Honeymoon in the Mediterranean
Private crewed yacht charters for two in the Greek Islands, Turkey, Croatia and Italy
- No fee for our service
- Family run since 1998
- Members of CYBA, HYBA and FYBA
- No fee for our service
- Family run since 1998
- Members of CYBA, HYBA and FYBA
A week of Greek islands on your own crewed yacht. Mornings at sea, afternoons in the water, evenings at a taverna.
The usual Greek honeymoon is two hotels and a ferry timetable. On a crewed yacht the islands come to you. You wake up at anchor below a whitewashed village, swim before breakfast, and the captain has you in the next harbor by the time you’ve finished lunch. Your cabin travels with you, so you unpack once.
Our booking manager, Christina Papadopoulos, was born and raised in Greece and has sailed the islands and the Turkish coast for years. She goes to the charter shows in Greece and Turkey to meet the crews in person. She is the one who shortlists your yachts, and she is who you get when you call.
Why the Greek Islands for a honeymoon
Mornings at sea, evenings ashore
Our rule for Greece is four or five hours underway in the morning, then the afternoon and evening in the water and in the village. You get the sailing and the taverna table in the same day.
A different island every night
Hydra has no cars. Milos has sea caves you reach by tender. Folegandros has a village on the edge of a cliff. Wherever we send you, the next island is a morning away and you don’t repack.
Nobody else on the boat
A captain and a chef, and on bigger boats a deckhand or stewardess. On the bigger boats the crew have their own quarters and their own way in and out. On a catamaran they live forward and keep out of your way. The cockpit, the sundeck and the cabin are yours.
Where you will go
Greece has more than two hundred inhabited islands, and our advice is to see fewer of them well. The route depends on your month more than anything else, which is why we ask for dates before we talk about boats. More about the Greek Islands.
The route runs one way, south through the western Cyclades, so you never sail back over the same water. Each island is a morning away from the last.
A sample seven night route, Athens to Santorini
Best in June or September, when the meltemi wind is quieter and the water is warm. This route runs one way so you don’t spend two days sailing back. One way routes carry a repositioning fee, which we show you up front. Timings are for a sailing yacht. A motor yacht does the same hops in half the time.
Board at Alimos marina in the afternoon and anchor under the Temple of Poseidon for your first night.
Two hours across. Lunch at anchor, dinner on the quay at Vourkari.
Swim at Kolona, a sandbar with sea on both sides, then dinner in Loutra by the hot springs.
Swim at Vathi, then up to Kastro before dinner. Sifnos has the best cooking in the Cyclades. Tselementes, who wrote the Greek cookbook, was born here.
Stop at Sarakiniko, the white rock beach, for a swim, then into Adamas for the night.
Leave early for Kleftiko, the sea caves on the southwest corner, by tender while the light is best, then across to Folegandros. The Chora sits on a cliff six hundred feet above the sea. Walk up to the church for the sunset, then dinner in the square.
The crossing takes the morning. Afternoon on the boat under the caldera, evening in Oia.
Fly home by way of Athens, or stay a few more nights in a caldera hotel. Many couples do.
With ten nights we add Serifos and Ios and go slower everywhere else.
If your dates are in July or August. The meltemi can blow for days in the Cyclades and Santorini is at its busiest. We would steer you to the Saronic Gulf instead, or to the Ionian or the Sporades if a second flight does not bother you. Aegina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses, short hops, flat water, and you are back in Athens for your flight.
If you want Turkey as well. Start in Kos, clear into Turkey at Bodrum for the Gulf of Gokova, and come back through Symi. Two countries on one yacht can be done, but each crossing takes paperwork and a fee, so we build that into the plan.
or call 1 877 759 8263
The right yacht for two
Sailing catamaran
Stable at anchor and roomy on deck, with a trampoline for the afternoon. The usual choice for the Saronic and the Ionian, and for couples who want to feel the boat move.
Motor yacht
The right answer for the Cyclades, where the distances are longer than they look on a map. Faster hops, air conditioning throughout, and a larger master cabin. Most larger motor yachts are stabilized, which matters more than you would think at anchor.
Sailing monohull
For couples who actually want to sail. Smaller crews, quieter anchorages, and the captain will usually hand you the wheel on the flat mornings. Good in the Ionian and the Saronic, where the hops are short.
Most crewed yachts in the Med carry a tender, snorkel gear, a paddleboard or two and a kayak. We check what is on board before we recommend a yacht to you.
The small things we arrange
Tell us it is a honeymoon when you first write to us and we pass it on to the crew. Some of this is part of the charter and some is at cost. We tell you which before you book.
- Flowers and champagne in the cabin when you arrive
- A table at the right taverna, booked by the crew before you get there
- A photographer for the sunset in Oia or in Hydra
- A guide for Delos, or a car and driver for Ancient Epidaurus or Ephesus
- A cake if a birthday or anniversary lands during the week
- The master cabin, with the other cabins left empty
When to go
The Greek charter season runs from the middle of May to the middle of October.
