A sailing holiday in Rhodes starts in Rhodes Town, on the northern tip of the island. 70+ boats sail from its two marinas: 40+ sailing yachts and 20+ catamarans. A week on a sailing yacht with 3-4 cabins costs €2,100-3,800 in May and October and €3,150-5,200 in July and August; obligatory extras come on top. Boat numbers, prices and booking months in this guide come from the boats listed on Yacht4Less (2027 prices, checked October 2026).
Rhodes is the south-eastern gateway to sailing holidays in Greece.
| Category | Key information |
|---|---|
| Sailing season | April to October. Most charters sail from May to October. |
| Wind | The Meltemi blows from the north-west to west, usually Force 4-6 and sometimes Force 7. It is strongest in July and August and still strong in September. |
| Busiest months | August, September and October (2026 bookings). |
| Starting points | New Marina and Mandraki Port. |
| Boats | 70+ boats: 40+ sailing yachts and 20+ catamarans, with 3-6 cabins. |
| Weekly price | Sailing yacht, 3-4 cabins: €2,100-3,800 in May and October, €3,150-5,200 in July and August. Catamaran, 4 cabins: €3,750-5,350 in May and October, €6,800-9,250 in July and August. Obligatory extras come on top. |
| Skipper | About €215 a day, plus the skipper's food on most boats. |
| Licence requirements | Bareboat: a licence from your own country, or a certificate from a club or sailing school abroad (for example ICC, RYA Day Skipper or ASA 104), and a co-skipper. Skippered or crewed: no licence needed for guests. |
| Key destinations | Symi, Nisyros, Kos, Tilos, Chalki, Lindos, Patmos and Leros. |
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Rhodes suits keen sailors and adventure seekers. The passages between the islands are long (the legs of the 7-day route below are 19 to 37 NM), and the summer Meltemi is strong. It also suits history lovers, 14-day charters, mile-building trips and sailors who want to combine Greece with Turkey's Aegean coast (see our boat rentals in Turkey). This region is often called “the sunniest corner in Greece”.
To sail the south-eastern Aegean, you can start from Kos or Rhodes. Kos, the nearest other Greek base with 90+ boats, offers the lesser-known, quieter areas of the Dodecanese, while a Rhodes route features the larger, main islands. See our Kos sailing guide.
The sailing season in Rhodes runs from April to October. In 2026, 95% of booked charter days from Rhodes fell between May and October, and September was the busiest month. From November to March, fewer than 2% of charter days were booked. Winter sailing is possible in the mild climate, but it is generally discouraged: the weather is unsettled and most yachting services close.
| Month | Air (average high) | Sea | Rain | Wind | Share of bookings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 24°C | 20°C | 19 mm | Light; the Meltemi can start | 13% |
| June | 28°C | 23°C | 2 mm | Meltemi starts | 15% |
| July | 31°C | 26°C | 1 mm | Meltemi at its strongest | 13% |
| August | 31°C | 27°C | 1 mm | Meltemi at its strongest | 16% |
| September | 28°C | 27°C | 8 mm | Meltemi still strong | 20% |
| October | 25°C | 24°C | 42 mm | Meltemi weakens | 17% |
Air and rain: monthly averages at Rhodes airport (HNMS). Sea: monthly average. Share of bookings: booked charter days of the Rhodes boats listed on Yacht4Less in 2026, all booking channels.
The summer wind is the Meltemi. Around Rhodes it blows from the north-west to west, usually Force 4-6 (about 11-27 knots, from a moderate breeze to a strong breeze) and sometimes Force 7, a near gale of 28-33 knots. It gives fast sailing, but the channel between Rhodes and Turkey can become choppy in strong gusts. Coming home it is behind you: the 35 NM run from Chalki up the west coast of Rhodes takes about 7 hours at 5 knots.
By early October the summer heat lingers, but watch out for the first autumn storms. For a first trip in these waters, choose May, June or October, or take a skipper.
