A Chania sailing tour takes guests out under sail from the harbours of western Crete to its islets, capes and lagoons. It is one of the tours in Greece on Greece VIP.
This post covers what a Chania sailing tour includes, where it starts and the boats it uses. It also covers the routes, the sailing skills taught on board and the sailing history of Chania. Wind and sea, the best season and common questions come last.
Each section ends with a Chania sailing tour or a nearby sea trip that can be booked online.
What does a Chania sailing tour include?
A Chania sailing tour includes a skipper and crew, a meal cooked on board, drinks and swim stops. One small-group yacht takes no more than 14 guests and brings snorkel and fishing gear, paddleboards and towels.
Lunch on that yacht serves shrimp linguini and mushroom risotto with truffle oil and parmesan. Greek salad, a green organic salad, tzatziki, olive paste and fruit complete the meal.
Wine, beer, soft drinks, iced tea and water stay unlimited. A certified captain leads the crew, and life jackets come with every seat.
Another Chania sailing tour starts with coffee, tea and local cake. Its buffet lunch adds Cretan appetisers, meat and seafood dishes and bread.
One private crew pairs an RYA-certified skipper with an onboard host. Local Cretan mezze comes out on deck. Dolphins can appear along the way, though no sighting is promised.
- Cabins: One sailboat offers two air-conditioned double cabins.
- Washing: Hot water and shampoo come aboard for a rinse.
- Seating: Decks keep both shaded and sunny spots.
A full-day Chania sailing tour lunch adds local pasta, goat cheese, olives and yogurt with fruit.
Where does a Chania sailing tour start?
A Chania sailing tour starts from the Venetian harbour in Chania town, from Souda, Kolymvari or Kissamos port. Souda lies 7 km from town, Kolymvari 24 km and Kissamos 43 km. South coast trips leave from Paleochora.
One small-group yacht meets guests at the bus stop of Kolymvari port, with parking at the dock. A safety briefing comes before it sails.
After a Chania sailing tour, that yacht drops guests at Platanias or the Kolymvari bus stop. Its booking form asks for each guest’s full name, passport or ID number and date of birth.
Two Balos sailing trips leave from Kissamos port in the far west. One crew times its arrival to reach the lagoon before the big ferries.
Private crews sail straight out of the Venetian harbour. Operators send a Google Maps meeting point after booking. The same old port also launches catamaran cruises from Chania.
- Old Port: Chania’s harbour lies in town, within walking distance.
- Souda: Day trips from there head for Marathi Bay.
- Paleochora: South coast trips sail for Elafonisi and Kedrodasos.
One Chania operator rents no boats without crew, so a captain always sails along.
Which boats does a Chania sailing tour use?
A Chania sailing tour uses monohull sailing yachts, sailing catamarans or a traditional wooden gulet. One full-day yacht measures 43 feet and sails at least 30 nautical miles. Shared catamarans in the area take up to 20 to 22 guests.
The gulet is a traditional Turkish design, built mainly in Bodrum and Marmaris. Gulets carry two or three masts, and two is the usual design. Their length runs from about 14 to 35 metres.
Gulets began as working boats for fishing, sponge diving and freight. From the mid-20th century, they turned into pleasure yachts.
One theory traces the name gulet to the Italian goletta, though its origin is still debated. The Bodrum gulet has a clipper bow and a rounded stern.
One Chania sailing tour sails such a gulet from Kissamos. On another trip, the yacht’s owner acts as navigator and chef. Lunch there is cooked fresh on board.
- Square stern: The aynakıç gulet type ends in a flat stern.
- Double-ender: The older tırhandil is pointed at both ends.
- Early gulets: Bodrum builders added deck seating for tourists.
Bodrum-type gulets built for tourism first appeared there in the early 1970s.
Which routes does a Chania sailing tour follow?
A Chania sailing tour heads west to Agioi Theodoroi, north-west to Balos and Gramvousa or east past Souda. South coast boats sail from Paleochora. The captain can switch to another bay or cove when wind or sea change.
From Kolymvari, one Chania sailing tour sails out to Agioi Theodoroi for a long stop. Guests swim, snorkel and watch marine life there before the sail back.
A full-day Chania sailing tour heads east out of the bay, past the Kalami area. It passes the islet of Souda and its Venetian fort, then the fort of ancient Aptera.
A Chania sailing tour from Kissamos reaches Balos and then Gramvousa. Larger boats run Balos lagoon cruises on the same route. A sign there asks visitors not to swim in the lagoon itself.
Private crews from the Venetian harbour head for Lazaretta islet and the cliffs of Theodorou. They also reach coves on the Rodopou peninsula.
- Gramvousa stop: A gulet anchors near the island’s shipwreck.
- Marathi Bay: Its water stays calm and shallow.
- Return: Full-day sails head back as the sun sets.
The east route then reaches the Drepano lighthouse and a small cove with a lagoon.
What sailing skills does a Chania sailing tour teach?
A Chania sailing tour lets guests practise sailing on open water with the help of an experienced skipper. One full-day yacht gives hands-on sailing lessons. Each trip starts with a short safety briefing from the skipper.
RYA stands for the Royal Yachting Association, the national sailing body of the United Kingdom. It began in November 1875 as the Yacht Racing Association.
