Crete offers sailing conditions quite different from the northern Aegean. The meltemi, which blows hard through the Cyclades from July into September, softens around Crete’s southern exposure, and the waters off the south coast are open to the Libyan Sea in a way that rewards blue-water sailing capability. The crewed sailing fleet available from Crete includes performance cruisers and blue-water monohulls from around 25m to 50m, most with experienced crews familiar with the tidal patterns and passages around the island. Weekly rates typically begin around 18,000 euros for a well-fitted 30m crewed sailing yacht and can reach 70,000 euros for a larger example. Add approximately 30% for the advance provisioning allowance covering berthing, fuel, provisions and crew. From Crete, heading east puts you toward Rhodes within a long day’s sailing in good breeze. Heading west allows a circuit of the island’s southern coastline, with overnight stops at Loutro, Hora Sfakion and Paleochora. The Dodecanese are accessible from the island’s eastern tip, with Karpathos, Halki and Rhodes all within reach on a two-week programme from Chania or Heraklion. The Ionian coast of the Peloponnese is reachable on longer passages west.
