The wealth and diversity of the Greek seas, the endless kilometers of the Greek coasts and the thousands of Greek islands, the protected sea areas covering thousands of square kilometers, the mild climate, the high percentage of sunshine and its interesting and varying landscape make Greece the ideal destination for the development of sea tourism activities. This advantage is strengthened both by thousands of years of marine tradition and by conditions favorable for sea traveling: the Greek seas are considered safe, distances between coasts are small, while conditions related to wind strength, ambient and sea temperatures are equally favorable.
Greek Islands
The islands are Greece’s chief morphological trait and an integral part of the country’s civilisation and tradition. The Greek territory comprises 6,000 islands and islets scattered in the Aegean and Ionian Sea, a truly unique phenomenon on the European continent; of these islands only 227 are inhabited.
The Greek Archipelago takes up 7,500 km of the country’s total 16,000-km coastline, offering a highly diversified landscape: beaches stretching along many kilometers, sheltered bays and coves, golden stretches of sand with dunes, pebbly beaches, coastal caves with steep rocks and black sand typical of volcanic soil, coastal wetlands... Many Greek beaches have been awarded the blue flag under the program Blue Flags of Europe. Apart from swimming, they lend themselves to scuba diving, snorkeling, water skiing, sailing and windsurfing. As they are the cradle of some of the most ancient and prosperous European civilizations (the Cycladic, Minoan civilizations, etc.), the islands boast unique archaeological sites, an outstanding architectural heritage and centuries-old, fascinating local traditions of a multifaceted cultural past. Moreover, 58.5% of the country’s lodging establishments and 62.6% of hotel beds are found on the islands (data for 2003). All the above, combined with the ideal climate, the safety of Greek waters and the short distances between ports and coasts, have rendered the Greek islands extremely popular among Greek and foreign visitors.
Most islands lie in the Aegean Sea and are divided in seven groups (from north to south):
The Sporades: Alonissos, Skiathos, Skopelos, Skyros
Evia
The Argo-Saronic Islands: Angistri, Aegina, Poros, Salamina, Spetses, Hydra and the coastal area of Methana.
The Cyclades: A group of 56 islands, its most important ones being Amorgos, Anafi, Andros, Antiparos, Delos, Ios, Kea, Kimolos, Kythnos, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Serifos, Sikinos, Sifnos, Syros, Tinos, Folegandros, as well as the “Minor Cyclades” comprising Donousa, Irakleia, Koufonisia and Schinoussa.
The Ionian Islands: Zakynthos, Ithaca, Corfu, Cephallonia, Lefkada, Paxi, Antipaxi, Ereikoussa, Mathraki, Meganissi, Othoni, Strofades. These islands, together with Kythira, which is however cut-off from the rest, opposite the southern Peloponnese (Lakonia), as well as neighbouring Antikythira, they constitute the Eptanissa.
Marinas - Moorings
Nowadays there are 19 marinas with 6,661 docking places in Greece, offering high quality services. Quite a few of these marinas have been awarded by the European Blue Flag program. In recent years, the Greek National Tourist Organization and some of the 13 administrative regions of the country have started the implementation of a program for the creation of an integrated network of anchoring and relevant services for boats along the Greek coasts; this program is now nearing completion. New modern marinas, hotel ports and moorings for the safe docking of boats already operate or are in the process of starting their operation, in order to meet the needs of tourists coming to Greece by sea in the most satisfactory way and under the safest conditions. For analytical information regarding the marinas operating in Greece, click here. Also see the marinas under construction.
Moorings In addition to the docking places provided by public or private marinas, approximately 3,000 yachts can be accommodated in the Greek ports. Apart from the big commercial ports of Piraeus and Thessalonica, small and picturesque moorings have been created and equipped in many Greek ports. Piers and sea walls have been constructed, creating safe areas where yachts can dock, provided they pay the relevant port dues. Basic facilities and elementary services are provided in most of these ports for the docked boats. Such ports have been created in Mikrolímano of Piraeus, on the islands of Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses, in Nafplio, Gythio, Pylos, on the islands of Zákynthos, Ithaca, Kefaloniá, Lefkada, Paxí, Ios, Mykonos, Patmos, Symi, Samos, Lesbos (Plomari), Chios and in other places.
-Port dues Commercial ports are supervised by the port authorities of each region. Yachts using the ports of the country are obliged to pay port dues as specified by the regulations of the competent Ministry of Mercantile Marine. The docking dues are paid at the Port Authorities of each region to the Port Fund and are calculated on the basis of yacht category, the metres of the yacht’s total length, the registered tons of total capacity and the duration of docking in the port.
-Supplies Fuel: Diesel fuel is provided to yachts in many ports of the country, mainly by fuel trucks, with the care of the port authorities of each region (information VHF, channel 12). Most oil companies have established a well-organized coastal network of fuel stations on the islands and the continental coasts of the country, capable of handling refueling requirements of yachts in each area. Moreover, some of these companies have built special small tankers, capable of carrying not only fuel, but fuel trucks as well, thus creating floating installations for the servicing of yachts. In the larger ports of the country fuel is charged at current prices. In more remote areas, however, a small surcharge is added in order to cover the additional transportation cost. Vessels are no longer entitled to transit fuel. All vessels, without exception, are obliged to use diesel fuel which has the natural yellow-white colour of oil (non colored).
Gasoline: It is usually sold at gas stations and not at pumps near the pier.