It first set yacht measurement rules to let boats of different classes race fairly. It now publishes over 110 sea titles in more than 20 languages.
On downwind legs, a crew can fly a spinnaker, a light nylon sail in bright colours. It attaches at only three points.
A symmetric spinnaker needs a pole, which the crew moves in each gybe. Asymmetric versions need no pole and attach at the bow. Cruising yachts fly them as a cruising chute.
- Spinnaker use: It works on courses from a reach to downwind.
- Name: One theory ties it to the yacht Sphinx of 1865.
- Gybing: Asymmetric sails make the gybe simpler.
One Chania sailing tour crew has an RYA-certified skipper and over 25 years on Aegean waters.
What sailing history does a Chania sailing tour recall?
A Chania sailing tour passes Neorio Moro, home since 2010 of the Sailing Club of Chania. A team of sailors founded that club in 1990 to support sailing and training courses. Experienced trainers lead its open-sea training.
Neorio Moro stands on the eastern side of the old harbour. It takes its name from the Venetian Benedetto Moro. A cafe and a restaurant now fill part of it.
The club helped set up the Rally of the Southern Aegean and the Cretan Sea. Its boats compete in races and championships.
The Maritime Museum of Crete shows ship models, sea instruments, paintings and war relics. They run in time order from the Bronze Age. Its first floor holds models of ancient ships.
A model on that floor shows Venetian shipbuilding and repair halls, with a rowing ship inside. A marine life room holds shells, sponges, corals and fossils.
- Bridge: The Maritime Museum shows a destroyer’s full bridge.
- War section: It covers the German invasion of Crete.
- Minoan replica: The museum’s Minoa launched in December 2003.
The second floor adds two torpedo propulsion units and models of Hellenic Navy ships.
How do wind and sea shape a Chania sailing tour?
A Chania sailing tour meets light winds at Kissamos, a sheltered station in the far west. June and August there both averaged 5.7 km/h this year. September dropped to 5.4 km/h, with winds chiefly from the east.
Kissamos wind picked up to 8.6 km/h from the north-east by mid-October. The strongest gust there this year reached 75.6 km/h on 18 February.
Off the Gulf of Chania, a marine model put June waves at 0.65 m on average this year. August averaged 0.76 m, with a 2.0 m peak on 14 August.
Waves off the Gramvousa coast run higher. February there averaged 1.90 m, and a 5.96 m peak came on 18 February. June eased to 0.69 m on average.
Early October brought rougher water to the Gulf of Chania, with waves averaging 1.36 m. A 3.44 m peak came on 3 October.
- September rain: Kissamos logged 123.6 mm that month.
- October storm: 49.8 mm fell there on 14 October.
- Last November: 109.6 mm of rain fell on 6 November.
In January, south-south-west winds led at Kissamos, and in March east-south-east winds.
When is the best season for a Chania sailing tour?
A Chania sailing tour finds the warmest sea in July and August. Gulf water averaged 26.7 °C in July this year and 26.9 °C in August. Chania airport handled 791,120 passengers in July, its busiest month so far.
September held the gulf at 26.3 °C, and June at 24.1 °C. By mid-October, the gulf had cooled to 23.2 °C. March was the coolest month, at 16.7 °C.
Off Gramvousa, the sea averaged 26.0 °C in August, a little cooler than the gulf. Its peak there reached 27.7 °C. Gulf water topped out at 28.8 °C in July.
August brought 776,425 passengers through Chania airport, up 6.3% on last August. September reached 666,496, up 8.4%. June counted 660,777 passengers.
Domestic flights carried 115,092 of July’s passengers, and the airport handled 4,857 flights that month. Snorkel gear at each swim stop links a sailing day with snorkeling in Chania.
- July heat: Kissamos peaked at 36.4 °C on 20 July.
- Hot August: Mean daily highs reached 32.4 °C.
- Dry summer: Kissamos logged 0.0 mm in July and August.
Last year, Kissamos peaked at 37.4 °C, its hottest reading of that year.
What do travelers ask about a Chania sailing tour?
A Chania sailing tour refunds in full on three listings when guests cancel 24 hours ahead. Two of them run private or small-group options. Crews speak English, and two listings add Greek. One operator offers child places on every trip.
Who is a Chania sailing tour not suited to?
One Chania sailing tour lists pregnant women, wheelchair users and people prone to seasickness as unsuited. Two others exclude people with mobility impairments. Non-folding strollers and mobility scooters stay ashore too.
What do guests pack for a Chania sailing tour?
One gulet trip asks for sunglasses, a hat, swimwear, a towel and sunscreen. A small-group yacht asks for a towel and a passport or ID card. Copies of the ID are accepted.
What is not allowed on a Chania sailing tour?
One yacht bans luggage or large bags, shoes inside and nudity. A Balos sailboat bans weapons, sharp objects and oversize luggage. Pets and smoking stay off one gulet.
Does weather cancel a Chania sailing tour?
On one Balos sailing trip, bad weather means a new date or a refund. A catamaran operator moves shared trips when the sea is too rough.
Can children join a Chania sailing tour?
One Chania operator calls its trips family-friendly, with stable boats and room for children to play. Crew members stay close to help, and swim stops are picked as safe for families.