Prices are per week for the whole boat, not per person, and depend on the season, the type of boat and the number of cabins.
| Boat | May and October | June and September | July and August |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sailing yacht, 3 cabins (sleeps 6) | €2,100-3,150 | €2,800-3,750 | €3,150-3,950 |
| Sailing yacht, 4 cabins (sleeps 8) | €2,800-3,800 | €3,950-5,200 | €4,250-5,200 |
| Catamaran, 4 cabins (sleeps 8) | €3,750-5,350 | €5,600-8,000 | €6,800-9,250 |
2027 bareboat prices on Yacht4Less, checked October 2026. Each range leaves out the cheapest quarter and the most expensive quarter of the listed weekly prices. "Sleeps" counts the berths in the cabins. Boat sizes with fewer than 10 bareboat boats in Rhodes are left out.
On top of the boat price come obligatory extras, such as a security deposit waiver or a standard charter pack: €400-750 for a week. They are not hidden: the boat page lists them as "Obligatory", and checkout shows them before you pay.
A skipper costs about €215 a day, and on most boats you also pay for the skipper's food. Browse bareboat charters in Rhodes or catamarans in Rhodes.
Example: a 3-cabin sailing yacht for a week in July. The boat costs about €3,150-3,950. Obligatory extras add €400-750. A skipper for the 7 days adds about €1,505, plus the skipper's food. Without a skipper, the week comes to about €3,600-4,700. With a skipper, it is about €5,100-6,200 plus food. The refundable security deposit, usually €500-2,500, is not included.
Fly in and out of Rhodes airport (Diagoras). Flights from the UK and the rest of Europe run mainly from April to October. We can organise and book your airport transfers in advance, and the drive from the airport to the marina takes about 30 minutes.
Most boats start from New Marina, the large marina south of the commercial port. A smaller number start from Mandraki Port, the old harbour next to the Old Town. Boats have 3-6 cabins and sleep 6-10 people in the cabins. Your Yacht4Less charter consultant sends the pick-up details, with the location and the contacts of the people who welcome you, up to 2 weeks before embarkation.
To combine your charter with a visit to Turkey, ferries run to Rhodes from Marmaris (about 1 hour, daily in summer) and from Fethiye (about 90 minutes, April to October).
Yes, for a bareboat charter one person in your group acts as skipper and needs a licence. Greek law accepts a licence from your own country, or a certificate from a club or sailing school abroad, for example an ICC, RYA Day Skipper or ASA 104. A certificate from outside the EU that is not in Greek or English needs a translation into one of them. Charter companies also ask for a co-skipper, who either shows proof of competence or signs a declaration of sailing experience. When you pick up the boat, you show the original documents in English or Greek, and you may also be asked for a VHF radio licence.
For a trip to the nearby Turkish coast, you clear customs, and your licence must be recognised for international travel. For cruising within the Dodecanese, an ICC or equivalent is enough.
No licence? Book a skippered charter (the skipper's fee is in the cost section above). Not sure your certificate is accepted? Ask us before you book.
From Rhodes you can charter bareboat, skippered or fully crewed. Almost every boat in Rhodes is offered as a bareboat charter. If you're an experienced sailor, a bareboat from Rhodes lets you roam far: to the harbour of Symi, the volcano of Nisyros, or north-west to Kos and beyond. Browse bareboat boats in Rhodes.
For a more relaxed trip, a skippered charter is a good choice: a local skipper handles the long passages between the islands, and you swim, read on deck and go ashore. Most boats in Rhodes list a skipper as an extra; add one when you book.
On a fully crewed yacht, with a cook and a crew, you are their guest: wake up at anchor, swim while lunch is made, and choose with the captain which island comes next. Fully crewed yachts are rare in Rhodes, so ask us if you are looking for one.
