Gulet Charter · Greece
Gulet Charter in the Cyclades
A crewed gulet across the white-and-blue islands of the central Aegean.
The Cyclades are a tight cluster of roughly thirty inhabited islands ringing the sacred isle of Delos, which makes them ideally suited to a gulet: short hops between anchorages, a different harbour town each evening, and the freedom to trade the crowds of Mykonos for the empty coves of the Lesser Cyclades within a single afternoon. Chartering a crewed gulet here means your captain reads the Meltemi day by day and routes you to leeward bays the day boats and ferries never reach. From the broad teak deck you take in the Cyclades as they are best seen — Cycladic cube houses tumbling down to the water, volcanic cliffs at Milos, and long lunches at anchor off islets with no road and no jetty.
Why charter a gulet from Cyclades
Embark close to Athens International Airport. Most Cyclades gulet charters begin at Lavrio (Olympic Marina), around 45 minutes from the airport, or at Alimos near central Athens, putting you on the water the same day you land.
Short, sheltered passages. Islands sit 5 to 20 nautical miles apart, so a gulet can island-hop in easy daylight legs and your captain can duck to a calm anchorage whenever the Meltemi rises.
A full crew handles everything. Captain, chef and deck crew manage the sailing, the tenders, fresh provisioning at island ports, and meals aboard — from Aegean fish to Cycladic cheeses — while you simply choose the next bay.
Access the islands beyond the obvious. From the deck and tender you reach uninhabited Polyaigos, the islet of Despotiko off Antiparos, and the quiet Lesser Cyclades, alongside the headline names of Mykonos and Santorini.
Sample Itineraries
Where you’ll sail
Northern Cyclades: Athens to Mykonos
From Lavrio or Alimos, sail via Kea and Kythnos to Syros, the elegant Cycladic capital, then on to Paros and Antiparos with a swim stop off the islet of Despotiko. Finish among the beach bays and town quays of Mykonos, within tender reach of the antiquities on Delos.
Lesser Cyclades and Naxos
A quieter week threading Paros and Naxos down into the Lesser Cyclades — Koufonisia, Schinoussa and Iraklia — where passages are short and the anchorages, such as the bay at Mirsini, stay calm and largely empty even in high summer.
Volcanic south: Milos, Folegandros and Santorini
Run south-west to Sifnos and Milos, anchoring beneath the white pumice cliffs of Kleftiko, then via Folegandros and Ios to a final approach into the Santorini caldera — best taken slowly under sail at dusk.
The Fleet
Gulets for charter in Greece
When to go
Best time to charter from Cyclades
Late May to early October is the charter season, with June and September the most rewarding: warm, settled and well clear of the August crowds. The Meltemi, the strong northerly summer wind, blows hardest in July and August, so those weeks reward a flexible, captain-led route through the more sheltered islands.
Gulet charter Cyclades: your questions
How many days do I need to charter a gulet in the Cyclades?
Distances here are deceptive: the islands look close on the chart, but a southern run to Milos and Santorini involves real open-water legs, and a stiff Meltemi can cost you a day at anchor in shelter. Seven nights is the natural week for five or six islands at an unhurried pace; to pair the northern Cyclades with the volcanic south, or to add the Lesser Cyclades, you genuinely want ten nights or two weeks so those passages and any wind days do not dominate. A focused three or four-night charter works well around Mykonos, Paros and Naxos, where the hops are shortest.
Where do I join the gulet, and how do I get there?
Most Cyclades charters embark at Lavrio (Olympic Marina), roughly 45 minutes by road from Athens International Airport, or at Alimos Marina near central Athens. We arrange a private transfer from the airport or your hotel to the quay. If you prefer to start within the islands themselves — for example at Mykonos or Paros — that can usually be arranged, sometimes with a repositioning charge, and we will advise on flights into the island airports.
Which islands and anchorages will we actually visit?
A typical northern route takes in Kea, Kythnos, Syros, Paros and Antiparos, then Mykonos with Delos close by. Quieter itineraries favour Naxos and the Lesser Cyclades — Koufonisia, Schinoussa and Iraklia — while a southern route covers Sifnos, Milos with the cliffs at Kleftiko, Folegandros and Santorini, with uninhabited stops such as Polyaigos and Despotiko for swimming and lunch at anchor. The captain reads the Meltemi each morning and may flip the running order to stay in the lee — Koufonisia or the south coast of Naxos in place of an exposed Mykonos anchorage when the northerly is up.
When is the best time to charter here?
The season runs from late May to early October. The sea is at its warmest from late July into September, holding its heat well after the air has cooled, so September swimming is often the finest of the year. June and September also sit either side of the August ferry and holiday crush, when the town quays at Mykonos, Paros and Naxos are busiest and berths must be secured early in the day. July and August bring the strongest Meltemi, which a gulet absorbs by routing to leeward; for the most relaxed mix of warm water and space, we suggest the shoulder months.
How many guests can a gulet take, and who is it suited to?
A roomier gulet earns its keep in the Cyclades, where you live on deck between the longer open-water legs and through the warm Aegean evenings, so the shaded lounging and the size of the aft deck count for as much as the cabins. Vessels here commonly range from five up to eight en-suite cabins, sleeping around ten to sixteen guests, though smaller four-cabin gulets suit a single family. Each gulet is exclusively yours for the charter, with the full crew aboard, and we match you to a layout sized to your party.
What is included in the charter?
What varies most here is how the running costs are handled: Cyclades charters usually price on a half-board or full-board basis, or against an APA (Advance Provisioning Allowance) from which the crew settle food, drinks, fuel and — significantly in these islands — berthing at the town quays of Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and the like, which is charged per night and rises sharply in peak season. The gulet itself comes fully crewed — captain, chef and deck crew — with all cabins, the tenders and standard watersports equipment, and the running of the yacht included. We confirm exactly what is covered for each gulet in writing before you book, so there are no surprises.