When is the best time to charter a yacht in Mykonos?

Late August into mid-September. The Meltemi is lighter by then, water temperature peaks at 24–25°C, and the beach clubs are still operational without the late-July saturation. Mid-June is the second-best window — quiet, slightly cooler water.

Can the office secure Nammos or Scorpios tables?

Yes. Standing relationships hold space the public booking system doesn't show. Reserve at the time of charter contract; in August these tables fill ten to fourteen weeks ahead.

How long does the Mykonos to Santorini passage take by yacht?

Five to six hours at cruising speed on a 25–35m hull. The office runs it as an overnight passage so guests wake up in the caldera at first light. The route runs south from Mykonos via the Small Cyclades or, in heavy Meltemi, via the lee of Naxos and Ios.

Is Delos accessible to yacht guests?

Yes — Delos archaeological site is open to private visits. The harbour office at Tourlos handles the coordination; a private guide is arranged 24 hours ahead by the office. The site closes by 14:30 most days.

What about the Meltemi — does it cancel days at sea?

Rarely cancels a day completely. The captain rebuilds the route each morning to use lee-side anchorages. In particularly heavy weeks (35+ knots sustained for multiple days), the office occasionally moves a single day to a longer in-port stay — Mykonos town, Paros, or Naxos.

Yacht Charter Mykonos and the Cyclades — Island Hopping by Yacht

Mykonos is the western anchor of the Cyclades — a deep natural harbour, the new port at Tourlos with capacity for 50m+ yachts, a short hop to the archaeological island of Delos and the swimming island of Rhenia. The week is set by the Meltemi: a north-north-east wind that blows three to seven days at a stretch in July and August, and shapes every anchorage decision the captain makes.

The first day — the office's default Mykonos day

Out of Tourlos at 09:30, fifteen minutes south to Delos for the morning. The archaeological site is open to yacht guests via the harbour office; private tours can be arranged 24 hours ahead. The Terrace of the Lions, the Temple of Apollo, the mosaic houses — two hours ashore is sufficient for a first visit.

From Delos, a five-minute crossing to Rhenia. Anchor in the large protected bay on the east side (Stavros or Schoinos depending on wind), swim, and lunch aboard. Rhenia has no development — no restaurants, no road, no telephone signal on the east side. It is the quiet half of the Mykonos day.

Afternoon back to Mykonos, anchored off Psarou or Super Paradise for the swim and the beach club lunch if the brief asks for that. Sundown back at the new port, dinner ashore.

The beach clubs — when they fit the brief and when they don't

Mykonos beach clubs are the photographed half of the week. Nammos at Psarou, Scorpios at Paraga, Principote at Panormos, Alemagou at Ftelia. Each has its own tender protocol; each fills tables eight to twelve weeks ahead in August.

Nammos — the original. Tables at the front (the sand) are the hardest to secure; the office holds standing relationships.
Scorpios — the music programme, sunset at the deck, the slower lunch.
Principote — quieter, more family-suited, on the protected north side.
Alemagou — the local-feel option on Ftelia, exposed to the Meltemi but the better sand.

The week — Mykonos to the Small Cyclades

A weekly charter expands the day. The office's default eight-day Cyclades run from Mykonos:

Sat — board Mykonos new port, dinner aboard or at Spilia Seaside
Sun — Delos and Rhenia day, sundown at Tourlos
Mon — south to Paros, anchor Naoussa, lunch ashore at Siparos
Tue — Antiparos for the day, lunch at Soros, evening at Antiparos town
Wed — east to Naxos, anchor at Mikri Vigla or Aliko
Thu — the Small Cyclades — Schinoussa and Koufonisia — quiet anchorages, sand bottom, lunch aboard
Fri — overnight passage to Santorini (six hours), arrive Ammoudi at first light
Sat — Santorini day, sundown over Oia, disembark Athinios or fly out of Santorini (JTR)

The Meltemi — what it does to the week

July and August: the Meltemi is the operating constraint. Forecast typically 20–35 knots from the north-north-east, building from late morning, dropping at sundown. The captain selects each day's anchorage from the lee side of the next island in the run. South-facing anchorages (Mykonos south coast, Paros south, Naxos south, Ios south) stay sheltered. North-facing anchorages (Mykonos Panormos, Paros Naoussa in the bay's mouth) can be uncomfortable.

The office has run Mykonos weeks for fifteen years; the captain rebuilds the route in the morning based on the forecast. The week the office plans on paper rarely matches the week the boat actually runs by Friday — and that is the point.

How a Mykonos brief differs from an Ibiza brief

See our separate comparison atIbiza vs. Mykonos yacht charter. The short version: Ibiza is closer to the beach club crowd and the music programming; Mykonos is closer to the archaeology, the quieter Small Cyclades, and the windier sea. Most office clients who do both visit Ibiza in late June or early July, Mykonos in late August or September.

Booking timeline

August in Mykonos is the most-asked window. The new port berths and the Nammos / Scorpios reservations fill ten to fourteen weeks ahead. The office books at the time of charter contract for both. September and early October carry warmer water (24–25°C) and lighter wind — the office's preferred Cyclades window.