With over 6,000 islands to select from, Greece has been referred to as ‘the Caribbean of Europe’. And it’s presently one of many world’s hottest spots to constitution, with a few quarter of worldwide superyacht charters beginning, ending or cruising in Greece, in response to Camper & Nicholsons.
Julien Solari, Camper & Nicholsons’ Chief Industrial Officer Asia, says: “Greece is likely one of the best possible locations for charterers from everywhere in the world. From the enduring islands of Mykonos and Santorini within the superb Cyclades to the marvellous and historic metropolis of Athens, this nation gives unimaginable surroundings and experiences for charterers.
“We’ve witnessed a number of curiosity from our shoppers in Asia for this vacation spot. Many booked charters final summer time and we’re already reserving yachts for summer time 2024.”
To cater to a rising world demand for charters and native urge for food for yachts, Camper & Nicholsons has opened a brand new workplace in Athens headed by Christos Chatzigiakoumis, the corporate’s Managing Director for Greece, who says the nation’s shoreline has a mixture of historical and fashionable.
“You may spend your day on a distant seaside with clear waters, have a barbecue on shore, then a number of hours later be at an extravagant seaside bar surrounded by celebrities,” he explains.
Apparently, the brand new Athens bureau is situated on the previous worldwide airport web site. Thirty thousand sq. metres of tarmac, along with the concrete terminal corridor, are presently being upcycled into Europe’s largest city park – surpassing London’s Hyde Park – with 31,000 native timber and three million indigenous crops.
Hellenikon Metropolitan Park will reopen with 400 marina berths in 2025. “It proves Athens is a key leisure hub for luxurious travellers and worldwide yachtsmen,” Chatzigiakoumis says. “The Hellenikon venture’s 10,000 new residences will give a brand new dimension to Greek yachting by producing a brand new clientele.”
The primary constitution season is from Might till the top of October, when “it’s nonetheless lovely in southern locations like Santorini,” in response to Sylvia Katsamaki, Constitution Supervisor and Constitution Dealer at Camper & Nicholsons.
“Greece gives a singular constitution expertise from geographical and cultural views,” she says. “One purpose of our new workplace is to make Athens a principal Mediterranean constitution hub. The Athens bureau can organise helicopter excursions over the Acropolis, all the way down to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon, and throughout to the Greek islands. There are lots of touch-and-go helipads round Greece.”
CIRCLING THE CYCLADES
Highlights are a vivid mixture of historical and fashionable. Take Mykonos, which swells with a summer time inhabitants of fifty,000. The seaside membership Scorpios appears like a Mayan temple devoted to hedonistic pleasure. On summer time evenings, seaside fires usher shamanic rituals, bouzouki beats and DJ units.
At midnight, alfresco membership Astra throbs with hands-in-the-air tunes underneath swaying palms. At daybreak, yoga begins with a solar salutation above the island’s sugar dice homes. Mykonos has barely slept since Herodotus wrote about it in 430 BCE.
Too intense? Sail on to Delos, 10 minutes away. One of many historical world’s most sacred islands has a inhabitants of simply 14. The island birthplace of Apollo and Artemis encompasses a Doric temple, a Dionysian theatre and a pre-Christian synagogue. In Greece, there’s one thing for each age and curiosity. And all inside a number of nautical miles.
Significantly in style for charters are the 220 islands of the Cyclades, which interprets as ‘circle’, enabling friends to expertise locations like Mykonos, Amorgos and Santorini in a single sun-kissed loop.
Greece’s first cookbook creator was born on Sifnos. On the island, friends can eat mastelo, an solely munch-here stew that includes goat, pink wine, dill and vine twigs. Lunches will be walked off on the Sifnos Trails. “Within the Cyclades, we’ve seen a pattern for live-like-a-local actions,” Katsamaki says.
DIVING IN THE SPORADES
One traditional Aegean sight has solely simply opened – after 2,500 years. The Peristera shipwreck was found by fisherman Dimitris Mavrikis in 19m of gin-clear ocean within the Sporades islands, north of Athens.
The location rewrites historical past by proving that vessels might carry 150 tonnes of luxurious cargo – on this case black-glazed bowls, lavish tableware and 4,200 amphoras of wine – earlier than the Roman (or certainly superyacht) age.
Friends can now dive what has been dubbed “the Parthenon of shipwrecks”. Camper & Nicholsons constitution brokers can liaise with a neighborhood dive group to rearrange the descent.
As this scuba web site is ruled by Greece’s Division of Maritime Antiquities, a most of eight divers can scour the artefacts peppered on the Poseidon grass throughout strict time slots. They is probably not alone. The Peristera shipwreck sits inside the Alonissos Marine Park, a watery thoroughfare for sperm whales, striped dolphins and uncommon Mediterranean monk seals.
The shipwreck will not be the one treasure within the 24 islands of the Sporades, which interprets as ‘sporadic’, as they’re strewn haphazardly like emerald mountains on an indigo carpet. Solely 4 of the islands – Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos and Skyros – are inhabited. On Skiathos seashores like Agia Paraskevi, you’re extra prone to see a loggerhead turtle than one other superyacht.
