Schoinoussa Yacht Anchorages: The Complete Guide

Schoinoussa 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.

Ashore: The main village Chora about 2 km from Mersini, the blue-domed church of Panagia Akathi, and quiet beaches at Tsigouri, Almyros and Livadi.

Schoinoussa is the Small Cyclades island with the blue-domed church and the quiet beaches, a morning south of Naxos between Iraklia and Koufonisia, and it has one anchorage worth the name.

Mersini, the ferry port on the west, is one of the best small-boat shelters in the area, with gusts mainly from the north-east; the holding is sand, weed and occasional reefs, not great, and the set is verified; the shallow north-west quay takes a yacht stern-to and in summer most yachts anchor off and tender in.

The Chora is about two kilometres up from the port.

A catamaran is the hull that fits: On the Greek Charter Index 2026 a fully crewed sailing catamaran for eight runs EUR 18,900 to 48,000 a week at 16 to 19 metres and EUR 31,500 to 43,500 at 20 to 22, per yacht before VAT and APA, and the smaller catamarans lie where a keelboat cannot.

Where can a yacht anchor at Schoinoussa?

Schoinoussa has 1 anchorages in this guide: Mersini / Myrsini (west, ferry port). Each entry below gives depth, holding, shelter direction and what is ashore.

What is the holding like at Schoinoussa?

Mersini / Myrsini (west, ferry port): Sand, weed and occasional reefs, not great, verify the set.

When is the best time to anchor at Schoinoussa?

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. Mersini is the shelter and the only one; when the port is full or the north-easterly gusts make it uncomfortable, Koufonisia's marina or Iraklia's Alimia are a short morning away. Schoinoussa has almost no season; August brings a few Athenians to the beaches. June and September are the months, 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 Schoinoussa?

Mersini, anchored off and the set verified through the weed and the occasional reef, tendering in, or stern-to the shallow north-west quay when there is room; the gusts come mainly from the north-east. The Chora is a walk or a taxi up from the port and the beaches at Tsigouri, Almyros and Livadi are on foot. Koufonisia's marina, five to six metres on laid moorings, is the all-round shelter of the group when Mersini is not enough. 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