Paros sits in the middle of the Cyclades and is the practical base for sailing them, which is not the same as being the one people search for. Mykonos has the airport traffic and the name; Paros has the harbour, the shelter and the position. A Cyclades week from either is decided by the meltemi far more than by the boat.
What a Paros week costs
Istion Yachting lists Paros and Mykonos among its eleven Greek bases and starts its Greek catamarans at 3.510 EUR a week out of Athens, offered bareboat or skippered. Nautilus Yachting publishes a low season two to three cabin monohull around 900 pounds. Cyclades boats are the same fleet as Athens boats and are priced the same; what differs is the week you get.
Why the Cyclades are harder
The meltemi blows from the north from June to September and hardest in July and August, reaching gale force for days at a time. The islands are further apart than in the Ionian, the anchorages are more open and the harbours fill. It is the best sailing in Greece and the worst first charter, and crews who book it on photographs rather than on wind are the ones who have a difficult week.
Paros against Mykonos: sailing from either base
Paros has Parikia and Naoussa, both proper harbours with shelter, and it sits within a short hop of Naxos, Antiparos and Ios. Mykonos has an exposed old port, a marina at Tourlos that is busy with ferries, and prices to match its reputation ashore. Crews sail to Mykonos for an evening and base themselves elsewhere, which is the sensible arrangement.
The week that works
Plan downwind south and accept the beat back, or start and finish at the same island and keep the loop tight. Long legs in the morning, in before the afternoon builds, and a spare day in the middle for a blow. Crews who treat a Cyclades week as a fixed itinerary rather than a plan with alternatives are the ones who end up motoring into a headwind on the Friday.
Questions people ask about yacht charter paros
How much is a yacht charter from Paros?
Paros is priced as Greece. Istion Yachting bases boats there and starts its Greek catamarans at 3.510 EUR a week; Nautilus Yachting puts a low season monohull around 900 pounds.
Is Paros better than Mykonos for chartering?
For a base, yes. Paros has two sheltered harbours and a central position; Mykonos has an exposed old port and a ferry-busy marina, and most crews visit it for an evening rather than base there.
Are the Cyclades hard to sail?
Harder than the Ionian. The meltemi blows from the north from June to September, hardest in July and August, and the islands are further apart with more open anchorages.