“It’s little surprise that extra yachts are being chartered and bought for Aegean cruising than ever earlier than,” says Chatzigiakoumis, who believes a number of variables led to the latest surge. He factors out the rising professionalism of Greek crews, the reinvention of Greece as a high-net-worth tourism hub, and rising wealth throughout the Aegean.
“All of this culminates in a superyacht metamorphosis. It makes me consider Greece can lure an rising variety of new consumers, charterers and clients.”
YACHTS FOR CHARTER
Camper & Nicholsons has a various vary of yachts for constitution within the Mediterranean and we spotlight 5 really helpful for exploring Greece. Starting from €58,000 per week to €1,200,000 per week, all are managed by the Athens workplace and embrace three primarily based within the nation.
The brand new 88m Mission X is a lavish possibility and though it solely charters in Greece on request, it holds a particular native connection because it was constructed within the nation by Golden Yachts and solely launched final yr when it was a star on the Monaco Yacht Present. Sorted by 28 crew, the yacht gives 9 cabins for as much as 12 friends together with a main bedroom dealing with a non-public ahead deck with jacuzzi.
Out of doors sights embrace a seaside membership with fold-down balconies and a 7.5m-long swimming pool on the aft foremost deck, the place an outside cinema will be arrange. The solar deck has a well-equipped gymnasium and a jacuzzi, whereas friends may also calm down in a wellness suite with spa, Hammam, Finnish sauna and sweetness salon.
The huge saloon features a self-playing piano and a style of the Greek paintings seen all through the yacht. The formal eating room features a lengthy, 16-seat desk and huge wine ‘fridge’, whereas different indoor sights embrace a triple-height glass atrium and a big cylinder elevate linking all of the decks.
The yacht is served by 4 tenders – a 10m limousine, 9m traditional chase boat and two 6.25m sport RIBs – whereas toys embrace 4 Sea-Doo jet-skis, three Seabobs, a Fliteboard, 4 kayaks, two paddleboards, wakeboards, water-skis, waterslide, web pool, towable inflatables, plus diving and fishing gear. There are even eight bikes for journeys on land.
Meamina, in the meantime, is a 59m Benetti tri-deck with 15 crew and gives lodging for as much as 12 friends in six cabins led by a split-level, full-beam main bedroom with a examine. The VIP is on the bridge deck. The primary saloon features a piano, whereas meals will be loved within the formal indoor eating space, alfresco on the aft higher deck and even on the solar deck.
The yacht has a child-friendly set-up, whereas toys embrace a 9m RIB, 7.4m Pascoe tender, two Sea-Doo jet-skis, Seabobs and paddleboards. Nevertheless, the gang favorite could be the waterslide that begins from the solar deck, the place different sights embrace an inviting Jacuzzi and a gymnasium.
The 50m Couach La Pellegrina 1 was lately bought by a Greek proprietor and can be primarily based in Greece. Managed by a crew of 10, the glossy tri-deck has six visitor cabins with marble en-suite loos. The master bedroom on the bridge deck even has a non-public deck and gymnasium gear, whereas the VIP is ahead on the principle deck.
Out of doors areas embrace a surprising solar deck with a central jacuzzi, sunpads and sofas, in addition to a lined eating space. Friends may also dine indoors or outside on the principle deck.
Seven S, additionally primarily based in Greece, is a 30m Customized Line motor yacht maintained by a full-time, skilled crew of 5. Recent from a 2021 refit, the yacht gives lodging for as much as 12 friends in 5 en-suite cabins comprising a main-deck main bedroom, two doubles and two twins with an additional Pullman berth. The sunshine, elegant saloon contains an eight-seat eating desk, whereas the aft cockpit gives alfresco eating.
The flybridge additionally gives lined eating in addition to sunpads and a crane that helps deploy a number of the water toys, which embrace a Williams SportJet 435 tender, jet-ski, Seabobs, kayaks, paddleboards, water-skis, kneeboard, wakeboard and snorkelling gear. There’s additionally a floating platform and towable inflatables.
In the event you’re in search of a crusing yacht, the 34m Eratosthenes is a Greece-based Swan 112 that has benefited from a 2021 refit on the Nautor Swan shipyard in Finland. The clear aft deck will be wearing sunpads and out of doors furnishings, whereas the protected cockpit has 4 sides of seating and two foldable tables. Water toys embrace paddleboards, a kayak, water-skis and fishing deal with.
The intense inside options the gorgeous woodwork the Finnish shipyard is thought for and has a saloon and eating space on separate ranges. There’s a full-beam main bedroom and two twin cabins with a Pullman, plus lodging for six crew.
Katsamaki says: “In the event you love crusing and constitution a yacht like Eratosthenes, you get an unforgettable crusing expertise across the Aegean Sea to the east or Ionian Islands to the west. You’ll be able to profit from the Greek winds but take pleasure in sheltered bays all over the place. In the event you constitution a motor yacht, you may simply do island hoping and get up in a special place each morning.
“For me, Greece is the definition of summer time and there’s no higher method to expertise it than cruising across the islands on a yacht. There are lots of of islands to go to, many alternative route choices and mainland sights folks shouldn’t miss. And for those who constitution as soon as, you’ll wish to come again time and again.”
cni@camperandnicholsons.com
www.camperandnicholsons.com
This text was first seen on YachtStyle.co.
Pictures courtesy of Camper & Nicholsons
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