Chios shows a different face from the water. Much of its coast is reachable only by boat, from the secluded coves below the mastic villages to the clear bays of the satellite islands, and a day at sea trades the winding mountain roads for a slow cruise, a swim off the deck and a lunch cooked aboard. Sailing trips run from the Chios Town marina through the summer season, and those with a licence can hire a boat of their own to reach the quietest water around the island.
This guide covers boat trips from Chios in full: the sailing cruises and their route to Oinousses, hiring a speedboat or sailboat with or without a skipper, where the boats depart, the coves and beaches you reach only by sea, snorkelling and sunset sailing, and the costs and the season. Read it beside the guide to day trips from Chios and the full Chios travel guide.
What boat trips can you do from Chios?
From Chios you can take semi-private and private sailing cruises along the coast and to Oinousses, hire a speedboat or sailboat with or without a skipper, and join snorkelling, swimming and sunset excursions. Most trips leave from the Chios Town marina in summer.
The organised cruises are the easiest option. Sailing boats and catamarans run day and half-day trips from the Chios Town marina, cruising the coast, anchoring in coves for swimming and snorkelling, and often serving a barbecue or lunch aboard, so a day at sea needs no more than a booking and a swimsuit.
Boat rental opens the coast to the independent. Those who want their own vessel can hire a speedboat or a sailboat, with a skipper or, with the right licence, without one, and set their own course to the quietest bays and the satellite islands, a flexible alternative to the fixed cruise itineraries.
The trips reach places the roads cannot. Much of the Chios coast, from the coves below the mastic villages to the clear water off Oinousses, is hard or impossible to reach by land, so a boat trip is the way to see the island’s hidden shore, as the guide to the best beaches in Chios notes.
What sailing cruises run from Chios?
Sailing cruises from Chios run as semi-private and private day trips, usually to the island of Oinousses and along the north-east coast. They sail to secluded coves for swimming and snorkelling, serve a barbecue or meal aboard, and last from about six hours to a full day.
The classic cruise heads to Oinousses. A sailing boat or catamaran leaves the Chios Town marina, crosses to the shipowners’ island of Oinousses, and anchors in its clear coves for swimming and snorkelling, with lunch cooked and served aboard, giving a relaxed day that mixes the island visit with time under sail.
Semi-private and private options suit different groups. Semi-private cruises take a small shared group at a set price per person, while private charters take a single party of family or friends, with the route and the pace to themselves, and both usually include the food, drinks and snorkelling gear in the price.
The coast itself is part of the trip. Many cruises also work the north-east shore towards the fishing village of Langada, calling at coves between it and the town, so even a trip that does not reach Oinousses fills a day with swimming, sailing and a meal on the water, weather allowing.
Can you rent a boat in Chios?
Yes. You can rent a speedboat or a sailboat in Chios, with a skipper or, if you hold the right licence, without one. Rentals run mainly from the Chios Town marina and are available by the day, letting you set your own course to coves and the satellite islands.
Skippered rental needs no qualification. Hiring a boat with a skipper lets anyone take to the water and reach the quiet coves and the satellite islands without a licence or experience, with the skipper handling the navigation and the anchoring while the party swims, snorkels and relaxes, a popular choice for families and groups.
Bareboat rental requires a licence. Those who hold a recognised boating licence, and sometimes proof of experience, can hire a speedboat or sailboat without a skipper and cruise independently, which suits confident sailors who want full freedom, subject to the operator’s conditions and the weather.
Booking ahead secures the boat and the day. The fleet on Chios is modest, and the best weather days and the peak weeks of summer fill quickly, so reserving a rental in advance, and confirming what the licence and deposit require, avoids disappointment, in the same way as the island’s hire cars.
Where do the boats depart in Chios?
Most Chios boat trips and rentals depart from the marina at Chios Town, on the waterfront of the capital. The northern harbour of Limnia, near Volissos, serves the west coast, and small local boats to Oinousses leave from the Chios Town quay alongside the ferries.
Chios Town marina is the main base. The marina on the capital’s waterfront, with berths for visiting yachts and the local charter fleet, is where the sailing cruises and most rentals start, within walking distance of the town’s hotels, so the day begins without a transfer.
Limnia serves the remote west. The small harbour of Limnia below Volissos, on the west coast, offers a base for exploring the empty western shore and its beaches by boat, far from the busier east, and it suits those staying in the Volissos area rather than the capital.