June and September
The best weeks of the year. Warm water, long days, the meltemi mostly behaves, and the islands are busy without being full. September also costs less than July.
July and August
Hot, full and windy in the Cyclades. In those weeks we route you through the Saronic Gulf, the Ionian or the Sporades, where the wind drops and the harbors have room.
May and October
Quieter and cheaper, with cooler evenings. The water is warmer in October than in May.
Beyond Greece
The Mediterranean is a summer sea and Greece is the usual answer, but it is not the only one. The rest of the Mediterranean runs on much the same calendar.
A gulet is a wooden yacht built in Bodrum, with a Turkish crew and a chef who does Turkish and Western food equally well. Slow, shaded and private. Bodrum for the Gulf of Gokova, or Gocek for the Fethiye bays, a week in either.
Split to Dubrovnik along the Dalmatian coast, with Hvar and Korcula on the way. Old stone towns, pine islands and calm water. A foreign flagged yacht may only board you or drop you in Croatia, not both, so some weeks start or end in Montenegro next door. We tell you which before you book.
Board in Naples, then Capri, Positano and Amalfi over a week. Short distances and long lunches, and nowhere in the Med is better to arrive by sea.
How booking works
A phone call or the form on this page is enough to start.
Photos, crew profiles and the exact terms for each one.
We hold the yacht, send the contract and take the deposit.
Christina briefs the crew. From the dock on, they handle it.
Our service costs you nothing extra. Charter brokers are paid by the yacht, so the rate we quote is the yacht’s own rate. Christina is a member of the Hellenic Yacht Brokers Association. Gail King sits on the board of the Charter Yacht Brokers Association and chairs its ethics committee. That is the kind of thing that matters when you are handing over a deposit.
What a trip! Perfect weather, outstanding scenery, great boat and the best crew ever.
Mike Q., crewed charter in Greece on AMADEUS, September 2012 · Read all client reviews
Founded in 1998 · Over 2000 crewed yachts · Members of CYBA, HYBA and FYBA
Check your dates
Planning a honeymoon? Send us your dates and we will tell you which islands suit them and which yachts are free.
- Our service costs you nothing extra. The rate we quote is the yacht’s own rate.
- You get three or four yachts that are free on your dates, with photos, crew profiles and the exact terms.
- Every line of the price is spelled out before you commit.
Booking window. For June or September, six to nine months ahead gives you the best choice of yachts and crews. The Greek charter season runs from the middle of May to the middle of October.
Questions couples ask us
Get Started on your Yacht Charters Today!
Use our advanced search engines to find the perfect crewed yacht or bareboat in the perfect location at the best price.
If you have any questions about a Mediterranean honeymoon yacht charter call us at 1 877 759 8263, or in Greece at +30 210 895 6443, or contact us by email today.
Do we need any sailing experience?
None. On a crewed charter the captain sails, the chef cooks, and you are guests. If you want to take the wheel, say so. Most captains are happy to teach.
Can we see Santorini and Mykonos?
Yes, in June or September, on a one way route down the eastern Cyclades through Mykonos, Paros and Ios that ends in Santorini. Our sample Athens to Santorini route runs the quieter western side and skips Mykonos. Tell us which matters more to you. In July and August we’d rather you took the ferry from Piraeus to those two and spent the charter somewhere the wind is kinder.
What does the price include?
Most crewed yachts in Greece are quoted as a base rate plus an advance provisioning allowance, usually 25 to 35 percent of the base rate, which pays for fuel, food, drinks and port fees as you go. Anything left comes back to you. Greek VAT is added on top, a tip for the crew at the end is customary, and a one way route carries a repositioning fee. We show every line before you commit so there are no surprises.
How do we get there?
Fly to Athens. There are nonstop flights from several US cities in summer, and Santorini and Mykonos have their own airports for a one way charter. Greek charters usually run Saturday to Saturday, so fly in on the Friday and sleep in Athens, and a late flight cannot cost you the first night. The crew will meet you at the marina. More on flying to your charter.
Greece or the Bahamas?
Greece for villages, food and history, and for a summer wedding. The Bahamas for water, sandbars and having an anchorage to yourselves, and for a winter wedding. We do both, so ask us.
How far ahead should we book?
For June or September, six to nine months ahead gives you the best choice of yachts and crews. Last minute is possible, with less choice.
Tell us your dates. We'll tell you which islands.
Call 1 877 759 8263 or send us a note. We’ll come back with yachts that are free on your dates and a straight answer on price.
Founded in 1998 by Tony and Gail King, who have a combined experience of over 50 years in the charter industry.
Office Location
1515 North Federal Hwy. Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33432 USA
Phone (United States)
Office: +1 (877) 759-8263
Mobile: +1 (305) 401-8208
Phone (International)
Office: +1 (954) 607-3780
Greece: +30 (210) 895-6443
Copyright ©2026 American Yacht Charters | Greece Yachts | Croatia Yachting | French Riviera | Designed by Netpaths