A Chios yacht charter is the hire of a catamaran, motor yacht or sailing yacht from Chios, taken as a crewed private charter, a shared cruise or a self-skippered bareboat charter, for a day cruise or a week in the north-east Aegean. The base is the Chios Town harbour at Chora, on the mastic island off the Turkish coast. Plan the whole trip with Greece Tours.
This guide covers the Chios yacht charter in full: what a charter includes and costs, the catamaran, motor yacht and sailing yacht options, the Chora harbour base, the sailing cruise to the Oinousses islets, the beaches of Nagos, Mavra Volia and Lithi by sea, the west coast to Volissos and the crossing to Psara and Cesme, bareboat versus crewed hire, and how to book. Pair it with the island of Chios.
What Is a Chios Yacht Charter and What Does It Include?
A Chios yacht charter is the private or shared hire of a sailing yacht, catamaran, or motor yacht based in Chios Town harbour, covering the vessel, a skipper on crewed bookings, fuel for the agreed route, safety equipment, and passage among the island’s coves, the mastic villages, and the Oinousses islets. The charter format sets the terms of the day: a crewed private booking puts a licensed skipper and, on larger boats, a host or cook on the payroll of the operator, leaving guests free of navigation duties. A bareboat booking hands the helm to a certified sailor within the group, with the operator supplying the vessel, charts, and a briefing. A shared cruise seats individual travelers on a fixed departure alongside other guests, at a lower per-person cost than a private booking.
A Chios yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. Standard inclusions on a Chios yacht charter cover the hull, engine, and rigging in seaworthy condition, life jackets and snorkel gear, fuel for the itinerary agreed at booking, and, on crewed trips, the skipper’s wage and local knowledge of anchorages. Bottled water and a first-aid kit sit aboard as a baseline; catering ranges from none, through a packed lunch, to a full open-bar meal service on the larger catamarans.
The north-coast route on a Chios yacht charter reaches Nagos and Giosonas. Exclusions matter as much as inclusions. Marina fees at a port beyond the home base, fuel consumed past the contracted distance, alcohol beyond an included allowance, and gratuities for crew sit outside the base rate on standard contracts. A written itinerary fixed at booking keeps the scope of a Chios yacht charter clear before the lines are cast off.
Every sail to the Oinousses coves begins with a Chios yacht charter from Chora. Three vessel classes cover the range of a Chios yacht charter: the catamaran, built for stability and deck space; the motor yacht, built for speed between distant points; and the sailing monohull, built for the classic feel of wind-powered passage. Each class fits a distinct group size, budget, and pace, detailed against the coastline further down this page.
Families take a Chios yacht charter for the swimming stops and the meal on board. A typical day on a Chios yacht charter opens with a briefing at the harbour, covering the route, the anchorages planned for swim stops, and the safety equipment aboard. Departure follows within the hour, the skipper or the group’s own certified sailor setting a course north toward the mastic-village coast, west toward Volissos, or north-east toward Oinousses, depending on the format booked. Lunch anchors the middle of a full-day trip in a sheltered cove away from open swell, before the afternoon leg turns back toward the base ahead of the evening return slot fixed at booking.
For the islet of Psara, a Chios yacht charter crosses the open water to the north-west. Documentation for a crewed Chios yacht charter stays simple: a signed contract and identification for every guest aboard. A bareboat booking adds a check of the sailing license held by the nominated skipper within the group, plus a short handover briefing on the specific vessel’s engine start, navigation electronics, and safety gear before the lines come off the dock.
How Much Does a Chios Yacht Charter Cost?
Pricing on a Chios yacht charter runs per boat, not per person, split by format into half-day, full-day, sunset, and seven-night week rates, with crewed bookings pricing the skipper into the fee and bareboat bookings adding a refundable damage deposit against the licensed sailor’s own gear. A whole-boat rate means a group of two and a group of ten pay the same figure for the same vessel and format, which pushes the per-person cost down as the group fills the boat’s capacity.
A Chios yacht charter departs from the Chios Town harbour at Chora. For couples and groups, a Chios yacht charter is the private way to reach Oinousses. Crewed pricing folds the skipper’s day rate, and on larger catamarans a host or cook’s wage, into the headline figure, alongside fuel for the contracted route. Bareboat pricing strips that labor cost out, in exchange for a security deposit held against damage and returned intact after a clean handback inspection at the dock. The deposit sits separate from the charter fee and clears back to the card used at booking once the boat is checked back in.