The ferry quay handles the scheduled crossings. The small local ferry to Oinousses and the boats to Psara and Çeşme leave from the Chios Town quay beside the main ferry berths, so the scheduled sea trips and the leisure cruises share the same stretch of waterfront, as the guide on how to get to Chios explains.
Which coves and beaches do Chios boat trips reach?
Chios boat trips reach coves and beaches hard to access by land: the clear bays of Oinousses, the secluded coves along the north-east coast near Langada, the black-pebble beach of Mavra Volia, and the quiet water of the west coast and the southern tip at Vroulidia.
The satellite islands offer the clearest water. Oinousses, a short sail from the town, has turquoise coves with no road access, ideal for anchoring, swimming and snorkelling away from any crowd, and it is the usual highlight of a sailing cruise from Chios.
The mainland coast hides its own bays. Between Chios Town and Langada on the north-east coast lie small coves reachable only from the water, and to the south the volcanic black pebbles of Mavra Volia and the coves near Emporios look quite different approached by sea than by the road above.
The remote shores reward the independent boat. The empty west coast around Volissos and Limnia, and the secluded beach of Vroulidia at the island’s southern tip, are among the quietest swimming on Chios, and a hired or chartered boat is the finest way to reach them, as the guide to the best beaches in Chios describes.
Can you sail to Oinousses, Psara or Turkey from Chios?
Yes. Sailing cruises and private charters from Chios regularly visit Oinousses, and longer trips can reach Psara or cross to the Turkish coast, though these depend on the boat, the weather and, for Turkey, passports and border formalities. Oinousses is the standard sailing destination.
Oinousses is the everyday sailing trip. Close to the town and blessed with clear coves, it is the natural destination for a day under sail, whether on a shared cruise or a private charter, and it combines a swim in secluded water with the option of a walk in the shipowners’ village ashore.
Psara is a longer, weather-dependent voyage. The remote island north-west of Chios is a much longer sail, suited to multi-day charters or settled conditions rather than a standard day cruise, and its bare coast and empty beaches reward those who make the journey by private boat.
Turkey adds a border to the sail. Crossing to Çeşme or the Turkish coves by private boat is possible but brings passports, customs and clearance into play, so most visitors take the scheduled ferry for the Turkish day and keep their sailing to Greek waters, as the guide to day trips from Chios sets out.
What about snorkelling, kayaking and swimming on Chios boat trips?
Chios boat trips build in swimming and snorkelling, with gear usually provided, and some operators add kayaking around the coves and rock formations. The clear, warm summer water and the quiet anchorages make the island’s coast excellent for time in and under the sea.
Swimming and snorkelling are the heart of a cruise. Boats anchor in sheltered coves where the water is clear and calm, snorkelling equipment is generally carried aboard, and the stops for a swim, often several through the day, are as much the point of the trip as the sailing itself.
Kayaking extends the exploration. Some catamaran and cruise operators carry kayaks, letting guests paddle into the rocky inlets and along the shore that the larger boat cannot reach, a gentle way to explore the coves and caves of the coast at close quarters.
The water rewards the effort. The eastern Aegean around Chios is clear and, in summer, warm, and the marine life around the rocky coves and the satellite islands makes snorkelling worthwhile, so a boat trip suits anyone who wants to spend the day in the sea rather than beside it.
What is a sunset cruise from Chios like?
A sunset cruise from Chios sails in the late afternoon and evening, cruising the coast as the light softens, anchoring for a last swim, and watching the sun set over the water with drinks and a meal aboard. It is a relaxed, scenic alternative to a full day at sea.
The timing makes the trip. Leaving in the late afternoon, a sunset cruise catches the coast in the best light, when the heat has eased and the sea is calm, and it offers a final swim in the warm evening water before the sun goes down, a gentler outing than a full day’s sailing.
The west coast has the finest sunsets. Cruises from Limnia or along the western shore near Volissos face the open sea and the setting sun directly, giving the island’s best sunset from the water, while east-coast evening cruises trade the sunset for the calm and the lights of the town and the Turkish shore.
It suits couples and a special evening. With drinks and often a light meal served aboard as the light fades, a sunset cruise is a memorable way to spend an evening, popular for couples and celebrations, and it pairs well with a stay in a village or on the coast, as the guide on where to stay in Chios notes.
When is the boat-trip season in Chios, and how does the wind affect it?
