Cyclades Catamaran Charter
History and culture collide at the original Mediterranean cruising ground.
The Cyclades island chain never fail to conjure beautiful summer images, tinged with blue and white. This east Mediterranean catamaran charter destination is blessed with the clearest blue skies, with just a few winsome blobs of candy-floss cloud. Blue roofs sit as conical hats on pretty Cycladic churches and as Bowler hats on scrubbed clean white houses whose windows are obscured from a fiery sun by blue wooden shutters.
And then there are those bluest, most awe-inducing swathes of deep blue Aegean Sea, most often dabbed with flicks of white sail, white sand, white surf and the occasional Blue Star ferry. But to sail these 200 stunning islands is to explore a world full of vibrant colour. Mykonos is a legendary Aegean island, providing cosmopolitan parties and top-draw shopping. Delos accentuates its history with enchanting archaeological sites, islands like Amorgos and Andros lending a little green and in-bloom-pink to the Cycladic palette, perfect for long, easy days perched on the deck of a luxury catamaran charter off the coast of a beautiful island, in complete serenity.
Charter Catamarans in the Cyclades
Luxury Catamaran Charter Cyclades
Select a luxury catamaran charter in the Cyclades for an unmatched sailing holiday exploring white sand beaches on hedonistic Mykonos, black sand beaches on graceful Santorini or rocky beaches on the volcanic shores of Milos. Pull close to the coast, taking advantage of a catamaran's low vertical clearance, and glide effortlessly into paradise bays for wild anchorages lit by a galaxy of stars.
Choose a fully crewed Sunreef 70 catamaran for a scintillating luxury yacht charter cocktail of tranquillity, style and opulence. Lounge with a bottle of local wine on the flybridge and eat a delicious Greek dinner with a view of the unwavering sights of Andros town. Island hopping Descend into the water to spot maritime fauna on Paros or follow the winds to rural Sikinos.
Experienced sailors should choose a bareboat catamaran like an Elba 45 for family sailing holidays and group trips with enough space for 12 passengers. Explore the Cycladic islands' most beautiful beaches and coves. Sail into unknown bays and snorkel, jet ski or fish as you desire.
Spend days exploring Santorini and sail to disarming Folegandros island for quiet golden beaches and postcard-pretty villages. Bask in the absolute freedom and privacy of a bareboat charter or choose a skippered charter yacht to take advantage of an expert skipper's local knowledge: whether that's where to eat in Naxos or the quietest routes to sail across the Aegean Sea, everything is possible.
Where to sail
Begin your catamaran charter on Kythnos for an idyllic anchorage in Kolona Bay, in the shadow of an undulating hilly landscape singed by a hot Greek sun. Eat an expertly crafted dinner, pieced together by your onboard chef, or indulge in a BBQ on the sandy beach as those powdery blue skies are set alight by a vivid Cycladic sunset, before resting early for a morning sail to Paros.
Moor in the marina at Naoussa to explore the whitewashed beauty of the old town and a pretty waterside lined with tavernas and palms, and down a glass or two of a local dry Assyrtiko spiced with a plate of souvlaki.
Sail to Syros to see Ermoupolis' pretty neo-classical architecture and the Vaporia Quarter that hugs the shoreline and find anchorage in a secluded starlit bay for the evening. In the morning sail to Kea and drop anchor in the stunning Vourkari Bay for a romantic onboard dinner enhanced by the flickering lights from the coast, forming the embers of a hundred distant candles.
Mykonos is perhaps the most-loved of the Cyclades and makes an excellent base for a Cyclades catamaran charter. And while its cultural topography is one of hedonism, alcohol and beachside recuperation, it's got a quieter side too, best seen at beaches like Agrari, Kalafatis and Lia.
Travel to Delos to visit the myth-laden lands of Apollo and Aphrodite, and see Greek island history scribbled into the landscapes at evocative archaeological sites sprinkled across the island. Sail slowly into Santorini and watch as the vast cliffs break upwards from the caldera, forming an inspiring natural bay. Sail its fringes for striking black sand beaches or head inland for view-laden trails along the rim of the caldera.
The Cyclades sailing season is from May to October, with the hottest and driest weather from July to August, though the Meltemi winds lend a hand in the summer, making the heat more bearable out on the water.
Next Steps
If any of the boats above are along the right lines, you can enquire straight away from the boat page, or get a little help from an expert Cyclades yacht charter broker. And the best bit is you don’t even need any sailing experience, you can opt for a skippered charter and just kick back while they take care of the sailing, and maybe learn a rope or two.