Welcome to the Cyclades!
Here, geography forms a living tableau, the cultural universe bursts with color, gastronomy is a feast for the senses, the waves of the Aegean invite you to adventure, and the Cycladic weather holds surprises in store every day.
Ready to dive into this direct and vibrant experience?
The Cyclades are made up of around 200 islands, 24 of which are inhabited.
Kyklos means circle in Greek.
The Cyclades form a large circle of islands in the middle of the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey.
The Cyclades islands have arid Mediterranean landscapes.
They are mountainous, rocky and half-covered with bushes and wild grasses.
To sum up: Greece, a country with an ancestral culture and language, despite its youth!
Jacques Lacarrière, in his book “Greek summer”, aptly depicts an everyday Greece that spans 4,000 years. It’s amazing to see this continuity through the ages. I personally know emblematic figures such as Agamemnon, Heracles, Aphrodite and Perseus, just as I find their traces in ancient remains through terms such as Helios, Athena and Thalassa.
In France, we don’t speak of Vercingétorix, Zmétorix or Tancorix.
In our language, the path of the Sun, Paris or the Sea has been marked by multiple changes through Celtic and Latin.
Greece, where the distant past blends harmoniously with the present, is also the crossroads of the 3rd Mediterranean culture.
It’s an ancient culture that persists, often on the bangs, having been eclipsed in the West by the Latins and in the East by the Muslims.
Discover the Byzantine universe, a Europe with an Eastern flavor, where rules exist without the usual constraints, where time is lived differently.
Here, being young or old is no obstacle to exchanging and sharing a laugh together.
It’s an art of living on the edge without ever falling in, a harmony between past and present.
Let me cut to the chase.
Greece has a fascinating ancient culture, even though its nationhood is relatively recent (1821).
Its most powerful legacy to the world is its culture.
You can eat better in Greece than in France, and for less!
That’s a provocative thing to write!
Don’t get me wrong, we eat better in France than in Greece… for a lot of money!
Now you understand me better.
The secret is that everything is cooked with fresh produce!
Huge difference!
Family-style cuisine, with lots of vegetables, cheese, octopus, squid and fish.
No beef, but chicken, pork and mutton.
Most of the main dishes are based on olive oil and tomatoes, and are prepared over long hours.
A treat after a day’s sailing and diving in the sea.
Simple…
It’s a sailing paradise!
The ideal sailboat for me is the following mix:
Wild – Authentic – Welcoming – Beautiful – Cultural – Gastronomic…
Flattering weather and unique solo anchorages
Well, it all exists in the Cyclades.
To put it simply …
it never rains between mid-June and mid-September
Meltem blows from July 1 to August 31
The Meltem…?
It’s a northerly wind that blows strongly for 2 months (July and August), between 5 and 7 Beaufort every day, diminishing at night.
This cool, dry wind transforms a world that would otherwise be scorching hot into a zone that’s always sunny, but free of humidity and very pleasant.
For sailing, this wind is a blessing!
We’re making headway!…
It scares off the uninitiated and preserves the islands…
In recent years…the Meltem has tended to diminish in strength and intensity.
For a sailing cruise in the Cyclades, choosing the right time depends on a number of factors.
Usually, the peak tourist season runs from June to September, when weather conditions are most stable and favorable for sailing.
The timing depends on your personal preferences.
If you’re looking for optimal sailing conditions and a lively summer atmosphere, summer is ideal.
If you prefer to avoid the crowds while enjoying pleasant temperatures, spring and autumn can be calmer and more peaceful periods for your sailing cruise in the Cyclades.
Each island in the Cyclades may also have its own culinary specialties or variations on traditional dishes, so don’t hesitate to explore and sample the local delights for an authentic gastronomic experience.
Absolutely, and that’s the whole point of taking a sailboat to discover the Greek islands.
As well as making it easy to get around, your skipper (me) will be your guide, giving you all the information you need to discover the richness of Greek culture.
I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
I’m here to help you have the best vacation possible.
