kos, Symi, Patmos and the small islands off the Turkish coast.

The yachts

The two fleets are different. Croatia's crewed yachts are mostly motor yachts, and many of the ones we work with are over 40 m: good for larger families and groups who want space and speed. Greece has the widest choice of every size, from smaller motor yachts to superyachts, and far more crewed catamarans than Croatia, which suits families and couples who want stability and deck space at a lower fee. Many yachts cruise both countries.

The yachts on this site are a selection for each country. We arrange charters on many more, so if you have a yacht or a size in mind, ask us.

The cost

Both countries charge 13% VAT on a crewed week: in Croatia on a crewed charter, in Greece on a crewed charter of more than 48 hours (a shorter one carries the standard 24%), shown in each quote. Croatia adds a small tourist tax per guest per night, collected by the yacht's operator. In both, budget up to 40% of the charter fee for the APA, which pays for fuel, food, drinks and berths, with anything unspent returned.

What differs is the yacht. Because Greece has more smaller yachts and catamarans, a week there can start lower; Croatia's larger motor yachts start higher. Each yacht's page shows her "from" price, plus VAT and APA. Our guide to what a crewed charter costs works through an example, line by line.

Can we do both?

Not easily in one week. The two coasts are a long way apart by sea, and a yacht that starts in one and ends in the other carries a delivery fee for her return. Two better ideas:

• Two weeks, two coasts.

  Some yachts cruise both Croatia and Greece. A two-week charter can run south from Dubrovnik through Montenegro and along the Albanian coast to Corfu and the Ionian. Ask us; the yacht and the delivery fee decide whether it makes sense.

• Combine within reach.

  Croatia pairs naturally with Montenegro's Bay of Kotor, an hour or two south of Dubrovnik. Greece's Dodecanese pair with Turkey, a short crossing away.

Our view

For a first charter, a family with young children, or anyone who wants calm water above all in July and August, Croatia is the easier choice. For variety, a catamaran, a wider choice of yachts, or the Cyclades in June or September, Greece. If you are still unsure, tell us who is coming and when: the answer is usually clear within a few questions.

For the whole Mediterranean, see the Mediterranean by yacht, and for other months and seas, where to charter, month by month. How a charter works from first email to last day is in how a crewed yacht charter works; more answers are on our questions page.