Antiparos anchorage guide · Cyclades
Antiparos Yacht Anchorages: The Complete Guide
Where to anchor a yacht around Antiparos: documented depth, holding and shelter for the island's main anchorages, drawn from published cruising sources.
Last updated August 2026
Antiparos sits in the Cyclades.
The Cyclades are dominated by the summer Meltemi (Etesian) northerly, strongest mid-July to mid-August (around Force 5 to 7, gusting higher in open water).
Plan south legs downwind and overnight on lee and south coasts.
May, June and September are calmer.
This guide covers the island's main anchorages with the practical detail charterers and captains actually use: depth where a published cruising source documents it, holding, and shelter direction.
Where a figure was not documented we say so rather than guess.
The Paros to Antiparos channel is shallow and best taken in calm weather.
Ashore: The 15th-century Venetian Kastro in Chora, the Cave of Antiparos with its stalactites, and the Sanctuary of Apollo on uninhabited Despotiko.
Antiparos is the anchorage the Paros week is built around.
It is five nautical miles from Paros on our distance table and 30 from Sifnos, and the two records here are the two faces of the island: the Despotiko channel on the far side, four to nine metres over sand with excellent holding and one of the most protected anchorages in the southern Cyclades in a northerly, and the town harbour, up to five metres over sand, exposed to the Meltemi and beside the ferry channel.
The Paros guide adds Soros on the south coast, six to twelve metres over sand and sheltered from every direction, arguably the clearest water in the Cyclades.
The yachts that carry the Cyclades wind comfortably are the 20 metre and larger catamarans and the 26 metre and larger motor yachts: on the Greek Charter Index 2026 a 20 to 22 metre sailing catamaran runs EUR 31,500 to 43,500 a week, a 23 to 24 metre EUR 54,900 to 90,000, a 26 to 31 metre motor yacht EUR 35,900 to 75,000, per yacht before VAT and APA.
The anchorages
2 anchorages around Antiparos
Use this guide to understand your captain's routing, request specific anchorages on your preference sheet, judge whether Antiparos fits your charter style, and pair it sensibly with nearby islands.
Despotiko channel (Antiparos / Despotiko / Tsimintiri)
Depth
4-9m
Holding
Sand, excellent
Shelter
One of the most protected southern Cyclades anchorages in a northerly blow.
The standout anchorage; works as a staging point near Paros provisioning.
Best for: Meltemi shelter, swimming
Antiparos town harbour
Depth
up to 5m
Holding
Sand, good
Shelter
Exposed to the Meltemi; avoid the ferry channel.
Small harbour; anchor around it.
When to visit
The channel is busy in July and August but has more anchorages than yachts, and the Despotiko side stays calm when Naoussa across the water is untenable. The Meltemi blows hardest through the central Cyclades on July and August afternoons, and Antiparos is where a Paros week rides it out: the passage is five miles, done in the morning, and the night has a lee. May, June and September are quiet, and on the Greek Charter Index the shoulder months price 15 to 25% below peak on the same rate card with three to four months of lead time rather than a year.
Captain's note
In a Meltemi, the Despotiko channel, four to nine metres over sand with excellent holding, is the night; in settled weather, Soros, six to twelve metres and sheltered from every direction, is the anchorage guests remember. The town harbour, up to five metres over sand, is a settled-weather stop for the evening ashore and the yacht keeps clear of the ferry channel. Despotiko itself, the archaeological site, is a tender trip from the channel anchorage. Paros is five miles, Sifnos 30, both morning passages. Depths and holding here follow published cruising sources; the captain confirms the anchor drop against current charts on arrival.
Questions about anchoring at Antiparos
Where can a yacht anchor at Antiparos?
Antiparos has 2 anchorages in this guide: Despotiko channel (Antiparos / Despotiko / Tsimintiri), Antiparos town harbour. Each entry below gives depth, holding, shelter direction and what is ashore.
How deep are the anchorages at Antiparos?
Despotiko channel (Antiparos / Despotiko / Tsimintiri) 4-9m; Antiparos town harbour up to 5m. Depths are typical sand-bottom anchoring depths; the captain drops on current chart data.
What is the holding like at Antiparos?
Despotiko channel (Antiparos / Despotiko / Tsimintiri): Sand, excellent. Antiparos town harbour: Sand, good.
When is the best time to anchor at Antiparos?
The channel is busy in July and August but has more anchorages than yachts, and the Despotiko side stays calm when Naoussa across the water is untenable. The Meltemi blows hardest through the central Cyclades on July and August afternoons, and Antiparos is where a Paros week rides it out: the passage is five miles, done in the morning, and the night has a lee. May, June and September are quiet, and on the Greek Charter Index the shoulder months price 15 to 25% below peak on the same rate card with three to four months of lead time rather than a year.
What does the captain plan around at Antiparos?
In a Meltemi, the Despotiko channel, four to nine metres over sand with excellent holding, is the night; in settled weather, Soros, six to twelve metres and sheltered from every direction, is the anchorage guests remember. The town harbour, up to five metres over sand, is a settled-weather stop for the evening ashore and the yacht keeps clear of the ferry channel. Despotiko itself, the archaeological site, is a tender trip from the channel anchorage. Paros is five miles, Sifnos 30, both morning passages. Depths and holding here follow published cruising sources; the captain confirms the anchor drop against current charts on arrival.
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