Greek Island Hopping With MedSailors: What to Expect

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Take a chance on Greece and allow the distinctive country to woo you with its Mediterranean-inspired dishes, classical mythology, and ripe culture this summer. I won’t name names, but certain islands have been notorious for attracting masses of tourists, resulting in long lines for sunset photos and overpriced vendors. In my opinion, visiting the lesser touristy destinations in Greece is a far better way to spend your time traveling through this historic territory, a desire that is gloriously over-delivered during a week of Greek Island hopping with MedSailors.

What Is MedSailors?

MedSailors offers sailing holidays throughout Croatia, Greece, and Turkey to individuals between the ages of 20-35. With an emphasis on community, culture, and partying, these trips bring together like-minded travelers who crave to experience destinations like a local and travel in a somewhat unconventional style.

My week of sailing Greece with MedSailors was nothing short of adventurous. A typical morning began with setting sail to a swimming location, paired with breakfast served by our faithful skipper. Morning blended into the afternoon as we either set sail again or took to the sea with inflatables. We would then indulge in another specially-prepared late lunch by our skipper as we docked at our destination for the evening. Evenings were a free-for-all, with many of us meeting up later on for ABBA-themed dance parties under the disco lights, late-night gyros, or midnight walks through the town.

Sailing through Greece truly allows one to let go and experience the European lifestyle as it is meant to be enjoyed. If you’d like to experience this type of euphoria, continue reading to learn what to expect for a week of sailing with MedSailors.

How Much Does It Cost to Go Sailing in Greece With MedSailors?

The price of a sailing trip with MedSailors will differ depending on the time of year your charter takes place, the destination you are sailing in, and which yacht you choose. There are three different types of yachts to choose from: premier yachts, superior yachts, and catamarans, with the catamaran being the most expensive.

June-August tend to be the most expensive months to book your sailing holiday, but they offer favorable weather conditions. During this time of year, travelers can expect to spend between €870-1500 per person for their entire week’s stay, depending on the yacht they book. My friend and I decided to travel to Greece with MedSailors on their final week of charters in September, which was sold at a cheaper price of €1300 for the catamaran, especially as there are fewer tourists around this late in the season.

With all that this included, we felt that this was a great price for this travel experience compared to other competitors’ options. We were also faced with a unique situation, as we found out a day before our trip that our catamaran just so happened to get a hole in its engine on its previous charter and that we’d be downgraded to the superior yacht and refunded the difference. While this was disappointing to hear, we knew that the company had no other choice for us this late in the season, and we admired their transparency and willingness to refund us the difference, which also freed up some unexpected room in our budget.

Is a Sailing Trip With MedSailors All-Inclusive?

While MedSailors is not all-inclusive, the price you pay already factors in a number of covered expenses and amenities, such as complimentary breakfast and lunch prepared daily by your yacht’s skipper, water and coffee, a paddle board, a guest experience leader providing daily travel recommendations as you dock, and a spiked punch party with the larger flotilla.

With the times that we ate our meals and the amount of food that was prepared for us, this was often enough for me for the entire day! Therefore, my dinner budget usually went towards drinks in the evening or a cheap street gyro if I grew hungry later on.

Other costs to account for are your own alcohol, as the yachts are BYOB. I decided to leave my alcohol consumption for the evenings and the free punch party, which saved me money compared to others. Additionally, guests are encouraged to purchase their own floaties if they want these during their charter at all. Ultimately, MedSailors includes a generous amount in their final trip price and makes sailing around Greece as affordable and accommodating as possible for young travelers.

How to Prepare For Your Sailing Trip With MedSailors

After booking your trip, MedSailors will provide you with a detailed packing list and itinerary that will help you best prepare for your week on the yacht. Even with this packing list, however, keep in mind that you’ll be living in close quarters in your cabin, so keeping it light is the way to go. MedSailors also requires its travelers to purchase travel insurance, which can be found at cheap rates at a number of sites. I’ve personally used Squaremouth for a few trips that required insurance.

If you happen to suffer from seasickness or have never stepped foot on a boat before, I do recommend purchasing Dramamine or a similar pill or purchasing a motion sickness patch to stick behind your ear. It can be hard to predict the wave conditions or how your body might react to being on a boat, so having these items on hand will be extremely useful.

Which Greek Islands Does MedSailors Sail To?

MedSailors has two separate routes in Greece: Ionian Discovery and Saronic Voyager. Saronic Voyager visits the historical city of Athens, the village of Perdika, Hydra Island and its charming ports, the Peloponnese coast, Epidavros, and the islands of Poros and Agistri. One of the unique highlights of this trip that is not offered on the Ionian route is the toga party, where guests will dress up in their toga attire and celebrate their final night with some plate smashing and Greek food.

While the Saronic Voyager route sounded equally as fun, my friend and I opted for the Ionian Discovery sail, as its itinerary seemed a bit more appealing to us at the time. On this route, we started on the island of Corfu and visited the mainland’s Plataria, Parga, Iggy Beach, and the adorable towns of Lakka and Gaios on Paxos Island.

Highlights From the MedSailors Ionian Discovery Route

Sailing around Greece on MedSailors’ Ionion Discovery route introduced us to less-touristy destinations colored with culture and liveliness. Each day brought us to a new swimming spot to enjoy with the strangers-turned-friends that shared our yacht with us and twice-daily fresh Mediterranean cuisine provided by our skipper. The adventurous spirit of our travel group never faltered, with our skipper even tying our paddleboard up to the yacht for us to surf on or sit on while he steered us.

Upon docking at our designated destinations, we were free to explore each village as we wished. Whether this meant exploring old fortresses in Parga, indulging in gelato in Gaios, or dancing to ABBA under a disco ball in Lakka, each late afternoon and evening had a new experience in store for us.

Another highlight of this trip is the private party at Iggy Beach, with an included Greek feast and barrels of party punch for the entire flotilla. Here, you’ll bond more closely with the larger circle of travelers and indulge in some of Greece’s best cuisine. Prior to the party, you’ll also have the option to take up a water sport like jet skiing or parasailing, or you can relax under the tiki umbrellas in this uncrowded slice of paradise.

Is It Worth Sailing Greece With MedSailors?

I would 100% recommend this travel experience to all who want to experience Greece or any other destinations offered by MedSailors. It was truly the best way I could have asked to experience this country and a great way to meet other travelers from around the world. After your trip, you can choose to extend your time in the country by visiting other islands you didn’t see on your route, as my friend and I chose to do with Paros!