The Cyclades are the Aegean's great island-hopping ground: dozens of islands strung across blue water, each with its own harbour, its own wind angle, and its own reason to stay an extra night. For sailors this is the connoisseur's Greece, defined by the Meltemi, the strong northerly summer wind that makes the archipelago a proper sailing challenge rather than a motorsailing milk run.
The circuit
The classic itinerary embarks at Athens and runs Kea, Syros, Delos, Mykonos, Paros, and Santorini over about seven days. Mykonos puts superyachts along the quay by Little Venice; Santorini's caldera is the signature anchorage of the Aegean, with Ammoudi Bay tucked at the base of Oia's cliffs and its waterfront tavernas; Naoussa on Paros offers one of the prettiest fishing harbours in Greece, with around 120 berths for vessels up to 20 metres.
For quieter water, Ornos Bay on Mykonos is a sheltered anchorage close to town, the almost uninhabited island of Rinia west of Mykonos has several anchorages with the UNESCO site of Delos alongside, and Marina Naxos offers around 180 berths up to 20 metres as a base for the central Cyclades.
The Meltemi
The Meltemi, the strong northerly summer wind, defines Cyclades cruising and deserves its reputation: passages should be planned with it rather than against it, and skippers new to the Aegean should treat the forecast as the day’s real itinerary. This is a cruising ground that rewards seamanship, which is precisely why sailors love it.
Paperwork and taxes
Greece levies TEPAI, a cruising tax on every pleasure craft over 7 metres in Greek waters, paid in advance through the eTEPAI portal. Monthly bands run from EUR 16 for 7 to 8 metres up to EUR 8 per metre for vessels over 12 metres, with a 10 percent discount for payment in December or January for the coming year. Charter yachts not licensed in Greece additionally face the TEPADAH permit fee, based on gross tonnage and charter days plus a EUR 500 base fee. Budget for both before the season.
Practical notes
- Plan passages with the Meltemi forecast, not the calendar: a flexible itinerary beats a fixed one.
- Superyachts cluster at Mykonos and the caldera; book berths ahead in high season.
- Pay TEPAI in advance via the eTEPAI portal and keep proof aboard.
Anchorages and marinas
Ornos Bay on Mykonos is the sheltered anchorage with modern facilities close to town; Naoussa harbor on Paros keeps its Venetian fishing-port character, with Marina Naoussa offering around 120 berths for vessels up to 20 metres. At Santorini, Ammoudi Bay sits at the base of Oia's cliffs with waterfront tavernas. For something wilder, Rinia island west of Mykonos has several anchorages on an almost uninhabited island, and the channel by Delos offers anchorage for visits to the UNESCO archaeological site. Marina Naxos has approximately 180 berths for vessels up to 20 metres in Naxos Town.
The paperwork
Greece levies TEPAI, a cruising tax on every pleasure craft over 7 metres in Greek waters, paid in advance through the eTEPAI portal. Monthly bands run from EUR 16 for a 7 to 8-metre boat to EUR 8 per metre for vessels over 12 metres, with a 10 percent discount for payment in December or January for the coming year. Charter yachts not licensed in Greece also face the TEPADAH e-charter permit fee, based on gross tonnage and charter days plus a EUR 500 base fee. Athens is the principal embarkation point, and a typical Cyclades itinerary runs about seven days through Kea, Syros, Delos, Mykonos, Paros, and Santorini.
Photography: Dietmar Rabich via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
