Mykonos is one of the Cyclades' most glamorous names, but as a charter base it plays a particular role: a boutique, secondary bareboat base and — more powerfully — a scenic sail-to highlight and crewed day-charter capital rather than a primary fleet hub. The main charter base is the New Port of Myko...
Mykonos is one of the Cyclades' most glamorous names, but as a charter base it plays a particular role: a boutique, secondary bareboat base and — more powerfully — a scenic sail-to highlight and crewed day-charter capital rather than a primary fleet hub. The main charter base is the New Port of Mykonos (Tourlos Marina), roughly 2 km north of Mykonos Town and about 10 minutes from both town and airport. With 222 berths, room for yachts up to 25 m, a draught limit of around 3 m and full services — electricity, water, fuel, security, laundry and a mini-market — it offers good shelter from the prevailing northerlies. This is where the small charter fleets are based: operators such as K2 Yachting (around nine yachts), with Istion and SEVEN Sailing running bases and handovers here. The Old Port in town is central and historic but has limited yachting infrastructure and is usually full — it serves tenders and excursions, not bareboat handovers. Alongside bareboat sailing yachts and catamarans, the dominant local product is crewed: luxury crewed yachts and catamarans, skippered charters, private day trips and VIP motor-yacht transfers.
The classic short sail is to sacred Delos (around 5 nm), a UNESCO ancient site visited by day only, and the adjacent secluded anchorages of Rinia (Rineia). From there the central Cyclades open up in easy hops: Tinos (around 12 nm), Paros with Naoussa and Parikia (around 20 nm), Naxos (around 25 nm) and Syros with its capital Ermoupoli (around 30 nm). Closer in, Mykonos's own beach anchorages — Psarou, Paradise, Super Paradise, Ornos, Kalafati, Fokos and Ftelia — make fine lunch and swim stops. A full week typically runs Mykonos to Delos/Rinia, on to Tinos or Syros, then Paros/Antiparos, Naxos and the Lesser Cyclades (Koufonisia, Schinoussa) before returning. In practice, Mykonos is more often a highlight or one-way start/finish on a wider Cyclades route than a self-contained week's base; many charters begin in Athens (Alimos or Lavrion) or on Paros.
The defining condition is the summer Meltemi, blowing from the north (NNW to NE). At the July-August peak it typically runs 20-35 knots and occasionally touches 40 (Force 6-7), kicking up short, steep seas with strong gusts that accelerate around exposed Cycladic headlands. The Tourlos approach adds heavy ferry and commercial traffic, crosswinds and limited room to manoeuvre in the gusts. This is open, exposed water for confident, experienced crews — not a beginner area. June and September are noticeably more manageable, with lighter, steadier winds and warmer, calmer seas; spring and autumn shoulders are gentler still at 10-20 knots, though less settled.
The season runs roughly May to October, peaking in July-August when the Meltemi is most intense and prices and crowds are highest. June and September are widely cited as the best months — good wind, warm water and a calmer Meltemi. Water temperatures sit around 15-19°C in spring, 22-26°C in high summer, roughly 20-24°C through September and into autumn before falling, and 14-16°C in winter, when rough seas effectively end chartering.
Provisioning is easy at Tourlos, with fuel, water, security and a mini-market on site and town minutes away. Bareboat charter requires a Greek-recognised skipper licence — an ICC (or accepted equivalent) under Greek law; a standalone ASA 104 is not accepted on its own and must be converted to an ICC first. If you don't hold one, a professional skipper or a fully crewed boat is straightforward to arrange — indeed the local norm. The Greek cruising tax TEPAI applies to vessels over 7 m and is normally handled within charter fees, and Delos permits no overnight stay. Plan every passage around the Meltemi forecast, and Mykonos rewards you with a sail between sacred ruins and some of the Aegean's most celebrated water.