Both routes start and end in Rhodes Town. The days are long: on the 7-day route you sail 19 to 37 NM a day, about 4 to 7½ hours. The 14-day route goes north to Patmos and west to Astypalaia; its longest day is 54 NM, about 11 hours. On both routes the first two sailing days go into the Meltemi, and the way home has it behind you. North of Kos the Meltemi blows more from the north to north-east, and the tables allow for that. Days against the wind take longer than the table shows, so leave early. With children, plan around Days 3 and 7: each is about 7 hours at sea.
Most nights are on a town quay. You moor stern-to: you drop your own anchor, then reverse up to the quay and tie the back of the boat to it. With long days in a strong wind, these routes suit a crew with sailing experience; if no one on board has done this before, take a skipper (see the cost section above). New to sailing? Read our guide for first-time sailors.
| Day | Route | Sailing | Afternoon wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check-in | ||
| 2 | Rhodes to Symi | 25 NM, 5 h | against you |
| 3 | Symi to Nisyros | 37 NM, 7½ h | against you |
| 4 | Nisyros to Kos | 21 NM, 4 h | from the side |
| 5 | Kos to Tilos | 31 NM, 6 h | side and behind |
| 6 | Tilos to Chalki | 19 NM, 4 h | behind you |
| 7 | Chalki to Rhodes | 35 NM, 7 h | behind you |
Day 1: Rhodes (Check-in)
Check-in is at 17:00. Walk from the marina to Mandraki harbour and have your first dinner in the Old Town.
Day 2: Rhodes to Symi (25 NM)
Watch out: About 5 hours against the wind. Symi's harbour fills past capacity in summer, and a passing ferry can make moored boats surge on their lines. Arrive early.
Night: The town quay in Gialos, with your own anchor. The water is 12-18 m deep and the bottom holds poorly, so let out plenty of chain.
Ashore: Gialos is lined with neoclassical mansions in pastel colours: have dinner on the waterfront.
Day 3: Symi to Pali, Nisyros (37 NM)
Watch out: The longest day of the week, about 7½ hours against the wind. Near Nisyros it can blow harder, because the wind speeds up over Kos. Pali's entrance is shallow: keep close to the breakwater.
Night: Pali, stern-to or nose first on either side of the harbour, with water and electricity. It is well sheltered in the Meltemi.
Ashore: Visit the volcano's caldera, or the village of Nikia on the crater rim.
Day 4: Nisyros to Kos (21 NM)
Watch out: A shorter day, about 4 hours with the wind from the side.
Night: Kos Marina, or the old harbour in Kos Town: moor nose first on its north-east side. The old harbour is well protected, but the water surges in a strong Meltemi.
Ashore: Kos Town has beach bars and busy promenades next to its ancient ruins. See the Castle of the Knights and the ancient Agora, or bathe in the hot springs at Therma.
Day 5: Kos to Tilos (31 NM)
Watch out: Livadia harbour on Tilos has room for about a dozen visiting yachts. If it is full, anchor outside in settled weather.
Night: Livadia: stern-to or nose first with mooring lines on the town quay, or on the breakwater with your own anchor. The harbour master shows you where. Water and electricity at most berths.
Ashore: Tilos is a quiet island for nature lovers, with beaches and walking trails. Walk up to Mikro Chorio, a medieval village abandoned around 1960, with a bar at the foot of the ruins.
Day 6: Tilos to Chalki (19 NM)
Watch out: Chalki may have no room. In season a short pontoon is put in north of the ferry dock; the quay is for fishing boats. Arrive early.
Night: Emborio, on the pontoon.
Ashore: Emborio is the island's only village, with neoclassical houses around the harbour: a slow evening at a harbour taverna.
Day 7: Chalki to Rhodes (35 NM)
Watch out: About 7 hours with the wind behind you up the west coast of Rhodes.
Night: New Marina, also called Rhodes Marina: about 600 berths, water, electricity and a fuel station. Mandraki, the old harbour, is central but usually overcrowded.
