Athens
by catamaran.

Geographic overview — the Saronic Gulf and the Cyclades reach

Athens sits at the north end of the Saronic Gulf, a 50-nautical-mile-long sheltered body of water bordered by the Peloponnese to the west and the Attica mainland to the east. Within the Saronic the four primary charter islands form a rough loop: Aegina (17 nm south of Alimos), Poros (30 nm), Hydra (38 nm) and Spetses (50 nm). Add Agistri, Methana and Ermioni for short interim stops and you have a complete week without ever crossing more than 15 nautical miles on a single leg.

The Cyclades reach is a different proposition. The classic two-week Athens–Mykonos–Paros route covers about 180 nautical miles round-trip with 50 nm of open passage across the Petalion Gulf. Distances are larger, the Meltemi is unfiltered, and overnight legs are sometimes preferable to grinding to windward in the afternoon. Most one-week guests stay in the Saronic. Two-week and crewed-charter guests reach as far as Santorini and back. Lavrion-based starts shorten the Cyclades reach by 25 nm — worth the extra airport transfer time if your crew has Cycladic ambitions and a single week. Browse the Cyclades destination page for the full Cyclades route notes.

Best time to sail Athens (May–October)

The Greek charter season opens in late April and runs through October. Within that window the Athens area has four distinct sailing personalities. May to mid-June is the peak shoulder — water 19–22 °C, daytime air 23–28 °C, light afternoon sea breezes around 8–14 knots, and prices roughly 30 percent below August. The Saronic anchorages are largely empty and tavernas are open but relaxed. This is the favourite window for couples and families with young children.

Mid-June to mid-July is the early-summer sweet spot. Water warms to 24 °C, the Meltemi starts to fill in across the Cyclades but stays moderate inside the Saronic (typically Beaufort 3–4 most afternoons). Crowds are still manageable until school holidays begin.

Mid-July to late August is high season. Water 25–26 °C, air highs around 33 °C, and the Meltemi hits its annual peak. In the Cyclades that means Beaufort 6–7 days running for three-to-four-day stretches; in the Saronic the same pressure gradient delivers Beaufort 4–5 with isolated stronger gusts. Marinas are fully booked and prices peak — book six to nine months ahead.

Septemberis the connoisseur's month. Water still 24–25 °C, the Meltemi relaxes after mid-September, and prices drop back to shoulder rates while the weather stays settled into early October. If your dates are flexible and you want the single best week to charter Athens, our pick is the second week of September.

How much does an Athens catamaran charter cost?

For a four-cabin Lagoon 42 — the workhorse of the Athens fleet and a sensible benchmark — the 2026 base prices break down roughly as follows. In May, June and late September, expect €4,500 to €7,000 per week bareboat. In July and the first three weeks of August the same boat lands €8,000 to €12,000 depending on year and operator. A newer Lagoon 46 or Bali 4.6 sits about 20 to 30 percent above those numbers; older 2017–2019 Lagoon 40s come in roughly 15 percent below.

The base price covers the boat. Standard add-ons for a one-week charter are: a transit log fee of around €70 (paid once at check-in to the Greek port authority), final cleaning at €250 to €350 (more on a 50-foot cat), fuel and water at cost (a sensibly-sailed Lagoon 42 burns around €350 to €500 of fuel on a Saronic week, more if you motor through calms), marina fees of €60 to €120 per night when you choose to dock instead of anchor, and outboard fuel for the dinghy.

Optional crew rates are €180 per day for a skipper and €150 per day for a hostess. A skipper-only week therefore adds €1,260; a fully-crewed week (skipper plus hostess) adds €2,310. Provisioning is paid separately and typically lands at €100 to €150 per person per day for a self-cooked crew, or €180 to €240 per person per day if you prefer most evenings ashore in tavernas.

Bareboat vs crewed — what licences do I need?

Greek waters require the skipper of any chartered vessel to hold an internationally recognised sailing licence. The minimum is the ICC (International Certificate of Competence) for sailing yachts, or an equivalent national qualification — RYA Day Skipper, ASA 104, IYT Bareboat or one of the European federation licences. You will also need an SRC(Short Range Certificate) for VHF radio operation. One additional crew member must demonstrate basic sailing competence on the crew list — this is the “co-skipper” rule and it is enforced inconsistently across operators but consistently by the port authority during random checks.

