Water sports in Greece: the best islands Aegina ● Cyclades ● Kalymnos ● Naxos ● Paros ● Santorini ● saronic islands ● Zakynthos Vacation in Greece can become even more interesting with water sports. Especially if you have children, water sports are perfect to keep them busy, while you are relaxing on the beach. On the touristic islands, such as Crete, Corfu, Zakynthos, Rhodes and Mykonos, there are many water-sports facilities, schools and centres on the popular beaches. In this article, we recommend you the top islands for each type of water sports due to their characteristics, nature and weather. Of course, you can choose any of the abovementioned islands to spend family-friendly or adventurous holidays in Greece. Sailing Sailing can be done, if you rent a boat, in every island complex of Greece, such as Sporades, Dodecanese or Ionian islands, in a fascinating Greek Island Hopping tour. Especially in the Cyclades, you can go a step further and check your strength and abilities in sailing, while Saronic Islands and Ionian Sea are ideal for beginners because they don't have strong winds. By sailing, you can go by your boat from one island to another and enjoy untouched beaches that are inaccessible by car or on foot.
Surfing
Naxos and especially the beach Mikri Vigla is the most popular windand kitesurfing spot in Greece. The wind is perfect for these sports, and the water sports centres and schools there are numerous. Paros is also the place to be if you love wind sports. Strong winds guarantee you that you can have great time doing your favourite water sport on beaches, such as Pounda, Santa Maria, Golden Beach and Tsoukalia. Very interesting is the fact that on Golden Beach is being organised every year the world championship of wind surf. The distance between Paros and Antiparos is ideal to try your skills in wind-or kite surf.
Scuba diving Santorini has one of the most impressive sea beds in the world. Because it is a volcanic island, Santorini's seabed is a part of the volcano in the middle of the distance to Thirassia. Black sand, rocks, underwater gorges and other formations make this island the paradise for scuba diving lovers, and you can realise that only if you dive inside the caldera and see how a volcano looks underwater. Kalymnos is the sponge-divers island and a scuba-diving paradise. Every summer, in July, is organised in Kalymnos the Diving Festival, where you can visit underwater museums, take underwater photographs, do seminars for diving techniques and play water games, all for free!
Canoeing For the water sport of canoeing, calm waters are must. Thus, you have to stay away from windy islands, such as the Cyclades, and choose islands with shallow waters. The Saronic islands are ideal. For example, Aegina has sea waters without waves and a very interesting coastline with impressive rocky formations you can discover with your canoe. Perfect are also the Ionian islands. In Zakynthos, while canoeing in Marathonissi or Laganas Bay, you may see a sea turtle caretta caretta swimming around you!