The boat-trip season in Chios runs from late spring to early autumn, peaking in July and August. The meltemi, a strong northerly wind, blows hardest in high summer and can cancel or reroute trips, so keeping a flexible spare day and checking the forecast is wise.
The season follows the warm water. Cruises and rentals operate mainly from May or June to September or early October, when the sea is warm enough for swimming and the weather settled enough for sailing, and the choice of trips is widest in July and August.
The meltemi is the main variable. This dry northerly wind blows strongest through July and August across the eastern Aegean, and when it is up the sea turns choppy and the boats stay in port or shorten their route, so any sailing plan in high summer needs a flexible spare day built around the forecast.
Spring and autumn sail more calmly. The shoulder months see less of the meltemi, so the sea is often calmer for cruising then, even if the choice of operators is smaller, and checking the forecast the evening before any trip is the simple precaution on this windy stretch of the Aegean.
What do Chios boat trips cost?
Chios boat trips vary with the type. A small-group sailing cruise starts from roughly 80 to 100 euros a head for a day with lunch, private charters cost several hundred euros for the boat, and skippered or bareboat day rentals range widely by vessel, season and length.
Shared cruises are priced per person. A semi-private day cruise to Oinousses with swimming stops and a barbecue aboard typically starts from around 80 to 100 euros a head, with half-day and sunset cruises costing less, and the food, drinks and snorkelling gear usually included in the fare.
Private charters are priced per boat. Hiring a whole sailing boat or catamaran for a private day, with a skipper, runs to several hundred euros depending on the vessel and the season, which spread across a family or group can compare well with per-person cruise prices while giving the boat to yourselves.
Rental costs depend on the vessel. A speedboat or sailboat hired by the day varies widely with its size, power and the season, and bareboat rental adds a deposit and the licence requirement, so comparing quotes and confirming what is included is worthwhile, as with the island’s car rental.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best boat trip from Chios?
The best boat trip from Chios for most visitors is a day sailing cruise to the island of Oinousses. It leaves from the Chios Town marina, crosses the short stretch of sea to the shipowners’ island, and anchors in its clear, road-free coves for swimming and snorkelling, with lunch cooked and served aboard, so it combines a relaxed day under sail with the island’s best swimming water. Semi-private cruises take a small shared group from around 80 to 100 euros a head, while private charters give a family or group the boat to themselves. For a shorter, gentler option, a sunset cruise along the coast in the late afternoon, with a final swim and a drink as the sun goes down, is a memorable alternative, especially on the west coast near Volissos, which has the island’s finest sunsets.
Do you need a licence to rent a boat in Chios?
It depends on how you hire. To rent a boat without a skipper, so-called bareboat, you need a recognised boating licence and sometimes proof of experience, and the operator will check these along with taking a deposit. To hire a boat with a skipper, you need no licence or experience at all: the skipper handles the navigation, anchoring and safety while you swim, snorkel and relax, which is why skippered rental and organised cruises are the popular choice for families and casual visitors. Small speedboats within a limited engine power can sometimes be hired without a full licence under Greek rules, but this varies by operator and vessel, so it is best to confirm the exact requirement when booking. Either way, reserving ahead is wise, as the island’s charter fleet is modest and the best summer days fill quickly.
How much does a boat trip in Chios cost?
Costs vary with the type of trip. A small-group, semi-private sailing cruise for a full day, including swimming stops, a barbecue or lunch and snorkelling gear, typically starts from around 80 to 100 euros a head, with half-day and sunset cruises costing less. A private charter of a whole sailing boat or catamaran for the day, with a skipper, runs to several hundred euros for the boat, which can work out reasonably per person for a family or group. Day rental of a speedboat or sailboat varies widely with the vessel, its size and power, and the season, and bareboat rental adds a deposit and the licence requirement. Food, drinks and equipment are usually included on the organised cruises, while a bareboat rental is just the vessel, so it is worth confirming exactly what each price covers.
When is the best time for boat trips in Chios?
The best time for boat trips in Chios is from June to September, when the sea is warm for swimming and the weather is settled enough for sailing, with the widest choice of cruises and rentals in July and August. September is especially good, combining the warmest sea of the year with thinning crowds. The main variable is the meltemi, a strong dry northerly wind that blows hardest through July and August across the eastern Aegean; when it is up, the sea turns choppy and boats may stay in port or shorten their route, so any sailing plan in high summer benefits from a flexible spare day and a check of the forecast the evening before. The shoulder months of late spring and early autumn often bring calmer seas for cruising, even if fewer operators are running.