Ashore: Spend your final evening in the medieval Old Town. Check-out is at 09:00 the next morning.
| Day | Route | Sailing | Afternoon wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check-in | ||
| 2 | Rhodes to Symi | 25 NM, 5 h | against you |
| 3 | Symi to Nisyros | 37 NM, 7½ h | against you |
| 4 | Nisyros to Kos | 21 NM, 4 h | from the side |
| 5 | Kos to Leros | 28 NM, 5½ h | from the side |
| 6 | Leros to Patmos | 20 NM, 4 h | close to the wind |
| 7 | Patmos to Lipsi | 11 NM, 2 h | from the side |
| 8 | Lipsi to Levitha | 25 NM, 5 h | behind you |
| 9 | Levitha to Kalymnos | 28 NM, 5½ h | from the side |
| 10 | Kalymnos to Astypalaia | 40 NM, 8 h | close to the wind |
| 11 | Astypalaia to Tilos | 54 NM, 11 h | behind you |
| 12 | Tilos to Chalki | 19 NM, 4 h | behind you |
| 13 | Chalki to Lindos | 44 NM, 9 h | behind you |
| 14 | Lindos to Rhodes | 22 NM, 4½ h | from the side |
Days 1-4: Rhodes, Symi, Nisyros and Kos
The same as on the 7-day route.
Day 5: Kos to Leros (28 NM)
Watch out: In the Meltemi, strong gusts come off the high land as you approach Lakki bay, and the sea is confused.
Night: Leros Marina or Lakki Marina, at the head of Lakki bay; some boats anchor between the two. On the east side of Leros, off Pandeli below its castle, there are mooring buoys for a fee.
Ashore: Lakki is a town the Italians built in the 1930s: walk its Art Deco streets.
Day 6: Leros to Patmos (20 NM)
Watch out: About 4 hours close to the wind. In the Meltemi, strong gusts blow down into Skala bay from the hills. Call the port authority on VHF channel 12 as you enter.
Night: The yacht quay in the north-west corner of Skala, stern-to or nose first with your own anchor. You may not anchor inside the harbour.
Ashore: The Monastery of St John and the Cave of the Apocalypse above Skala are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Day 7: Patmos to Lipsi (11 NM)
Night: The town harbour, stern-to with your own anchor. There is a lot of chain on the bottom of the harbour, and gusts sometimes come from the side.
Ashore: A short sail brings you to tiny Lipsi: swim in its coves and taste the local cheese, touloumotyri.
Day 8: Lipsi to Levitha (25 NM)
Watch out: Levitha has no internet and no mobile signal: to make a call, you walk up the hill.
Night: The east bay, on mooring buoys laid by the family that lives on the island, for a fee. There is little room to anchor there; the west bay is free to anchor.
Ashore: Remote Levitha is a rugged island inhabited by just one family who run a small, authentic taverna for visiting yachts.
Day 9: Levitha to Kalymnos (28 NM)
Night: Pothia, a busy ferry harbour with good berths for yachts on the central pier; harbour staff take your lines. For a quieter night, the deep bay of Palionisos on the east side is a good alternative.
Ashore: Kalymnos is the island of sponge divers: visit the maritime museum, or try the island's rock climbing.
Day 10: Kalymnos to Astypalaia (40 NM)
Watch out: About 8 hours of open sea, close to the wind when the Meltemi is westerly; when it blows from the north-west, it comes from the side.
Night: Alongside the waterfront below Chora, or at anchor in Maltezana bay in the south-east, west of the pier.
Ashore: Astypalaia is the butterfly-shaped island between the Dodecanese and the Cyclades. Walk up to the Venetian castle above Chora.
Day 11: Astypalaia to Tilos (54 NM)
Watch out: The longest day: 54 NM, about 11 hours with the wind behind you. Start at first light.
Night: Livadia. If the harbour is full, anchor outside in settled weather.
Ashore: Visit the medieval monastery of Agios Panteleimon, or swim at the beaches near Livadia.
Day 12: Tilos to Chalki (19 NM)
Watch out: The pontoon in Emborio is short and only there in season, so arrive early.
Night: Emborio, the island's only village: watch the harbour go quiet after the day boats leave.