The crew of a Chios yacht charter handle the sailing, the cooking and the anchoring. Booking a Chios yacht charter ahead secures the boat and a berth at Chora. Format sets the base unit of hire. A half-day booking covers a morning or afternoon block of a handful of hours, suited to a single beach run or a swim stop off Emporios. A full-day booking stretches from morning departure to evening return, covering the west coast to Volissos or the crossing to Oinousses. A sunset booking is a short evening block timed to the light. A seven-night week covers overnight stays aboard or ashore, with provisioning and laundry built into the longer contract.
A Chios yacht charter is the cleanest way to reach the Turkish coast at Cesme. Season moves the price band on every format. July and August carry the highest demand and the tightest fleet availability, pushing rates to their peak; the shoulder months on either side of high summer carry a lower rate for the same boat and route, with calmer water and thinner crowds at anchor.
Which Yachts Are Available on the Chios Fleet?
Three vessel types serve a Chios yacht charter: the catamaran, carrying up to twelve guests with a meal and open bar built into larger packages; the motor yacht, built for speed and a plush cabin fit-out; and the sailing monohull, built for a quieter, wind-driven passage with a smaller group aboard. Matching the vessel to the group defines the rest of the booking, from the day’s route to the price band.
A Chios yacht charter carries the transfer from the hotel to the harbour and back. The choice of Chios yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. The catamaran’s twin hulls give a flat, stable deck, a wide sundeck for sunbathing underway, and shallow draft that opens up coves a deeper-keeled boat skips. Groups up to twelve fit comfortably, and the larger charter packages bundle a cooked meal with an open bar into the day rate, turning the booking into a full afternoon of food, swimming, and sailing rather than transport alone.
A private Chios yacht charter is exclusive to your group, with no other guests on board. The motor yacht trades sail for horsepower, covering the distance between Chios Town and a far anchorage — Volissos on the west coast, or the crossing toward Cesme — in a fraction of a sailing yacht’s time. Cabins on the larger motor yachts carry a finished, hotel-grade interior, suited to a shorter trip that still wants comfort at anchor.
The set fare on a Chios yacht charter covers the food, the drinks and the fuel. The sailing monohull keeps the engine off once the wind fills the sail, delivering a quieter ride with the boat heeling gently under canvas. Smaller groups — couples, families, a handful of friends — fit the monohull’s tighter deck space, and a bareboat booking on a monohull suits a licensed sailor after a classic, hands-on passage rather than a lounging cruise.
The price of a Chios yacht charter is set at booking, for the boat rather than per seat. Crew size scales with the vessel: a catamaran on a full-package booking carries a skipper alongside a host or cook, splitting navigation from meal service; a mid-size motor yacht runs on a single skipper for shorter transfers; a sailing monohull under bareboat terms carries no paid crew at all, the group’s own sailor covering every role. Cabin counts follow the same scale, from a day-boat with no overnight berths through a four-cabin catamaran fitted for a live-aboard week.
Where Does a Chios Charter Depart From?
The Chios yacht charter base sits at the Chios Town harbour at Chora, on the island’s east coast, where the fleet ties up along the quay beneath the medieval castle walls and charter offices stand a short walk from the berths. The harbour puts every format of hire — crewed, bareboat, and shared cruise — within the same short stretch of waterfront, with fuel docks and provisioning shops steps from the boats.
A Chios yacht charter runs half-day, full-day, a sunset cruise or a seven-night week. A crewed Chios yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. Transfer to the base is direct: Chios National Airport sits a short drive from the harbour, and the ferry terminal serving mainland and island connections sits on the same waterfront as the charter berths, so guests arriving by air or by sea reach the boat without a long transit.
The motor yacht is the fast, luxurious option for a private Chios yacht charter. The catamaran is the steady choice for a Chios yacht charter with a meal and open bar. Chios Town itself frames the base — a Genoese castle quarter above the water, narrow lanes behind the harbour front, and a working fishing fleet sharing the port with the charter yachts. A morning departure or evening return from the base folds naturally into a walk through the old town’s gates and squares.
Planning a Chios yacht charter ahead beats the scramble for a summer week. Inland from the harbour, the mastic villages define the island’s character beyond the coastline. Mesta stands as a fortified stone settlement built in a tight defensive grid against past raids; Pyrgi carries geometric black-and-white sgraffito patterns scratched into every façade; Olympi keeps a central fortified tower at its core. Charter guests based at the harbour pair a sea day with a land excursion to these villages, seeing the mastic trade that shaped Chios alongside the coastline a yacht opens up.
What Does a Sailing Cruise to Oinousses Include?
