Skiathos Yacht Charter

• Currency: Euro
• Language: Greek but English is widely spoken too.
• Pilot Guide: Rod Heikell Turkish Waters & Cyprus pilot guide
• Marina fees: Costs vary but are minimal and zero in bays and town quays
• Normal Starting day: Saturday
• When to visit: June to August is the peak sailing season but the season starts as early as April and ends in mid-autumn
• Tipping etiquette: Tipping culture varies across the Sporades, with most simply rounding up their bill to the nearest Euro. But a tip of 10% is always welcome for good service.

Hire a private yacht charter skipper, kick back and enjoy a luxury week on the water, cruising from beautiful island to remote anchorage, and from bustling town quay to quaint fishing village. What could be better than a crewed yacht charter in Skiathos? But with so much out there to choose from, it can be difficult to find the right sailing yacht or catamaran for your group. That’s where we come in. With years of experience in luxury yacht charter and crewed catamaran sailing vacations, our expert brokers can sort the wheat from the chaff and select the perfect luxury charter yacht to suit your group.

Skiathos' beautiful natural landscape of serrated bays and lush little islands benefits from a Mediterranean climate characterised by hot and dry summers, mild winters and dry springs, perfect for shoulder season sailing. Beach lovers will find more than enough sunshine across the Sporades with warm days beginning as soon as April and enduring till October, and the sea is generally calm with plenty of natural coves and harbours to shelter in should the winds pick up.

The Sporades Islands' Mediterranean climate bequeaths Skiathos with a long dry summer, enjoyable from April to October (though some closures may occur in October so book ahead!). August is exceptionally hot and can be humid across Skiathos' south coast, and the prevailing winds from the north tend to pick up as the summer comes to an end. Summers are ideal for starlit anchorages in the beautiful bays that indent the more remote eastern Sporades islands, while walkers, nature lovers and divers can find the best of islands like Alónissos in the late spring when they are lush with new blooms, and the sparkling Ouzo-clear waters are warm enough to swim and snorkel.

The Sporades islands host a number of cultural festivals throughout the summer season, with Katsonia on Skiathos seeing local islanders toss bouquets into the sea to commemorate the sunk Lambros Katsonis submarine. The annual feast of Agios Georgias, while celebrated across the Sporades, is best celebrated on Skiathos, taking advantage of the open Panigiria -- *think of it as a Greek fare but with feasts and a healthy communal verve that brings folk from across the islands, and more, together in day-long, alcohol-fuelled celebrations of local saints.*

Early Season

As winter begins to calm across the Sporades, the spring settles with colourful blooms of wildflowers across the islands' interiors, and by April, the winter rains of all but ceded, leading to what is usually the Sporades' driest month. And while the sea temperatures haven't yet returned to a pleasant enough average for most swimmers, the interiors of Skiathos and Skopelos are sublime, ideal for hikers hoping to take advantage of the pre-heat and pre-crowd serenity across each of the islands.

Peak Season

The high season in Skiathos runs from June to July with dry days, high temperatures in the early 30s, and some notable humidity on the south-facing shores. And while the Sporades are affected by the Meltemi winds, the summer Meltemi is generally much weaker in the Sporades region than, for example, the Cyclades, allowing for pleasurable sailing for most skill levels. Novice sailors are welcomed by simple island approaches, with one exception at Skiathos harbour which can be challenging due to the flashing lights at the nearby islet Dhaskalo.

Late Season

The first few weeks of September are beautiful on Skiathos, with hot days and only mildly wetter interludes than the height of summer (and still near-constant blue skies). And while October brings the average temperatures down to around 20 degrees, and the average rainfall up, the islands are still giften an enviable 8 hours of sunshine a day, as well as the added benefit of fewer crowds for travellers hoping for (even more) solitude.

The beautiful Sporades appear as a scatter of emeralds atop the inky sapphire of the Aegean. Each is pine-clad, indented with lust-worthy coves, beguiling natural beaches and peaceful bays, ideal for dropping anchor for nights tuned into the local frequencies of serenity, nature and romance. Begin on the Aegean-licked fringes of forested Skiathos for golden sandy beaches, like Koukounaries and Agia Paraskevi. Sail to the boat-only paradise at Lalaria Beach and the numerous other coves furrowed into towering white cliffs for romantic moonlit anchorages away from the day trippers. Before weighing anchor, take a short stroll from Skiathos port to the delightful teardrop-sized Bourtzi peninsula to see the red-roofed Venetian castle and a calm rocky beach with languid Aegean views.

Sail away from Skiathos to Skopelos for a promenade along the pretty streets of Skopelos Town, exploring in the shadow of a Byzantine castle, before journeying to the southeast coast for an elysian collection of beaches, sheltered from the elements and ideal for swim stops from your yacht charter. Film fans should stop at Kastani beach, a backdrop in the original Mamma Mia!, and spend an afternoon anchored off the picturesque Cape Amarandos, whose picturesque curves are elevated by a striking rocky outlet topped by the delicate arch of two pine trees, lending the cape a certain castaway charm.

Nature lovers should sail their yacht charter along the silky smooth Aegean to Alonissos to hike its series of well-marked trails, leading walkers through a delectable collection of pine and cedar forests. Divers are well-served In the national marine park, home to the endangered Mediterranean monk seal, as well as striped dolphins and Eleonora’s falcons, and a 2500 shipwreck, with its amphorae cargo still in place. Sail to pretty Skyros and moor in the Linaria Marina before succumbing to the town's charms and dining on meals fortified by piney honey, local herbs and seafood, in one of Skyros' charming hilltop tavernas.

Day 1 – Skiathos

Day 2 – Skopelos Island

Day 3 – Skopelos Town

Day 4 - Peristeri Island

Day 5 - Steni Vala

Day 6 - Loutraki

Day 7 – Skiathos