Private skippered cruises · Marina Gouvia, Corfu
A fast, open boat with a solid hull and an inflatable collar: that is a RIB. Your skipper plans the route with you. Up to seven guests, with the boat reserved for your group.
A swimming stop aboard Emerald.
What you are actually booking
Emerald is a single Technohull GT7 working out of Marina Gouvia. We run one group at a time, which means that when it is your day the boat is not shared, the route is not fixed, and nobody is waiting for you to get back on board.
Your skipper, Christos, handles the navigation, the anchoring and the weather, and speaks English, German and Greek. Fuel and all taxes are in the price you see. So are the drinks, the snorkelling gear, the paddleboard and the sea scooter — the day arrives assembled rather than as a list of extras.
What is left for you to decide is the part worth deciding: where to swim, how long to stay there, and whether you want lunch ashore or another hour in the water.
Six ways to spend the day
Every price below is the total for your group, up to seven guests, with skipper, fuel and taxes included.
The Corfu Riviera
The green coast north of Gouvia: sheltered bays, clear water close to shore, with Kassiopi in six hours, or Kassiopi and a meal ashore in eight.
also 4 or 6 hours, from €550
Two islands south of Corfu
An open crossing to two islands: the Paxos sea caves, a harbour lunch, and the pale water off Antipaxos.
Canal d'Amour & Porto Timoni
The dramatic side of the island: Porto Timoni's twin bays, Cape Drastis and the rock formations at Canal d'Amour.
The mainland coast beyond Corfu
Across to the mainland coast for the Blue Lagoon, Bella Vraka and the Papanikolis cave.
Corfu's northern island neighbours
Corfu's northern neighbours: three small islands, open water on the way, and beaches most visitors never reach.
Evening and tailored cruises
A short evening out on the water, or a half day shaped entirely around what you feel like doing.
also 4 hours, from €550
Your day, in order
Not a timetable — the shape of it. The detail changes with the route you choose, the season and what your group feels like doing.
You meet your skipper at the pontoon at Gouvia, leave your bags aboard, and talk through the day before you leave — what you would like to see, how much swimming you want, anything you would rather avoid.
The boat gets you to clear water quickly. How far you go depends on the cruise you have chosen: the northeast bays are close to the marina, while Paxos or the Diapontia mean a longer open crossing.
Anchor somewhere you like the look of and stay. Swim, snorkel, take the paddleboard or the sea scooter out, or sit on the sunpad and do nothing. Drinks and fruit come out of the fridge; the canopy gives you shade when you have had enough sun.
On the longer cruises there is usually time to tie up at a harbour — Kassiopi, Gaios, Sivota — for lunch or a walk. The six-hour northeast cruise includes Kassiopi; for Kassiopi with a meal ashore, choose eight hours. Meals ashore are yours to choose and pay for; they are not part of the price.
Usually one more swim on the way home, a rinse under the freshwater shower, and back to the same pontoon at Gouvia.
This is the shape of the day, not a timetable. Sea conditions, the season and what your group feels like doing on the day all change the detail — which is the point of having the boat to yourselves.
What it looks like up close
Three things people ask about before booking: how you get on, who runs the boat, and whether the refreshments are real.
Included in your private price
Everything below is part of the group price. You are not assembling a day out of extras.
Handles the boat and the navigation all day. Experienced, and speaks English and German as well as Greek.
Included in the price you see. There is no fuel surcharge and no hidden extra at the dock.
Water, soft drinks, wine, fruit and snacks are aboard and included.
Masks and snorkels for up to seven, ready at every swimming stop.
Aboard as standard, for the quieter bays where you want to explore.
Carried aboard. Use follows the conditions and your skipper’s guidance.
A full day on the water stays comfortable, and you can rinse the salt off before heading back.
A central canopy over the helm and the seating behind it, and an open sunpad forward for whoever wants the sun.
Drinks and fruit stay cold from Gouvia to the last stop.
Music aboard throughout the day.
Useful for the photographs you will want to send before you are back on land.
Your stops and their order are planned with you, not fixed by a timetable.
Not included: towels (bring your own), restaurant meals, transfers and any special arrangements — these are agreed with you separately before booking. Stops and their order follow your agreed route, the available time and the conditions on the day.
Choosing between boat options
There are four sensible ways to get onto the water in Corfu. This is an honest account of what each one actually gives you.
Emerald offers only the private skippered day: we do not rent the boat without a skipper or run shared trips.
You take the helm
A boat and a driver
A seat on a bigger boat
One boat, your group
Another rental with a skipper, or another private operator, may suit you perfectly well. When you compare, compare the same things: the actual boat, the complete price including fuel and taxes, how many people share it, where it departs from, and who decides the route.
Before you enquire
No. Every price on this site is the total for your group, up to seven guests. A group of two pays the same as a group of seven for the same cruise. That is the main difference between a private boat and a ticketed excursion, where the cost climbs with every extra person.
No. Your skipper is aboard for the whole cruise and handles the boat, the anchoring and the navigation. You do not need a licence, any experience, or to think about the weather. The boat is reserved for your group alone.
Included: your skipper, fuel and all taxes; water, soft drinks, wine, fruit and snacks; snorkelling equipment, a stand-up paddleboard and a sea scooter; an onboard WC, freshwater shower and refrigerator; shade beneath the canopy; music and Wi-Fi. Not included: restaurant meals ashore, transfers to and from the marina, and any special arrangements — all of which we are happy to organise separately before you book.
Up to seven guests, plus your skipper. The boat is a Technohull GT7, with a forward sunpad, rear seating beneath a central canopy and an onboard WC.
If you have half a day, the northeast coast is a short crossing with more time in the water. If you have a full day and want two islands, Paxos and Antipaxos. If you want an evening rather than a day, the two-hour sunset cruise. If you are not sure, say so when you enquire — tell us who is coming and what you enjoy, and we can suggest a route.
If conditions are unsuitable, your cruise is rescheduled or fully refunded. Free cancellation applies up to five days before your cruise.
Marina Gouvia, on Corfu’s east coast, a short drive north of Corfu Town. You start and finish at the same pontoon, and there is parking at the marina.
Send an enquiry or message us on WhatsApp with your dates and how many of you there are. We reply with availability, a suggested route and the total for your group. No payment is taken at the enquiry step.
Sometimes. If you are looking at the next few days, ask us — depending on availability, a last-minute offer may be available.
We can help you work out the details of your day before you decide.
