Where to winter your boat in Greece (2026/27)

The best winter berths in Greece go early. If your season is ending and the boat still has nowhere to go, this is the guide for you. It covers where cruisers winter, whether to stay afloat or come out, what a winter contract should include, and which Greek marinas say they take boats for the winter.

Where do boats winter in Greece?

The same places come up year after year when cruisers compare notes on forums such as YBW and in reports on Noonsite:

• The Ionian: Gouvia Marina on Corfu, Preveza and Lefkas Marina. Sheltered, well served, and with a big winter community, according to the cruisers who stay there.
• The Peloponnese: Kalamata Marina, a city marina that many liveaboards choose.
• Around Athens: Alimos and Olympic Marina at Lavrio, close to the airport.
• The Dodecanese: Kos Marina and Leros Marina, with yards on Leros that many people use for a winter ashore.

You can see every Greek marina we list on our Greece page, or the Ionian on its own on our Ionian Islands page.

Should you winter afloat or ashore?

It depends on whether you will be there.

Afloat suits you if you will live aboard or visit. You can use the boat, the marina sees it every day, and you are part of the winter community. You pay for that in berth fees, and a boat in the water needs someone to check lines and fenders in a blow.

Ashore suits a boat that will sit untouched until spring. It is often cheaper, and the hull gets a winter out of the water. Ask how the boat is held (cradle or stands), who is responsible if it moves in a storm, and whether you can bring in your own engineer. Some yards insist on their own staff unless you agree otherwise in writing.

Yachting World's advice for cruisers wintering in the Mediterranean puts it simply: most people leave the boat in a protected berth or ashore and fly home, and the late-season places fill first.

How much does a winter berth in Greece cost?

Most marinas sell winter as a package of about six months, usually October or November to April, priced for your length. Ask for the winter package by name, because it is often noticeably cheaper than paying month by month. Our guide to what a Mediterranean berth actually costs shows how prices are built up and what drives them.

Check what is included. Water and electricity are often in a winter rate, but not always, and a heater running all winter can add a lot to a metered bill.

When should you book a winter berth?

Now, if you have not already. Yard space is easiest to find before the end of September, and the best berths in the most popular places go early. If a marina is full it will usually tell you quickly, which is worth knowing before you move the boat.

Can you live aboard in Greece over the winter?

Yes, and plenty of people do, especially in the Ionian and at Kalamata. Two things to ask before you sign:

• Whether living aboard is allowed on your contract, and whether it costs extra. On the hard the rules are usually stricter.
• How reliable the power is. A winter power cut also stops a diesel heater, so ask how the marina handles an outage and whether you can use gas or a separate heater.

What to ask before you sign a winter contract

• The exact start and end dates, and what happens if you arrive early or stay late.
• What the price includes: water, electricity, the lift out and launch, and storage stands.
• Lift capacity and the next free slot, if you are coming out.
• Who is on site at night, and what they do when a storm is forecast and you are away.
• Whether your insurer needs a named person to check the boat.

Greek marinas that offer winter berths or storage

Each of these says on its own website that it takes boats for the winter. That tells you the service exists. It does not tell you there is room this year, which only the marina can.

• Alimos Marina, Athens: winter storage for up to 600 boats in its dry dock area.
• Leros Marina: a fenced yard with up to 600 spaces ashore.
• Lefkas Marina, Lefkada: a 20,000 square metre dry dock area.
• Samos Marina: mooring and a boatyard for safe wintering.
• Benitses Marina, Corfu: invites boats for winter storage.
• Rethymno Marina, Crete: an enclosed area for trailers and boats over the winter.
• Miraggio Marina, Halkidiki: indoor or outdoor, covered or open winter storage.
• Preveza Marina: short and long-term berths, with storage ashore across the water.

Ask several Greek marinas at once

Writing to eight marinas one by one, in October, is a slow way to find out who has room. Tell us your boat once on our request form and we will ask the marinas that fit, then pass their answers back to you.

Quick answers

When do Greek marinas start winter contracts? Usually October or November, running to April. Ask for the exact dates.

Is it cheaper to winter ashore in Greece? Often, yes. One cruiser on Noonsite reported paying several hundred euros less to winter on the hard at Leros than in a marina. Check what the yard charges for the lift and for working on the boat.

Where do liveaboards winter in Greece? The Ionian (Corfu, Preveza, Lefkada) and Kalamata are the names cruisers mention most.

Do I need to book a winter berth in advance? Yes. The popular places fill by the end of the season.