About Sailing in Crete
Sailing in Crete is a small guide to a small fleet. Almost every boat we cover sails the same seven miles: out of Heraklion, across open water, and into the sheltered coves of Dia Island. We are fine with that. One honest route, done well on the right boat, beats a brochure full of places no skipper actually goes.
We are also honest about the wind. The Meltemi does not read booking confirmations: routes shift, sunset trips get rescheduled, and a calm morning is often worth more than a dramatic afternoon. Our guides say so plainly, because a good sea day starts with realistic expectations, not a perfect photo.
Every trip on this site links to a live listing with a real price, from the €65 coastal sail to the €990 whole-boat charter. If a trip is wrong for you — too sporty, too slow, too long after dark with small children — we say that too.
How we choose
- Only trips that are actually bookable, with live availability — no discontinued boats left up for traffic.
- Prices come from the live listings and are re-checked; if a number here disagrees with the listing, the listing wins.
- Every recommendation carries an honest who-should-skip-it note, not just a sales pitch.
- A short list over a long one: if a trip does not earn its place, it does not get one.
- When one option is the only option — one Balos catamaran, one Spinalonga route — we say exactly that.
Who is behind this site
The guide is written by Antonis Kandilakis, based in Crete. Travelndo, where every trip here is booked, is our own booking platform — not a third-party affiliate scheme. My Creta Villa, which appears in our where-to-stay sections, is our villa company.
When you book through the links on this site, we earn from the booking. That is what funds the guides. We still tell you who should skip a trip, because these pages only work if you can trust them.
How sailing in Crete actually works
Almost everything we list sails to Dia Island, the bare little island a short way off Heraklion, because that is where the calm water, the swim stops and the easy logistics are. The real choice is how you go. A semi-private trip puts you on a small boat with a handful of other people from about 65 to 145 euros a head, which is the best value for couples and solo travellers. A private charter is the whole boat to yourselves, from around 390 euros for the day, so you set the route and the timing; once you are four or more it often costs little more per person.
The thing the booking sites will not tell you is the wind. From June to September the Meltemi blows from the northwest, and on a strong day the far-western run to Balos and Gramvousa is the first to be cancelled or rerouted. Dia, tucked behind Heraklion, and the Spinalonga catamaran in sheltered Mirabello Bay stay much calmer, which is one reason most of our trips are Dia trips. May, June, September and October are the calmest months and the kindest on crowds.
We do not own a boat. This is an independent guide to the sailing trips and catamaran cruises already running across Crete, with real prices, the actual departure ports, and honest notes on who each trip suits and who should skip it. Read the guides below, compare the live options, and book the one that fits directly through our partner.