Author's Note:
I’m Mike. I’ve been sailing the Aegean Sea in Greece for seven years. I’ve purchased two catamarans on my own—one turned out to be a lemon, but the other was a great experience—and I’ve also helped friends inspect no fewer than 30 used boats.This article is not a sponsored piece by a brokerage firm; rather, it consists of genuine insights I gathered while chatting over ouzo with several seasoned local sailors.
Let me be honest with you right off the bat
Greece has more than 6,000 islands.
But the ones where you can actually buy a catamaran, settle down, and cruise comfortably—
at most, no more than 10.
As a newcomer to this world, it’s all too easy to make the mistake of choosing an island based on a map. You might think, “Crete is the largest island, so it must be the best,” or “Santorini has the most beautiful scenery, so I absolutely have to go there.”
Wrong. Completely wrong.
You need to ask yourself one question:
Why are you buying a catamaran?
Is it for retirement and long-term living?
To earn money through short-term rentals?
Or to fly over every year to enjoy it for two or three months?
These three answers correspond to completely different destinations.
Back in 2019, I bought that boat on the outskirts of Athens. At the time, I chose it because it was close to the airport and offered convenient travel.However, I later discovered that compared to the central Aegean, the wind and wave conditions, port congestion, and water clarity in the Athens area were actually two levels lower. I barely used that boat at all throughout the year, so in the end, I had to sell it at a loss.
The True “Golden Triangle” for Buying Catamarans in Greece
If you were to ask me, the three best places in Greece for mooring, living on, and cruising a catamaran are—
> 1. Lefkada
> 2. Paros
> 3. Rhodes
The reason is quite simple: they offer a long sailing season throughout the year, excellent marina services, a vibrant secondhand market, and a reasonable cost of living.
Lefkada is the only island you can drive onto, so you and your boat can operate independently.If my wife doesn’t want to go out to sea, she can drive to the mainland for shopping—it takes about two hours. During the windy season, from July to August, the sailing availability rate exceeds 90%, which is something many islands simply can’t match.
My boat is currently moored in Paros. Why here? Because the marina here is family-run, and the owner is a former boat owner himself, so getting the boat repaired, refueled, and cleaned out is a breeze.According to this year’s statistics, mooring fees for catamarans at the Paros marina are 60 percent cheaper than those in Mykonos, yet the service here is three times better than in Mykonos.
The hub of the South Aegean is Rhodes, located 20 nautical miles from Turkey, 80 nautical miles from Crete, and up to 400 nautical miles from Cyprus. If you plan to sail the Eastern Mediterranean route, Rhodes is the starting point.
Three Details Beginners Most Often Overlook
Detail 1: Water Depth
By comparison, catamarans have a deeper draft than monohulls, averaging between 1.2 and 1.5 meters, while many of the old marinas on Greek islands are only 1 meter deep at low tide.If you sail your boat into one of these, the propeller will come into direct contact with the rocks.
Back then, I met a guy from Germany whose boat arrived at Syvnos and docked there, only to have three deep gouges scraped right into the hull—and it cost a full 4,000 euros to repair that boat.
Before buying a boat, be sure to check the “minimum water depth chart” for that island. You can view it for free by searching “port depth Greece” on Google.
Detail 2: Wind Direction
The summer wind known as the “Meltemi” is characteristic of Greece; from July to August, its force can reach Force 7. Catamarans have good wind resistance, but the anchor chain must be upgraded.
Most factory-standard anchor chains are 8 millimeters in diameter. They won’t last more than three days against the Meltemi.
I now use a 12-millimeter anchor chain paired with a 40-kilogram Bruce anchor, and in the past three years, it has never slipped even once.
Detail 3: The True Price of Used Boats
Don’t trust the prices listed online.
When selling boats in Greece, the listed prices are all “asking prices,” and the actual final sale price is generally 15% to 20% lower.
In 2024, a 2018 Lagoon 42 was listed at 380,000 euros and ultimately sold for 320,000 euros.
So how exactly should you negotiate? First, check the past sales records for the same model on “Boat24” and “YachtWorld.” Then, ask the owner in Greek: “η τιμή είναι τελική” (which means “Is this the final price?”).Once you say that, if the owner senses that you’re an expert or know your way around the market, they’ll quote their bottom line right away.
Data Comparison: Actual Costs in Three Popular Regions
| Item | Lefkada | Paros | Crete (Heraklion) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Mooring Fee (12-meter catamaran) | €4,500 | €3,800 | €6,200 |
| Number of days allowed during the off-season | 280 days | 300 days | 240 days |
| Dock Maintenance Capacity | Dry dock available | Lift available | Shipyard available |
| Distance to Athens Airport | 4-hour drive | 45-minute flight | 1-hour flight |
| English proficiency in the area | High | High | Moderate |
| Used catamaran inventory (2025) | 12 vessels | 18 vessels | 6 vessels |
Got it?
Paros wins across the board in mooring fees, passenger capacity, and used catamaran inventory.
Frequently Asked Questions (from real sailors)
Q: I have children. If I buy a catamaran in Greece and live on an island, how will they go to school?
A: There’s an international school on Paros, but none on Lefkada. There’s a British-style international school on Rhodes. If you need your children to attend school, prioritize Paros or Rhodes—don’t go to a smaller island unless you plan to homeschool them.
Q: Is it easy to rent out a catamaran in Greece and make money?
A: It’s decent during the peak season—June through September—but during the off-season, no one comes to rent the boat. In 2024, I rented out my boat for eight weeks and earned €18,000. After deducting maintenance, insurance, and marina fees, my net income was €9,000.It’s not exactly a windfall, but it’s enough to cover the boat’s upkeep. The key is that you have to moor the boat on “an island with tourists.” Lefkada and Paros are both good options; while Crete has a lot of tourists, the competition is too fierce, and rental rates are driven very low.
Q: Do I need a Greek company to buy a catamaran in Greece?
Here is the revised content: A: To be precise, if you are not an EU citizen, you can purchase a boat in Greece and register it under “non-EU flag” status.However, if you intend to use it to generate income (such as by chartering it out), you will need to establish a Greek company. The registration fee is roughly estimated at €1,500, with attorney fees billed separately.Do not skimp on these costs; if you are found to be renting out the boat without a registered company, fines start at €10,000.
Q: What is the ideal age for a boat?
A: Five to eight years is the most cost-effective. If the boat is too new, it will be expensive; if it is too old (over ten years), maintenance costs can eat up the entire value of the boat. I purchased a Lagoon 380 in 2019, which sold for €180,000 in 2024; its original price was €220,000, so the depreciation wasn’t excessive. The key point is the service life of a catamaran’s engine, which generally ranges between [X] and [Y] hours. Be sure to check the engine’s operating hours before purchasing. Once it exceeds 4,000 hours, you’ll need to prepare to replace the engine, with prices starting at €15,000 per engine.
Q: What about winter?
A: Many marinas in Greece are nearly half-empty during the winter. It’s best to haul the boat out of the water; the cost ranges from three to five euros per foot. For a 12-meter catamaran,hauling out costs approximately 500 euros. Storing the boat on land for six months saves on mooring fees, eliminates concerns about storms, and helps the antifouling paint last longer. My boat is hauled out every year in November and launched again in April. This saves me 2,000 euros.
Final Note
When buying a catamaran in Greece, choosing the right location is even more important than choosing the right boat.
Don’t just look at a map. Come stay for a week. Grab a coffee at the harbor and chat with the boat owners.
You’ll find that the real secrets lie in the ramblings of the old men at the harbor.