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Crewed yacht charter visit to Spetses Island, Greece
 Spetses, Old Port Located in the Saronic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, Spetses is a welcome stop on a crewed yacht charter of the Greek Islands out of Athens. In fact, cruising or sailing into Spetses by private crewed yacht charter is one of the best ways to visit this lovely island as there is no island airport. And, when visiting via private crewed yacht charter it is easy to visit both the main harbor and old harbor of Spetses, or you can do as other visitors and locals alike and cruise into the main harbor of Spetses on your private crewed yacht charter and hire a local traditional horse and carriage for a relaxing ride from the main New Harbor to the Old Harbor along the main coastal drive of Spetses.
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Labels: Greece
Hydra, the Little Gem of the Greek Saronic Islands
 Hydra Island Greek Island of Hydra
Called Hydra from the ancient word Hydrea meaning “springs”, Hydra is an excellent island to visit on your crewed yacht charter of the Greek Islands for a great holiday. Just off of the Peloponnese Peninsula on the mainland of Greece in the Aegean Sea, Hydra is easily reachable on a yacht charter out of Athens. Northrop and Johnson Yacht Charters just revisited this charming island last month to become reacquainted and gather more information for suggested itineraries for a cruising yacht charter itinerary including Hydra as a great yacht charter stop.
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Labels: Greece
Charter Yacht Show Poros 2010, Onsite Report
 Poros Yacht Show 2010 Missy Johnston from Northrop and Johnson Yacht Charters is attending the 9th annual Charter Yacht Show in Poros. This year the show is bigger and better than ever, which has consistently been the upward trend since the inception of this Greek crewed charter yacht show in 2002 in Poros, Greece, an island in the Saronic Island chain in the Aegean Sea, not far from Athens. This year there are 78 yachts total in the show, with the majority being motor yachts, however there is a nice selection of sailing yachts and several catamarans. 28 of the yachts entered in the show this year are new to the crewed yacht charter market with 8 of those yachts new to the crewed yacht charter market in Greece being just launched in 2010. Read the rest of this entry »
Labels: Greece, Office News and Events
Santorini, Home of the Lost City of Atlantis?
Sunrise in Santorini
Around 1624 BC, the volcano in the center of the island of Santorini, Greece blew its top, literally. This once round shaped island became a crescent shape with a deep hole in the center, way below sea level. With this final huge eruption, an ancient city on the island was completely buried and lost in a sea of ash. No lives were lost, as previous smaller eruptions had warned the citizens who had abandoned the city and fled the island. But who were these intrepid people? Of what civilization were they part? Many think that that this ancient lost city was actually the lost city of Atlantis. Visit Santorini on yacht charter see for yourself, and you decide. Read the rest of this entry »
Labels: Greece
Mykonos on Yacht Charter; Visit Delos
Visit the Northrop and Johnson Yacht Charters Website
Mykonos
Delos, the Sacred Island is just off of Mykonos and a “must see” when visiting Mykonos. In fact, it is difficult to miss the island of Delos, as the island is readily seen right from the main harbor in Mykonos. Ferries leave from this same harbor regularly to take visitors to the island, during daylight hours only, as after sunset, the island is home to the ghosts of past civilizations only. When on yacht charter, cruise to Delos on board and anchor right off of the island in the protected anchorage and take the ship’s tender into the shore dock. It is easy to spend several hours or more wandering the ruins, or hire a guide for a more in depth tour. A museum is on the island which is well worth seeing, with stone carvings, mosaics and bits of everyday life that have been excavated from the ruins of a once busy island civilization.
Delos, the center of the Cyclades, has been inhabited since at least the 3rd millennium B.C. It rose in importance as the Greeks did and around 480 BC it became the center of the Delian League. The Delian League in turn kept its treasury on Delos making it a rather wealthy location. They also passed several decrees, including that no one could be born or die on the island. Pregnant women were quickly shipped off to neighboring islands as was anyone who became ill.
Delos Anchorage
Delos became immensely wealthy and was so impressive that the Romans kept it as a free port when they came into power. It finally collapsed in 88 BC when Mithridates conquered it. What is left today is one of the most extensive ruin sites anywhere in the world. The entire island is strewn with sections of walls and marble fragments. It is also still being excavated.
