Region Greece

As a GMM Yachting charter guest, you receive free access to Bay Express – with valuable information about bays, anchorages, island harbours, marinas, tavernas and special places on Rhodes and throughout the Greek Dodecanese.

For our charter guests: free access to Bay Express

When chartering a yacht from Rhodes New Marina, you receive free access to Bay Express as a guest of GMM Yachting. This digital cruising guide helps you discover Rhodes and the islands of the Dodecanese and find suitable destinations for your own sailing itinerary.

Before your trip even begins, you can learn more about bays, anchorages, island harbours, marinas, tavernas and special places to visit. You can also use Bay Express while under way to plan your next passages or flexibly adapt your route to the weather, the time available and the wishes of your crew.

Simply let us know when you make your booking. We will then provide you with your personal access code for Bay Express – completely free of charge, of course.

Bay Express – your digital cruising companion for the Dodecanese

Bay Express is a digital cruising guide to the Turkish coast and the Greek Dodecanese. Charter crews setting out from Rhodes can discover a diverse island world in the south-eastern Aegean: from lively harbour towns and famous sights to small islands, tranquil bays and traditional waterfront tavernas.

Rather than prescribing a fixed route, Bay Express helps you become familiar with the cruising area and choose suitable destinations for your own sailing itinerary. This allows you to gain an overview before your charter begins and then decide flexibly while under way which island best suits your crew and the current conditions.

The content is tailored specifically to sailors and charter crews. It therefore provides information that is genuinely relevant when preparing for a passage – including details about anchorages, harbours, provisioning facilities, tavernas, trips ashore and places of interest.

Bay Express is therefore far more than a collection of ready-made route suggestions: the cruising guide accompanies you from your first itinerary idea to a spontaneous decision on board.

Greek islands, each with its own character

Where would you like to spend the next night? In a small island harbour, at anchor in a sheltered bay or in a marina with comfortable facilities? From Rhodes New Marina, you can combine a wide variety of destinations in the southern Dodecanese. Bay Express helps you discover the special features of each island and use them to create a sailing itinerary that reflects your own preferences.

Rhodes – starting point and holiday destination
Rhodes is not only the base for your yacht but also a diverse holiday destination in its own right. The medieval Old Town of Rhodes, the Acropolis of Lindos, numerous beaches and the island’s varied coastline provide plenty of reasons to plan some additional time on Rhodes before or after your charter. Rhodes New Marina is located on the eastern side of Rhodes Town and provides a convenient starting point for cruises through the south-eastern Aegean.

Symi – an impressive harbour setting and sheltered bays
Symi is one of the best-known destinations in the southern Dodecanese. As you enter the harbour of Gialos, colourful neoclassical houses define the scenery. In addition to its lively main town, the island offers several bays, while Panormitis Monastery is a popular destination for a trip ashore. Depending on your itinerary, Symi can be either a destination in its own right or an important stop on a longer island route.

Chalki and Alimia – small islands and peaceful stopovers
To the west of Rhodes lie Chalki and the largely uninhabited island of Alimia. Chalki welcomes visitors with the colourful harbour village of Nimporio and its relaxed island atmosphere. Alimia is particularly appealing for its bays. Both islands are ideal for crews who want to discover smaller destinations and deliberately seek some distance from the larger holiday resorts.

Tilos – nature and a relaxed island atmosphere
Tilos is an attractive destination for crews who want to combine their charter with peaceful trips ashore and unspoilt scenery. Small villages, bays and hiking trails give the island its own distinctive character. Together with Chalki, Symi or Nisyros, Tilos can easily be included in a multi-day cruise through the southern Dodecanese.

Nisyros – volcanic scenery and traditional villages
Nisyros differs markedly from the other islands in the cruising area. Its volcanic landscape, the harbour town of Mandraki and its traditional villages make the island a special destination for a longer trip ashore. If you have enough time, Nisyros can be combined with Tilos, Kos and other islands to create a varied itinerary.

Kos and the northern Dodecanese
On a longer charter, your route can take you from Rhodes via several southern islands all the way to Kos. There, you will find more extensive tourist infrastructure, marinas and numerous options for provisioning and trips ashore. Depending on the duration of your charter, you can include other islands of the Dodecanese in your plans from here.

Bays, island harbours and tavernas
The special appeal of a cruise through the Dodecanese lies in its variety. An evening in a lively harbour may be followed by a peaceful night at anchor. Traditional tavernas, small harbour promenades and historic sites make going ashore an integral part of the journey. Bay Express helps you find suitable destinations and compare the different options.

This gives you far more than a simple list of Greek islands. You gain a comprehensive impression of the cruising area and can shape your charter itinerary step by step according to your own preferences.

Your itinerary can evolve every day

A charter cruise through the Greek islands is all about freedom and spontaneity. Not every passage therefore needs to be finalised before you cast off. Wind and sea conditions, the crew’s experience or the mood on board may cause your plans to change at any time.

You may want to stay longer on Symi because you particularly enjoy the harbour and its atmosphere. Your crew may decide to spend an extra night in a quiet bay. Or you might shorten a planned passage and choose a nearby island harbour instead.

Bay Express therefore does not impose a fixed itinerary. It provides the local cruising knowledge you need to shape your route individually and adapt it to the actual situation.

When choosing your passages, you can take into account, among other things,

- how long you would like to sail each day,
- whether you prefer quiet bays or lively island harbours,
- which tavernas, sights and places of interest you would like to visit,
- how experienced your crew is,
- which provisioning facilities you require,
- and which wind and weather conditions are expected.

In the Aegean in particular, conditions should be considered carefully when planning each day. Some passages between the islands cross more exposed waters, and during the summer the Meltemi can bring strong winds and correspondingly rough seas. Realistic route planning should therefore always allow sufficient flexibility for alternatives.

This keeps your cruise flexible without sacrificing a clear sense of direction. Each day, you decide afresh where your journey will take you – and Bay Express helps you discover the right options.

Itinerary ideas from Rhodes New Marina

Rhodes New Marina is an ideal starting point for discovering the southern Dodecanese aboard your charter yacht. Depending on the time available, you can focus on Rhodes and the nearby islands or plan a longer cruise with several stops.

The following itinerary ideas are intended as initial inspiration. The harbours, bays and stopovers you actually visit will depend on the current conditions, the duration of your charter and the wishes of your crew.

Compact island cruise: Rhodes and Symi
If you would like to sail at a relaxed pace and allow plenty of time for trips ashore, you can focus your cruise on Rhodes and Symi. In addition to the main town of Gialos, other bays on Symi and the area around Panormitis are possible destinations. On Rhodes, additional stops can be added along the coast, depending on the weather, your route and the availability of suitable mooring places.

This option deliberately leaves room for shorter passages, swimming stops and spontaneous decisions. It is ideal for crews who do not want to tick off as many islands as possible but would rather experience selected places in greater depth.

Longer island route: Chalki, Tilos, Nisyros and Kos
With more time available, you can sail from Rhodes towards Chalki and Tilos before extending your cruise via Nisyros to Kos. Along the way, smaller island villages, volcanic landscapes and peaceful bays alternate with larger harbours offering good facilities.

Depending on the weather, your schedule and your crew, there are various possible stopovers for the return journey to Rhodes. This means that the outward and return routes do not need to be identical. On a longer cruise in particular, it is sensible to allow reserve days and determine the final route only after considering the latest forecast.

With Bay Express, you can find detailed information about the individual islands, harbours, anchorages and special places. In this way, an initial sailing idea becomes an itinerary that suits your crew and can continue to evolve at any time during your journey.