A sailing cruise from Chios to Oinousses covers the short crossing north-east from Chios Town to the islets, an anchor stop in a quiet cove for swimming, and a call at the small harbour settlement before the return leg to base. The route sits within reach of a half-day or full-day charter, and pairs naturally with a beach stop on Chios’s own north coast on the way out or back.
The north-coast route on a Chios yacht charter reaches Nagos and Giosonas. The full-day slot on a Chios yacht charter fills first in high season. The Oinousses islets carry a maritime heritage distinct from the rest of the archipelago: a cluster of shipping families built its fortunes on these waters, and the settlement’s grand houses and a small naval museum reflect that history on a compact, quiet island far removed from the crowds of the larger resorts.
Every sail to the Oinousses coves begins with a Chios yacht charter from Chora. A Chios yacht charter drops anchor for swimming off Mavra Volia and Lithi. Anchorages near Oinousses sit in clear, sheltered water, with coves that stay calm even when a wind picks up on the open crossing. A stop here trades the working-port bustle of Chios Town for a still, near-empty shoreline, a contrast that stands out on a single day’s sailing. Depths inside the coves stay shallow enough for a comfortable swim off the stern, and the seabed shows through the clear water at anchor.
A Chios yacht charter is booked before the trip for a fixed, agreed price for the whole boat. The population on Oinousses stays small year-round, and the harbour town keeps a handful of tavernas and a single main street, giving a Chios yacht charter itinerary a genuine change of pace between the busier stretches of the main island’s coast.
Which Beaches Does a Chios Charter Reach by Sea?
A charter from Chios Town reaches Nagos and Giosonas on the pine-backed north coast, the black volcanic pebbles of Mavra Volia at Emporios in the south, the pine-shaded cove of Elinda on the west coast, and the long sand stretch of Lithi in the south-west. Each beach carries a distinct shoreline, best reached by boat where the coast road runs thin or the approach by land takes a long detour.
A Chios yacht charter is the cleanest way to reach the Turkish coast at Cesme. Families take a Chios yacht charter for the swimming stops and the meal on board. Nagos sits on the north coast beneath a hillside of pine trees, its pebble bay backed by a scatter of tavernas at the water’s edge; Giosonas lies close by along the same stretch, a smaller cove reached in the same run up the coast. Both anchor in clear, sheltered water on a settled day.
For the islet of Psara, a Chios yacht charter crosses the open water to the north-west. Mavra Volia at Emporios draws its name from the black volcanic pebbles that line the shore, a sharp contrast against turquoise water and pale cliffs — a standout beach on the island’s coastline, and one best appreciated from the water on the run down the east coast.
For couples and groups, a Chios yacht charter is the private way to reach Oinousses. Elinda, on the west coast, sits in a narrow inlet shaded by pine woods down to the waterline, a cooler, quieter stop than the open beaches on the east side of the island. Lithi, further south on the west coast, opens into a long sand beach lined with tavernas built right onto the sand, a full-service stop for a lunch break mid-charter.
Booking a Chios yacht charter ahead secures the boat and a berth at Chora. Water clarity holds steady across every one of these anchorages, the seabed visible from the deck at a depth that suits both snorkeling and a straightforward swim off the stern. Wind exposure sets the choice on a given day: the east coast beaches near Emporios sit sheltered from the prevailing summer wind, while the west coast at Elinda and Lithi catches more of the open sea, a factor a skipper weighs when the route for the day is set each morning.
What Lies Along the West Coast Toward Volissos and Psara?
The west coast run from Chios Town passes Elinda and Lithi before reaching Volissos, a hill village with a Byzantine-era castle above a small fishing harbour, from which the open crossing continues to the remote islet of Psara. The stretch swaps the sheltered east coast for open water and a wilder, less-developed shoreline.
The set fare on a Chios yacht charter covers the food, the drinks and the fuel. A Chios yacht charter departs from the Chios Town harbour at Chora. Volissos climbs a hillside above its own small port, its ruined castle looking out over the strait toward Psara. The village keeps a working fishing harbour at its base, stone houses stacked up the slope, and a quieter pace than the resorts closer to Chios Town, making it a natural stop for lunch or an overnight on a longer charter.
The crew of a Chios yacht charter handle the sailing, the cooking and the anchoring. The crossing from Volissos to Psara covers open water, and the islet on the far side keeps a sparse, close-knit population inside its single main settlement. Psara’s role in the island chain’s resistance during the Greek war of independence sits marked by a monument above the town, a point of history that gives the crossing weight beyond its scenery.
