The Greek Waters · Cyclades
Volcanic Drama
Whitewashed cliffs over the deepest blue in the Aegean.
- Region
- Cyclades, Greece
- Best season
- May–June, September–early October
- Typical charter duration
- 7–10 days
- Departure ports
- Athens (Lavrion / Alimos), Mykonos, Paros
- Yacht types
- Motor yachts, sailing catamarans, sailing yachts
- Weekly charter range
- €13,000 – €235,000
- Weather note
- Meltemi (NW) blows strongest mid-July through end-August; June and September are the calm-weather sweet spots.
- Broker
- George P. Biniaris, IYBA member
The Cyclades earn their reputation in stages. From a charter point of view they are the most demanding of the three regions we work — the meltemi sets up between mid-July and late August, and a captain who has not put a season in these channels has no business taking guests through them at force 6.
We brief every charter on the Cyclades around three things: the yacht's stabiliser package, the captain's wind logbook, and the anchorage list. The right boat in the wrong forecast turns Folegandros into the worst day of your week. The wrong boat in the right forecast still does. Our job is to match both.
What we love about these waters: the sheer geological theatre. Milos at first light, Sifnos in flat afternoon water, Santorini's caldera approached from the south so it reveals itself in stages — these are the moments the photographs you've seen don't actually capture. They earn themselves only at sea level, only off a yacht.
George's Insider Picks
The anchorages we'd put you in.
Sarakiniko, Milos
Best at first light before the day-trip boats arrive. Anchor 8–12 m, sand and weed mix, holds well in northerlies. White volcanic rock formations that read as another planet. Nearby: the Catacombs of Milos — third most important early Christian site in the world after Rome and the Holy Land, carved into volcanic rock in the 1st century AD. The Venus de Milo was found 200 metres away. Neither of these is on any charter brochure. Both are worth a morning.
Polyaigos (south coast)
Uninhabited islet between Milos and Folegandros. Three protected coves on the south face — pick by wind direction. 6–10 m, sand patches, no traffic.
Vourkari, Kea
First stop on the standard Cyclades loop from Athens. Small harbour, well protected from the meltemi. Restaurant at the head of the quay knows the captains by name.
Kolona, Kythnos
Double-sided beach connecting two coves. Anchor in either, swim across, walk back. The captain's favourite swim of the week — every time.
Apollonia, Sifnos
Hora is a 12-minute drive from the harbour at Kamares. Best gastronomy on the Cyclades route. George has a standing arrangement at Tselementes — call ahead via the broker.
Delos — The Island Where No One Can Be Born or Die
One nautical mile southwest of Mykonos. The most sacred island in the ancient Greek world — birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, twin children of Zeus. In 426 BC, the Athenians issued a decree that remains in force today in a different form: no one may be born on Delos, no one may die there. Pregnant women and the terminally ill were transported to the neighbouring island of Rheneia. All graves were exhumed and removed. The island was to remain untouched by the human cycle of birth and death — a place suspended outside mortal time, kept pure for Apollo. Today, no one lives on Delos permanently. The decree is no longer law, but it is still physical reality: no one is born there, no one dies there. The archaeological site is one of the most significant in the Mediterranean — temples, mosaics, the Terrace of the Lions carved from Naxian marble in the 7th century BC, the Sacred Lake where Leto gave birth. Accessible only by day boat from Mykonos or by private tender. From a yacht anchored off the north coast at dusk, after the day visitors have gone, the silence has a quality that is difficult to describe. Some places hold their history in the stones. Delos holds it in the air.
Nea Kameni, Santorini
The caldera approach from the south is the standard route. But what most guests don't do: tender across to Nea Kameni, the active volcanic island in the caldera centre, and walk to the crater rim. The ground is warm underfoot. The sulphur smell is real. Then swim in the thermal springs of Palaia Kameni — water at 30–35°C, iron and mineral-rich, colour of rust where it meets the sea. This is not a postcard moment. It is a geological event. Accessible only by private tender from your anchorage — no crowds, no queues.