In all directions of Delos are the remains of temples, homes, and monuments. There is also an impressive array of different cultures that left their mark on the island. Shrines for Samothracian, Egyptian, and Syrian Gods are interspersed amongst the Greek ones. The Temple of Isis stands above most of the town. Entire sections of the residential areas are more or less intact. The streets are still clearly outlined, many of them with sewers running underneath. The northern section of town featured more modest living quarters. Here most of the homes were only a couple rooms. Wildflowers have taken over in force in most places which only enhances the whole effect. A hill rises on the south side of town and that area is known as the theater district. It is there that some of the truly opulent houses can be found. Two themes show up most often in the mosaics. The dolphin symbolized Apollo while the panther was associated with Dionysus. One of the most famous mosaics on Delos is that of Dionysus riding a panther. This is found in the completely intact House of the Masks (named for another mosaic featuring theater masks). Several rooms in this building contain large sections of the original wall decoration as well as mosaics covering the entire floor. It is difficult to tell from the distance you’re forced to remain from it, but this mosaic is so incredibly detailed that there are over 100 stones in the eye of the panther alone. The building itself was probably a hostel for actors.
Delos Lion Statuary
Unfortunately, visitors have a limited time to tour the island and yachts may not anchor overnight in the harbor. Visit the museum first which is where the famous marble lions that once guarded the sacred lake are now stored, and then spend time seeing the rest of the island before returning back on board to cruise on to the next waiting Cycladic Island.
Labels: Greece
From Castle to Castle; Charter Rhodes to Bodrum
Castle of the Grand Masters – Rhodes, Greece
At one point, from the 13th to the 15th centuries the Crusades made a permanent mark on the landscape in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece and the shoreline of Turkey. The various order of Knights including the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitallier, built a large castle with a walled complex on the Greek Island of Rhodes and an outpost castle and walled complex in Turkey in Bodrum, in order to control the waters between these two locations, which was a very important trading route. Believing that they were spreading a greater good, the Knights built these complexes, which still stand today as a testament to the belief in Christianity as the one religion for all. Today on charter between Rhodes and Bodrum, there is a castle complex to explore at either end of this itinerary. Read the rest of this entry »
Labels: Eastern Mediterranean - Turkey, Greece
Greece and Turkey; Cruising between two countries
Main Harbor in Symi, Greece
We are on board the 44 meter Gulet, Mare Nostrum cruising from Marmaris, Turkey to Bodrum, Turkey. Last night we anchored in the lovely cove of Serce Limani, with our view, looking directly out of the cove, of the Greek island of Rhodes. Today, we are cruising along the coast of Turkey to the village of Datca, Turkey, and are actually closer to the Greek island of Symi. Once we approach Bodrum, we will skim right by the Greek island of Kos, which is only 9 miles from Bodrum. This cruising area is truly a cruising area of two countries. Read the rest of this entry »
Labels: Eastern Mediterranean - Turkey, Greece
Greek Island Hopping, It’s so Easy To Do; Yacht Charter
Greece
Did you know that there are over 900 Greek Islands? Stretching from the Ionian Islands in the Adriatic Sea to the Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea. With a hop in between to the Saronic Islands, a skip to the Cycladic Islands and a jump to the Saronic Islands, there is an itinerary for everyone; and often many more itineraries than just one. When cruising out of Athens, there is always an island just a short distance away. Read the rest of this entry »
Labels: Greece
Charter Greece and Turkey; Cruise the Best of Both Worlds
Greek Yacht Charter Itinerary: Mykonos
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Mykonos
Mykonos is one of the most well know of the Greek Islands, and has now become a vacation spot for the rich and famous. The main harbor is very attractive ringed by cafes, and home to Petro the Pelican, however is too small for the growing yachting activity. Several marinas have now been built on the side of the harbor for visiting yachts. This marina is not right in town, so expect to walk, take a taxi, and the yacht’s tender to visit the main harbor. Read the rest of this entry »
Labels: Greece
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