Santorini · Couples
Santorini Yacht Charter for Couples
The Santorini caldera evening from a private yacht is among the Mediterranean's defining moments. Here is how to do it right for a couple.
Last updated August 2026
Yachts for this brief
Specs that match
SEA U, Riva 72, 22m
4 cabins, the master yours · Two crew
€21,000 - €24,000 (rate card)
The Riva for two, 25 knots between the islands
SEA YA, Azimut, 20.3m
3 cabins · 3 crew
€24,000 - €28,000 (rate card)
24 knots: Milos to Santorini, 70 miles, in three hours
MELITI, Garcia 86 sailing yacht, 26.3m
3 cabins · 4 crew
€26,500 (rate card)
Sailing into Manganari rather than motoring
Just Marie 2, Lagoon Seventy 8, 23.8m
3 cabins on two hulls · 4 crew
€49,000 - €59,000 (rate card)
The most space per guest we represent
One price per yacht per week, before VAT (5.2 to 12% by the yacht's certification), APA (20 to 30% of the base on a catamaran, 30 to 40% on a motor yacht) and a customary 10 to 15% crew gratuity on the base. The caldera mooring buoy is a real constraint in July and August and is arranged ahead through the captain; the fallback is Vlychada alongside or Akrotiri at anchor, both on the Meltemi-shielded south coast.
Sample itinerary
7-day skeleton
- Day 1
Embark Vlychada · Ammoudi at sunset
Board at Vlychada, the marina on the south coast, 5 to 8 metres alongside, and run round to the caldera for the evening: the mooring buoys at Ammoudi below Oia, where the water is 80 to 180 metres deep and no anchor holds. Dinner at the fish tavernas on the quay or on deck as the lights come on up the cliff.
- Day 2
Thirassia · Manolas Bay
Across the caldera to Thirassia, mooring buoys again in the caldera depth, good shelter, a village of a few hundred people with two or three tavernas and the stair or the donkey path up to Manolas: the reverse view of Santorini that the crowds never see.
- Day 3
Ios · Manganari, 25 miles
North-west in the morning calm to Ios. Manganari on the south coast is a wide sandy bay in 4 to 10 metres, well protected from the Meltemi and open only to the south: the calm night, with the nightlife of Yialos a taxi away for the couple who wants it.
- Day 4
Folegandros · Agios Georgios, 25 miles
In settled weather, Agios Georgios on the south-east of Folegandros, solid sand in 4 to 6 metres behind its islet, and the cliff-top Chora for dinner, one of the most romantic villages in Greece. When the Meltemi is up, Vathy on Sifnos instead, 3 to 4 metres over sand and the safest harbour on the island.
- Day 5
Sifnos · Vathy, 45 miles
West to Sifnos. Vathy on the south-west coast is 3 to 4 metres over sand with all-round shelter, the reliable bolt-hole; Fikiada next door takes a line ashore for the swim. On a catamaran, the alternative is to stay at Folegandros and skip Milos.
- Day 6
Milos · Adamas, 25 miles
Adamas Bay, 5 to 10 metres over mud and sand, the most reliable lee on Milos in the Meltemi and the base for the island: Sarakiniko by car, the south coast by tender in calm water, Provatas at 3 to 6 metres over sand for the afternoon swim.
- Day 7
Return Santorini · Akrotiri, 70 miles
The long run back, 70 miles on the house table, done in the morning: about three hours on SEA YA at 24 knots, longer on the sailing yacht, which breaks it at Folegandros. Last night at Akrotiri, 6 to 15 metres over sand with excellent shelter from the north, Red Beach by tender, or alongside at Vlychada; disembark on the morning of day eight.
Why George Yachts
For this brief specifically
The caldera buoy is arranged ahead through the captain, and when it cannot be, we say so and the fallback is on the page: Vlychada alongside or Akrotiri at anchor, both on the south coast, not a promise we cannot keep.
The chef is briefed on the two of you before you board: menus by night, the surprise cake, the champagne, what each of you cannot eat; proposals and anniversaries are arranged discreetly.
George is a licensed sailing skipper who has anchored in these bays; the week above is built from the depths and shelter in our own anchorage guides and the distances in the house table, and it changes with the wind.
Frequently asked
About this charter type
Should we stay only in Santorini or hop?
Hop. Santorini is one night, two at most: the caldera at sunset from a buoy at Ammoudi, and Thirassia across the water for the reverse view. The caldera is 80 to 180 metres deep and no anchor holds there, so the yacht cannot simply linger, and the empty bays are elsewhere: Manganari on Ios 25 miles away, Agios Georgios on Folegandros, Adamas on Milos. The event is the evening; the week happens on the move.
Can I book a cabin on a yacht in Santorini?
Not with us. We charter the whole yacht, fully crewed, one price per yacht per week, and the two of you are the only guests on board. By-the-cabin trips exist in Santorini on other operators' boats and are a different product; if that is what you want we will say so rather than sell you the wrong week. A couple on SEA U has the whole boat from EUR 21,000 a week.
How much does a Santorini yacht charter for a couple cost?
Per yacht per week before VAT and APA, from each yacht's own rate card: SEA U EUR 21,000 to 24,000, SEA YA EUR 24,000 to 28,000, MELITI EUR 26,500, Just Marie 2 EUR 49,000 to 59,000. Add VAT at 5.2 to 12% by certification, APA of 20 to 30% on a catamaran or 30 to 40% on a motor yacht, and a customary 10 to 15% crew gratuity on the base. A couple pays the same card as six guests on the same boat; the saving is in the smaller boat. A Santorini start adds the yacht's delivery from Athens on its own line, 130 miles on the house table.
How early should we book the caldera mooring?
The buoy at Ammoudi is arranged ahead through the captain and in July and August that means weeks, not days; the yacht is booked six to twelve months ahead in those months on the Greek Charter Index. Less notice means the south coast instead, Vlychada alongside or Akrotiri at anchor in 6 to 15 metres over sand, still Santorini, less photographed. In June and September the buoy is easier and the shoulder months price 15 to 25% below peak.
Can the yacht arrange a proposal setup?
Yes. Flowers on board, a photographer at the anchorage, the chef's cake, the champagne, and the buoy at Ammoudi at the hour the light is right. Brief George three weeks ahead with the specifics and tell nobody else; the crew are good at secrets.
Is a day charter in Santorini the same thing?
No. Day boats round the caldera are a different product on other operators' boats. We write weeks, fully crewed, one price per yacht per week, and the five-night Saronic week from Athens is the shortest programme this house runs; Santorini is a night inside a Cyclades week, not a day trip from a hotel.
Does the yacht come with a chef?
Every yacht above carries one: a cook aboard SEA U, a chef on SEA YA, MELITI and Just Marie 2. The chef is briefed on the two of you before you board and provisions at Vlychada, Ios or Adamas as the week goes; the food is paid from the APA at cost and reconciled at the end.
When is the best time for a couple in Santorini?
Late May, June and September: the caldera without the August crowds, the Meltemi softer, the buoy easier, and the shoulder months 15 to 25% below peak on the Greek Charter Index with three to four months of lead time rather than a year. July and August are the wind and the crowds, and the itinerary above is built so that every night has a lee.
30-minute discovery call
Ready to plan this charter?
Book a free 30-minute call with George to walk through availability, pricing, and the right yacht for your specific dates.
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