Day 13: Chalki to Lindos, Rhodes (44 NM)
Watch out: About 9 hours round the south cape of Rhodes, with the wind behind you.
Night: Anchor in Lindos bay, below the acropolis. It is sheltered from south-west to north winds. St Paul's Bay has summer restrictions (see the rules below).
Ashore: Walk up to the ancient acropolis above the white village.
Day 14: Lindos to Rhodes (22 NM)
Night: New Marina, or Mandraki if there is room.
Ashore: Spend your last evening in the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Check-out is at 09:00 the next morning.
Hours: at an average of 5 knots. Afternoon wind: the summer Meltemi, from the north-west to west, and from the north to north-east north of Kos, compared with the day's course.
NM: the shortest sea route between the harbours, rounded to whole nautical miles. With wind and tacking you will sail more.
The charter company handles the boat's papers. Greece's cruising tax for charter boats (TEPAI) is owed by the boat's owner, not by you. Keep the crew list on board at all times for inspections by the port authorities in Mandraki or New Marina.
In Mandraki, keep to no-wake speed and follow the harbour master's directions for Med-mooring; a small nightly fee is usually collected by the port police. Anchoring is generally unrestricted around the island, as long as you stay clear of submarine cables, shipping lanes and marked swimming areas.
Some bays have their own rules. In 2026 the Rhodes port authority restricted boat traffic and anchoring in St Paul’s Bay at Lindos until 31 Octoberdecision 2131.13/1173/26/2026. Check the current rule with the port police before you anchor there, and keep an eye on the notices to mariners about naval exercises.
To sail to Turkey, ask us before you book whether the boat may leave Greece and whether its insurance covers Turkish waters. You clear out of Greece and into Turkey through customs and immigration, and you may enter Turkey only at a port of entry such as Marmaris or BodrumTurkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In Turkey the boat needs a transit log.
Moor in Mandraki and you are next to the Medieval Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with the Palace of the Grand Master and the Street of the Knights. Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands. It was once home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus of Rhodes, until an earthquake in 226 BC brought it down, and the island and its neighbours are full of ancient sites and Byzantine and medieval monuments.
A day ashore takes you somewhere different. On the east coast, the Acropolis of Lindos stands above a village of white houses and St Paul's Bay. Inland is the Valley of the Butterflies; on the west coast, the ruins of Kamiros. Across the water, Symi has its neoclassical harbour.
Greek and Asia Minor influences meet in Rhodian cooking, and the island's history of trade shows in its use of citrus, cinnamon and cumin. In the evening, order lakani (slow-baked goat with chickpeas), pitaroudia (chickpea fritters) and melekouni, a honey and sesame bar with EU protected status; on Symi, the tiny fried Symi shrimp. The local wines are the white Athiri and the red Mandilaria, called Amorgiano on Rhodes, and souma is the island's grape spirit, made mainly in Embonas and Siana. Dine at an upscale restaurant inside the fortress walls of Rhodes Town, or have a simple lunch at Prasonisi.
Other Greek Islands to discover
The yachting community's most-asked questions, answered by our experts.
Some boats do. Six boats in Rhodes offer one-way trips, to Kos or Lefkas; the boat page shows the fee. To book one, ask us. Most charters start and end in Rhodes.
Yes. The base takes a refundable security deposit at check-in; on the Rhodes boats that list one, it is usually €500-2,500. On most Rhodes boats a security deposit waiver is also an obligatory extra, usually €350-500 for a one-week charter. The waiver lowers what you pay if something is damaged, and it is not refunded. Ask the base how it takes the deposit (card hold or cash).
Charters in Rhodes run from Saturday to Saturday. On almost all boats, check-in is at 17:00 and check-out at 09:00. Book flights that land by the afternoon on arrival day and leave after mid-morning on departure day.
Yes. Yacht4Less can arrange for groceries to be delivered to your boat before you arrive; you pay for the food itself. Tell us what you need when you book.