Lubricants: Although all types of lubricants are sold in Greece, you may not find them on certain remote islands. For this reason, yachts on extended trips should have reserves of the lubricants they need.
Water: As far as the supply of potable water is concerned, at the marinas of the Greek National Tourist Organization an additional charge of 80% is added to the urban consumption dues. Water is provided on the pier or is transported by road to the ports. It is recommended to check prices with the port authorities of the region. Due to water shortage on some islands during the summer, it may be difficult to replenish water supplies; therefore, skippers are advised to keep adequate water reserves on the boat.
Other supplies – provisions - equipment: As far as victuals, ice, gas and other goods are concerned, in most of the country’s ports you can buy these from private enterprises or through the organized networks of the oil companies (Information via the port authorities/VHF Channel 12).
-Repairs In most Greek coastal areas and near the ports of the mainland and the bigger islands, all types of wide-scale repairs are carried out and all kinds of service are provided to the boats. Some medium or small-scale repairs may be possible in the smaller ports and on the more remote islands.
-Please note the following regulations in force according to Greek legislation: 1. Private yachts, either under the Greek flag or under foreign flag, ARE NOT ENTITLED to tax-free delivery of equipment and supplies, such as fuel, lubricants, victuals and other goods. 2. Professional tourist ships ARE ENTITLED to tax-free delivery of fuel only, through the procedure by which the special oil consumption tax is returned for the amount of fuel that can be proven to have been used for professional reasons. Same vessels are not entitled to tax-free delivery of food supplies and other goods.
Note: The relevant legislation, which was recently revised in order to harmonise Greek legislation with European community policy, may be subject to differentiations with regard to these issues.
Wind and Weather
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea winds usually appear during the warm season, i.e. from May to September, blow in a northward direction and are called etisies or meltemia. Normally, the meltemia season begins around the end of May and ends around the end of October. They are the strongest during the months of July and August, and their average duration is from 2 to 4 days, although they do not have the same frequency of appearance every year. These winds mostly blow during the day, from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening, and are at their strongest around 2 in the afternoon.
They are characterized by alternate strengthening and weakening, while they fall quickly after sundown, to return at dawn. In the Northern Aegean they usually are NE winds, in the Central Aegean they become North, and in the Southern Aegean NW. In the area of Rhodos they tend to become West, while in the Saronikos and the Northern Evoikos Gulf they remain NE. Under the influence of the sea breeze during the day, the meltemia become stronger locally, as is the case in the coastal area of Northern Crete. The meltemia are at their most intense in the N. Aegean, particularly in the region of the Cyclades islands.
During the winter, the winds blowing in the Aegean reach a force of 8-9 Beaufort, while greater intensity is observed in the Kafireas straits (Cavo Doro) and in the Cyclades.
With regard to the waters in the Thermaikos Gulf, there we encounter the strong local NW wind called vardaris, with strengths that range from 6 to 8 Beaufort. Also during the winter, and particularly when it is at its coldest, a humid wind in the Aegean region, which becomes gradually stronger , accompanied by low skies and rain. It appears mostly in the southern and western regions of the Aegean, but this stormy wind does not make an appearance often.
Ionian Sea
The winds blowing in the Ionian Sea during the summer are the NW "maϊstros" winds, while during the winter we also have the wet sirocco, that, when at its strongest, can blow for 2 or 3 days without stop. Also during the winter, and to a lesser extent in the summer, blows the NE Central Mediterranean wind called "gregos", which comes from Albania and Western Greece. It creates strong waves in the winter, but does not blow in the summer.
Zones
It is useful to divide the Greek seas into 4 zones running from North to South, and thus examine the course of the summer winds.
Winds vary greatly from zone to zone, (except when the meltemia winds are blowing, which are very strong, and result in large areas overlapping and having the same features).
More specifically: THE FIRST ZONE includes the Ionian Sea and the West Coasts of the Peloponnese. For the greater part of the summer, the North Ionian features light to medium NW winds, the maïstros, which appear in the early afternoon and usually fall during sundown.
The SECOND ZONE is the sea area that is located south of Attiki and east of the Peloponnese. Very often in this area we have the southerly (SE) sirocco wind, the duration of which is usually short. The sea in the north part of this zone is protected from the strong northern winds by the land areas. In early summer there often is no wind at all, or weak winds blow, generally from the south. However, from July till the end of the summer, in this zone we mostly have meltemia, except for the NW Peloponnese, where you may have encounter western winds.
THE THIRD AND CENTRAL ZONE covers the greater part of the Aegean from North to South, including the Sporades and the Cyclades. Throughout the summer, the prevailing winds are northeastern winds in the Northern Aegean, and northwestern winds in the Southern Aegean. The meltemia are weaker during May and June, stronger during July and August, but disappear in the fall, when the high Balkan barometric pressures are decrease. These are not cold winds, but they may blow continuously for 3 to 4 days in a sunny sky, reaching an intensity of force 6 and in some cases 7 to 8 on the Beaufort scale. They create sudden waves that may make conditions difficult for small pleasure craft, particularly in the sea areas around the island of Icaria and the Cavo Doro, north of Andros.
THE FOURTH ZONE, comprises the sea areas of the NE Aegean, as well as the sea of Samos and Kos before the coast of Turkey, is considerably influenced by the meltemia, particularly in the north. However, during the greater part of the summer a slight, variable breeze blows on the coasts of the southern region.
In order to obtain more information regarding the winds and the navigation weather forecasts, please follow the weather forecast broadcasts.
