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The Greek islands by charter: Saronic, Cyclades or Ionian?

Greece is not one destination. It is three different charter countries wearing one flag, and choosing the right island group matters more than choosing the right boat. As of summer 2026 Greek weeks in our fleet start around 10,000 euros, the friendliest entry in the Mediterranean, which makes getting the geography right even more worth your while.

The Saronic: Athens' back garden

An hour out of Athens and you are threading Aegina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses: short hops, protected water, and Hydra's carless stone harbour as the anchor evening. This is the gentlest Greek cruising there is, ideal for families, first weeks aboard, and day charters from the Athens Riviera from about 1,550 euros. The meltemi barely reaches in here.

The Cyclades: the poster, with wind

Whitewash and blue domes, Mykonos and Santorini, Paros and Naxos between them, and the meltemi: the dry north wind that owns July and August afternoons. It keeps the heat honest and the passages sporty; a good captain routes around it morning by morning. If your group wants the famous Greece and does not mind a bit of sea in the crossings, this is the one. Book the marquee harbours early; Mykonos berths in August are their own sport.

The Ionian: the soft option

West of the mainland, green islands, no meltemi, water like the Caribbean at Zakynthos and Kefalonia, and anchorages every forty minutes down the Lefkada canal chain. It is the easiest sea in Greece and arguably in the Mediterranean, which is why families and flotillas love it.

Choosing in one line each

  • First charter, kids aboard, or short week: Saronic
  • The photos you came for, nightlife, wind tolerance: Cyclades
  • Softest water, greenest views, longest swims: Ionian

Live availability across all three sits on the Greece page, and the week planning principles are in itineraries that work.

Tell us the date and the number of guests

We come back the same day in season with what is actually free, the all in number and the terms. Save the number and use it for any destination after this one.

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