If your group has the licences but not recent catamaran experience, the most common middle path is a skipper-only charter. You keep the boat to yourselves, the skipper handles routing, anchor work and the trickier marina entries, and the skipper can teach you over the week if you want to take the helm on settled afternoons. Most skipper bunks are in the saloon convertible or a small dedicated berth — confirm at booking.

Fully-crewed catamarans (skipper plus hostess, sometimes plus deckhand on larger boats) are increasingly popular for guests who want a charter that feels like a private hotel afloat. The hostess handles provisioning, breakfast, lunch on board and table service; you eat ashore at the evening tavernas of your choice. This is the typical setup on 14-metre cats and above.

Sample 7-day Athens–Saronic catamaran route

Saturday — Alimos Marina, Athens. Check-in from 17:00, full safety briefing on board, and dinner at one of the marina restaurants or in nearby Glyfada. Most crews provision on Saturday morning at AB Vassilopoulos in Alimos.

Sunday — Alimos to Aegina (17 nm). A short, easy first day to settle the crew. Aegina Town has a long quay with fuel, water and provisioning; alternative anchorages are Perdika on the south side (line ashore in the small bay) or Marathonas on the west. Visit the Temple of Aphaia in the afternoon.

Monday — Aegina to Poros (15 nm). Approach via the narrow channel between Poros and the Peloponnese mainland — slow speed, watch the ferry traffic. Stern-to on the town quay, refuel by tanker truck if needed, and walk up to the clock-tower at sunset.

Tuesday — Poros to Hydra (12 nm). The most dramatic harbour entry in the Saronic — Hydra Town fills by midday so plan to arrive before 13:00 or take Mandraki on the next bay east and dinghy into town. No cars, art galleries, the Lazaros Koundouriotis mansion museum.

Wednesday — Hydra to Spetses (16 nm). Open-water passage with reliable afternoon Meltemi. Spetses Old Port for the evening, dinner at Patralis or Tarsanas. Morning swim at Zogeria Bay.

Thursday — Spetses to Ermioni (8 nm). A quieter mainland stop on the Peloponnese coast. Anchorage at Bisti for lunch, town quay for the night, and a walk along the pine-fringed peninsula at dusk.

Friday — Ermioni to Agistri (32 nm). The longest leg of the week, sailed on the morning Meltemi. Anchor at Aponisos or Dragonera on the west side of Agistri for an afternoon swim and a final-night dinner ashore.

Saturday — Agistri to Alimos (12 nm). Easy morning return, fuel up at the marina jetty, and disembarkation by 09:00. A 14-day variant continues past Spetses to Monemvasia and Kythira on the second week — see our Athens–Cyclades 14-day route for the alternative eastward extension.

Marinas and check-in — Alimos vs Lavrion

Alimos Marina (Kalamaki)

Alimos is the largest charter base in Greece — over 1,100 berths and the home of the majority of the Athens-area catamaran fleet. The marina sits on the eastern shore of the Saronic, 11 kilometres south of central Athens and 33 kilometres from Athens International Airport (ATH). Taxi transfers from ATH run €40 to €50 and take 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. Provisioning is excellent — a full AB Vassilopoulos supermarket sits 500 metres from the gate and a Carrefour is one bus stop away. Most charter operators do their Saturday check-in from 17:00. Pick Alimos if your itinerary is Saronic-focused, you have a daytime arrival flight, or you are bringing children.

Lavrion Marina (Olympic Marine)

Lavrion is on the south-east tip of the Attica peninsula, 60 kilometres from Athens centre but only 25 kilometres — and around 30 minutes — from the airport. The marina is smaller and quieter than Alimos but the fleet mix is increasingly Cyclades-focused. From Lavrion the first Cyclades island, Kea, is a 14-nautical-mile reach across the Petalion Gulf — a quarter of the distance you would face starting from Alimos. Pick Lavrion if your itinerary is built around Mykonos, Paros, Naxos or Santorini, or if you are arriving on a late evening flight and want to sleep at the marina hotel before a Sunday-morning departure.

Local skipper tips

The two questions every Athens-area crew asks me are when the Meltemi blows and where to anchor first. Here is the short version: the Meltemi typically fills in around 11:00, peaks between 14:00 and 18:00, and drops at sunset. Plan your longer legs for the first half of the day and your swim stops for the late afternoon. For first-day anchorages, my favourite for a settled crew is Marathonas on the west side of Aegina — sand bottom in 4 metres, easy approach, and the village taverna is genuinely good. Save Hydra for mid-week when the wind is honest and the harbour is half full.