Greece · Saronic Gulf
Yacht Charter Spetses
Pine woods to the waterline, a boatyard still building in wood, and horse-drawn carriages instead of taxis.
Spetses is the greenest of the Saronic islands — pine covers most of it and runs down to the water — and the most nautical: the yard on the old harbour still builds wooden boats by eye, and the island funded and largely manned the Greek fleet in the war of independence. Cars are restricted, so the town moves by horse-drawn carriage, scooter and foot.
Two harbours
The Dapia is the modern front, where the ferries come in and the town gathers in the evening, with the mansions of the shipowning families behind it. The Palio Limani, the old harbour ten minutes round, is where the boatyards are and where the island actually keeps its boats.
Between them stands the house of Laskarina Bouboulina, who bought and commanded her own warships in 1821 and is the only woman ever made an admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy. The house is still owned by her descendants and they show you round it themselves.
Round the island
A single road circles Spetses in about twenty-five kilometres, and the beaches on the far side — Agia Paraskevi, Zogeria, Xylokeriza — are pine-backed and reached most easily from the water.
Porto Cheli on the mainland opposite is twenty minutes across and has the shelter and the provisioning when the meltemi makes the open side uncomfortable.
Practical notes
- About three hours from Athens; Hydra is ninety minutes north-east
- Cars are restricted: the town moves by horse-drawn carriage, scooter and foot
- The old harbour still has working boatyards building in wood
- The far-side beaches are pine-backed and easiest to reach from the water
Reached from: Athens
Where to dine
A table by the water
Patralis
KounoupitsaOn the water west of the Dapia, doing fish since 1935 for people who came by boat.
Orloff
Palio LimaniIn a restored mansion by the old harbour, with the boatyards in front of the terrace.
Tarsanas
Palio LimaniBeside the yards, plain and good, and where the island eats when it is not showing off.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
The Palio Limani
The old harbour, where the wooden boatyards still work and the island keeps its own boats.
Bouboulina's house
Owned by her descendants and shown by them: the shipowner who commanded her own warships in 1821.
The far-side beaches
Agia Paraskevi, Zogeria and Xylokeriza, pine-backed and easiest to reach from the water.
The island road
Twenty-five kilometres round, ridden by scooter or bicycle, with the sea on one side the whole way.
The fleet
Yachts available for Spetses
Vessels that operate here, from flagship motor yachts to smaller crewed boats. Every rate is quoted on enquiry.
Good to know
Questions we are asked about Spetses
- What makes Spetses different from Hydra?
- Trees and boats. Spetses is covered in pine down to the waterline and still has working wooden boatyards; Hydra is bare stone and has banned wheels entirely.
- Who was Bouboulina?
- A shipowner who bought and commanded her own warships in the 1821 revolution, and the only woman ever made an admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy. Her house is shown by her descendants.
- What does a yacht charter to Spetses cost?
- It depends on the yacht, the season and the crew, so we quote on enquiry rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most weeks.
Destinations
Nearby destinations
Charter here
Enquire about a charter on Spetses
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.