The choice of Chios yacht charter comes down to the vessel, the hours and the group size. Psara’s own shoreline opens onto quiet beaches with none of the beach-bar crowd of the larger islands, a fitting end point for a full-day or multi-day extension of a Chios yacht charter built on distance and solitude rather than proximity to town.
A private Chios yacht charter is exclusive to your group, with no other guests on board. The open water between Volissos and Psara sits deeper and more exposed than the sheltered coves closer to Chios Town, a stretch a skipper reads against the day’s wind forecast before committing to the crossing. Dolphin sightings mark this open stretch on a settled-weather crossing, turning the passage itself into a highlight rather than a stretch to endure between two land stops.
Is a Crossing to Cesme on the Turkish Coast Possible?
A crossing from Chios to Cesme on the Turkish coast covers a narrow strait under ten nautical miles wide, cleared through port-police and passport formalities on both sides, arranged in advance by a licensed skipper or the charter operator ahead of departure. The short distance puts a foreign coastline within a single day’s sailing from the Chios Town base.
Planning a Chios yacht charter ahead beats the scramble for a summer week. The price of a Chios yacht charter is set at booking, for the boat rather than per seat. Cesme sits directly across the strait as a resort town with its own marina, a Genoese-built castle on the waterfront, and a lively harbour front lined with cafes — a full change of coastline and cuisine reached inside three hours under sail or engine from Chios.
A Chios yacht charter carries the transfer from the hotel to the harbour and back. Customs and passport clearance on a Chios-to-Cesme crossing runs through the port authority on each side, with documentation submitted ahead of the trip; a crewed charter handles this paperwork as part of the booking, while a bareboat crossing places the responsibility on the licensed sailor at the helm.
A crewed Chios yacht charter includes the skipper, the crew, the meal and the snorkelling gear. Timing splits into a day-trip format, out and back inside a single charter day, and an overnight format that ties the Cesme crossing into a longer, multi-day itinerary alongside the Oinousses and west-coast routes already on the charter plan.
The catamaran is the steady choice for a Chios yacht charter with a meal and open bar. Cesme’s marina sits within walking distance of the town’s covered market and its row of waterfront restaurants, a straightforward provisioning stop for a crew restocking fresh produce and bread mid-charter. The town’s castle museum and its open-air amphitheater sit close enough to the marina for a short visit inside a day-trip window, before the return crossing to Chios Town in the afternoon.
Bareboat or Crewed — and How Do You Book a Chios Yacht Charter?
The choice between bareboat and crewed on a Chios yacht charter rests on whether a certified sailor sits in the group, and booking runs through five fixed steps: choosing the base, the vessel, the format, the dates, and the deposit. Both formats reach the same coastline; the difference sits in who holds the helm and what that costs.
A Chios yacht charter drops anchor for swimming off Mavra Volia and Lithi. A Chios yacht charter runs half-day, full-day, a sunset cruise or a seven-night week. A bareboat charter puts a certified skipper’s license from within the group in command, at a lower rate than a crewed booking, with independence over the day’s route and pace as the trade-off for full responsibility on the water. A crewed charter puts a licensed local skipper in command instead, bringing knowledge of the anchorages at Mavra Volia, Elinda, and Oinousses that a first-time visitor to these waters does not carry, at a rate that folds the skipper’s wage into the fee.
The motor yacht is the fast, luxurious option for a private Chios yacht charter. Booking a Chios yacht charter starts with the base — Chios Town harbour, for direct access to the castle quarter and the airport transfer — then the vessel class matched to group size and budget, then the format: half-day, full-day, sunset, or a full seven-night week. Dates set against the season fix the price band, high summer against the calmer shoulder months either side of it.
The full-day slot on a Chios yacht charter fills first in high season. A deposit locks the booking and covers damage on a bareboat contract, refunded after handback inspection. Provisioning runs either self-catered, with a shopping stop at the harbour before departure, or crew-prepared on a catered package; airport or ferry transfer to the dock rounds out the booking, timed to meet the boat at the agreed departure slot.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Chios yacht charter?
A private Chios yacht charter is priced for the whole boat, agreed at booking. A crewed charter covers the skipper, crew, food, drinks and marina transfers; a shared cruise is priced per seat; a bareboat charter is priced by the week plus a deposit.
Where does a Chios yacht charter sail?
A Chios yacht charter sails to the Oinousses islets and their coves, the beaches of Nagos and Giosonas in the north, the black volcanic pebbles of Mavra Volia at Emporios, Elinda and Lithi on the west coast, and the islet of Psara.
Where do Chios yacht charters depart from?
Chios yacht charters depart from the Chios Town harbour at Chora. A booked charter includes the transfer from your hotel to the marina and back.