Kea (Tzia) Yacht Anchorages: The Complete Guide

Kea (Tzia) 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.

Kea is only about 16 nm from the Athens marinas at Lavrio, a convenient first or last stop, but it is one of the islands most notorious for violent katabatic gusts to leeward in the Meltemi.

Ashore: Ioulida, the hilltop Chora with its 13th-century castle remains and Archaeological Museum, the famous Lion of Kea carved from the rock, and the Bronze Age site of Ayia Eirini near Vourkari.

Kea is the first night out of Athens for any yacht heading east: 35 nautical miles from Alimos and 25 from Lavrio on our distance table, 15 from Kythnos, so a motor yacht at 24 knots is anchored in ninety minutes and a catamaran in a long afternoon.

Vourkari, inside Agios Nikolaos bay, is the main yacht anchorage and one of the safest natural harbours in the Mediterranean; it is deep, the crew lay at least 40 metres of chain, and in summer the quieter berth is to anchor out in the large bay rather than among the permanent moorings.

Poles bay by Cape Tamelos is a small deserted cove over sand for calm weather; Korissia, the ferry port, is a marina rather than an anchorage, because in the strongest north-east Meltemi both swell and gusts can make it untenable and the holding is suspect.

The Athens-based motor yachts we represent do the run: MARY, LADY L, SEA U, SEA YA and M FIVE from EUR 17,500 to 47,500 a week from their own rate cards, the 26 to 31 metre class from EUR 35,900 to 75,000 on the Greek Charter Index 2026, per yacht before VAT and APA.

Athens to Athens was the most common request on this desk in the 2026 season.

Where can a yacht anchor at Kea (Tzia)?

Kea (Tzia) has 3 anchorages in this guide: Vourkari (in Agios Nikolaos bay), Poles bay (by Cape Tamelos), Korissia / Livadi (ferry port). Each entry below gives depth, holding, shelter direction and what is ashore.

Which Kea (Tzia) anchorages are sheltered from the meltemi, the summer north wind?

Korissia / Livadi (ferry port): In the strongest NE Meltemi both swell and gusts can make it untenable.

What is the holding like at Kea (Tzia)?

Vourkari (in Agios Nikolaos bay): Good, but deep, use at least 40 m of chain. Poles bay (by Cape Tamelos): Sand, good. Korissia / Livadi (ferry port): Suspicious, with rocks and stones protruding.

When is the best time to anchor at Kea (Tzia)?

The Cyclades are dominated by the summer Meltemi, the northerly that blows hardest from mid-July to mid-August, around Force 5 to 7 and gusting higher in open water, and Kea meets it first out of Athens; Vourkari is the shelter, Korissia the place to avoid in a north-easterly. Vourkari is very crowded in summer, with the Athens weekend fleet on the permanent moorings. May, June and September are calmer, 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 Kea (Tzia)?

Leave Alimos in the morning calm and be in Vourkari by lunch, anchored out in the bay with 40 metres of chain rather than on the crowded moorings, the village tavernas a tender ride away. Poles bay is a settled-weather cove for the swim on the way south. Korissia is the marina, used when the yacht must, never the anchorage in a north-easterly. Kythnos is 15 miles on, Lavrio 25 back, both short passages before the afternoon wind. Depths and holding here follow published cruising sources; the captain confirms the anchor drop against current charts on arrival.

Cyclades

Saronic

Ionian

Sporades

Dodecanese

Crete