Yacht Charter Skiathos

Yacht Charter Skiathos

Popular for sailing vacations on the Northern Aegean, the island of Skiathos is a renowned vacation island

The western most Sporades island, Skiathos Island is a very traditional, laid back Greek island in the Northern Sporades. The island has 50km of beautiful beaches that make it one of the best tourist destinations for a seaside vacation in the country. One example - of 26 - is Koukounaries Beach which is a sandy beach and one of the most popular on the island with its pine forest.

Skiathos Town itself is a laid back affair with traditional Mediterranean architecture and is very appealing in its own right.

History (ancient and modern) has passed through the island but you won't find lots of Minoan or Athenian relics. It focuses more on the present, though at a pace where time almost stands still rather than blazing into the future. People have longer lifespans here and that's because of their diet and laid back culture thoughnot from high octane, high paced living.

Skiathos itself is widely held as one of the best places to begin a yacht charter in the Sporades. Thanks to its airport and ferry port (in nearby Loutraki Port) it is well connected to the rest of the world.

Explore Skiathos By Renting A Yacht

In the Northern Sporades Islands, Skiathos is a great place to sail off into the Northern Aegean. Skiathos Marina in Skiathos Port is a major charter yacht hub and is easily accessed from the island's airport.

A Skiathos yacht charter is great for exploring the Sporades archipelago by sailing yacht or motor yacht including nearby (and larger) Skopelos Island where the movie Mamma Mia was first set in Skopelos Town. To the NE is Alonnisos, a forested and hilly island with beautiful winding dirt roads that is so laid back it makes Skiathos look like Kos.

The strait between Alonnisos and nearby Kira Panagia is a national marine park where you will see a wide range of marine flora and fauna including the mediterranean monk seal and different turtle species.

Heading north toward Thessaloniki on the mainland there is also the Chalkidiki Peninsula. There are three 'fingers' to this peninsula and for those seeking to genuinely escape, we would recommend the Athos 'finger', the northernmost of the three where only Greek tourists tend to visit.

Do consider a trip on a yacht charter Skiathos to Pagasetic Gulf with Volos either the end point or part way of a longer-legged 7 day trip. You will get a mix of pace of life on this trip from the frenetic Volos Port to fishing villages where you wonder if time has touched them at all.

How To Get To Skiathos

Skiathos Airport

This is a vacation airport that only operates international flights between early May and October. It is a short hop from there to the marina.

Athens Airport

With considerably more airlines flying into the country's capital city you can catch a bus or taxi to Agios Konstantinos and then catch a ferry to Skiathos Port. This takes a few hours from end to end but given the quality of the luxury yacht charter vacation you're likely to have, could well be worth your time.

Marinas In Skiathos

Skiathos Marina:

This is the main yacht rent marina for the Sporades archipelago. A number of yacht charter companies have fleets there that include crewed yacht charter, a captained and bareboat yacht charter of catamaran, monohull sailboat, motor yacht and luxury yachts.

Berth Characteristics:

350 berths

Max Length 65m (213 Feet)

Max Draught 10m (32.8 Feet)

List of additional services: Water, shore power, WiFi, laundry, waste water collection, garbage and recycling, doctor's surgery, bar, restaurant, market, rent-a-car, ATM, shipyard

Suggested Sailing Routes From Skiathos

Being the main boat rental center of the Sporades Skiathos Marina is the perfect place from which to explore these sleepy, laid back Greek islands on a sailing vacation. There are opportunities to go to the mainland too, both on a captained or bareboat charter.

7 days - Sporades archipelago: This is more about getting ashore and exploring as against blasting out to sea on long legs. Alonnisos will be your port on Day 3 with stops in Loutraki on the same island and then Skopelos. After the rugged island of Allonisos you head out on a longer leg to Skyros. You then head across the Aegean back to Skiathos.

14 days - Skiathos to Volos one way: This is an opportunity to explore the Pagasetic Gulf, where the tale of Jason and the Argonauts is based in part - he built his trireme in Volos. Volos itself is a busy modern port - a bit of a shock to the system after a week of tiny fishing villages and unspoilt harbors. You will find some astoundingly beautiful, deserted beaches and safety from the Meltemi for much of the trip - with the exception of the leg across the Aegean Sea into the gulf.

Best Times To Rent A Yacht In Skiathos

The sailing season runs from mid May to mid October with July and August being the busiest months for yacht charter.

The sea is cooler at the beginning of the sailing season but there is rainfall in Spring. As the days lengthen you will still see green fields and flowers in May and the winds can be quite benign too.

Come September and October the seas are still like a warm bath.

Sailing Weather In Skiathos

In the Northern Aegean the climate has a fairly short, hot summer by comparison to more southerly areas of Greece.

April to mid June: There is rainfall and the temperatures build steadily from the mid-teens to the mid 20 degree C range. There are sometimes gentle southerly winds, thoough these are replaced by ever stronger N-NW Meltemi winds that are rarely hazardous but make for exciting sailing at times.

Late June-August: You'll be unlucky if you see any rain, though it could be welcome in the summer heat! Temperatures are from 30s with recent hot days exceeding 40. The northerly Meltemi winds can be fierce and can hit F7 for a solid few days.

September-October: The seas remain warm and the Meltemi eases. These months can be the best time of year to sailas the temperatures are often in the comfortable low to mid 20s. In mid-October the tourist season ends.