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- Off the beaten track
Situated north of Athens in the Aegean Sea, the Sporades Islands are renowned for sandy beaches, lively sailing, secluded bays and as the stunning backdrop to the movie 'Mamma Mia'. You will also find some of the most well-preserved nature reserves and might even be lucky enough to spot the endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal. From our base on Skiathos Island, you can sail this 24 island archipelago without fear of overcrowding - only four of the islands are permanently inhabited! Enjoy this seclusion on quiet anchorages, cooking your own meals under the stars and falling asleep to the sound of the sea lapping against your hull.
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Volos, Sporades Islands
Bali Catsmart Compact Catamaran- 4 Cabins
- 2 Toilets
- 2024
5,176 £6636Including Boat only22% off
NewVolos, Sporades Islands
Lagoon 40 Compact Catamaran- 4 Cabins
- 4 Toilets
- 2023
4,822 £5972Including Boat only19% off
NewVolos, Sporades Islands
Excess 11 Compact Catamaran- 6 Cabins
- 2 Toilets
- 2023
4,801 £5334Including Boat only10% off- Modern
Volos, Sporades Islands
Excess 11 Compact Catamaran- 6 Cabins
- 2 Toilets
- 2022
4,801 £5334Including Boat only10% off 
Volos, Sporades Islands
Lagoon 380 Compact Catamaran- 4 Cabins
- 2 Toilets
- 2016
2,896 £3587Including Boat only19% off
Skiathos, Sporades Islands
Lagoon 42 Medium Catamaran- 4 Cabins
- 4 Toilets
- 2020
5,027 £6792Including Boat only26% off
NewVolos, Sporades Islands
Bali Catsmart Medium Catamaran- 6 Cabins
- 2 Toilets
- 2024
5,176 £6636Including Boat only22% off
ModernVolos, Sporades Islands
Lagoon 40 Medium Catamaran- 6 Cabins
- 4 Toilets
- 2021
4,763 £5292Including Boat only10% off
NewVolos, Sporades Islands
Lagoon 42 Medium Catamaran- 6 Cabins
- 4 Toilets
- 2024
6,917 £7686Including Boat only10% off
ModernVolos, Sporades Islands
Excess 11 Medium Catamaran- 4 Cabins
- 2 Toilets
- 2022
4,347 £4830Including Boat only10% off
What makes the Sporades Islands so Special
- 1 Week - Skiathos Route (Tsagkrada)
- 1 Week - Volos Route (Kira Panagia)
Skiathos is the most developed island in the Sproades. The island istself is quite mountainous and is covered with large trees giving it a unusually green appearance given the climate. It’s said that the island is home to 62 beaches which is pretty impressive given the island only has an area of 19 square miles.
Panormos means “every bay” as it’s protected from all sides. It’s fairly difficult to spot the entrance to the bay due to it being parallel with the bottom of Dhasis Island. The village within the bay is built on the site of an ancient town, some remains can still be seen on the beach.
The largest town on the Alonnisos is Patitiri and is also home to the largest harbour on the island. Until 1965 is was a relatively minor harbour which served the old town of Palia, but an earthquake made the old town uninhabitable meaning the whole town moved down the hill. It’s a good spot to visit if the Meltimi is strong as the harbour offers good shelter.
This small island is one of the many in the area which doesn’t support a permanent population apart from a few monks from a small monastery on the east coast. The island is part of the NMPANS nature reserve and is another place you might spot the Mediterranean Monk Seal.
Skopelos is the largest of the four main islands in the Sporades. It’s slightly bigger than Mykonos and significantly bigger than Santorini. The nearest inhabited islands are Skiathos to the west and Alonissos to the east. Due to a large number of natural springs the island is home to large olive groves, plum trees, almond and orange trees. The island is also famous in ancient history for the quality of its wine.
Koukounaries lies at the southwest end of Skiathos and is a large sandy bay. A forest reserve can be found behind the beach, beyond that you can find a lagoon which is connected to the sea by a small river which follows out into the little harbour. It’s a beautiful little spot which is worth exploring in your dinghy (an outboard would come in handy here).
Skiathos town is the largest settlement on the island. Most of the town is made up of whitewashed houses and cobbled streets. In some areas of the town you can find some more ancient remains but the island isn’t steeped with history compared to some of its other Greek counterparts. The bustling waterfront is home to a large number of restaurants and bars and on occasion you may find an open air concerts going on.
26°C Sea temp: 18°C Warm days, cool evenings. Changeable weather improving
31°C Sea temp: 23°C Hot days, warm nights and generally calm conditions
33°C Sea temp: 26°C Hot and dry conditions with generally stronger winds
33°C Sea temp: 26°C Hot and dry conditions with generally stronger winds
28°C Sea temp: 24°C Warm days, warm nights, weather becoming changeable
22°C Sea temp: 21°C Warm days and nights with occasional stormy weather
20°C Sea temp: 14°C Warm days with chilly evenings changeable conditions
We have two bases in the Sporades Islands; Volos and Skiathos Island. Volos is on the Greek mainland while Skiathos is the primary island of the Sporades Island group.
Skiathos Island has the only airport in this area and is served by charter flights on Fridays only. Be aware that they do tend to be expensive, sometimes double that to Athens or Corfu. At the time of writing this, Thomson fly to Skiathos from London airports, Manchester, Newcastle and East Midlands. There are direct flights to Volos with easyJet from London Gatwick on a Saturday, making this the most convenient option for flights to the Sporades Islands area.
The predominant wind in the Sporades is the ‘Meltemi, a north/north easterly wind that blows throughout the summer. During peak season the Meltemi blows around the Force 5-6 (fresh-strong winds), though early and later in the season it does die off. Early and late season, May and October, you’ll find temperatures in the early to mid-twenties. During peak summer temperatures get up to the mid 30s.
At the timing of writing this for the 2024 season, there are no mooring fees in the Sporades region.
For charters in Greece, you must have an ICC (International Certificate of Competence). Those with an RYA Day Skipper, or above, can apply to the RYA for an ICC with no additional assessments required. If you don’t have or don’t want to get an ICC, you can sail with an RYA Yacht Master certificate.