Recently, we highlighted a number of Greek islands worth exploring. We didn’t explicitly state the benefits of visiting more than one of these islands, leaving that for readers to decide. However, there’s no doubt that many people visiting Greece would love to engage in island hopping.
Why simply visit Santorini (our favorite) when you can add Crete, Mykonos, and Kea to your itinerary? If that sounds exciting, you should note that most island hoppers have to settle for ferry rides that may not be the most convenient. A more efficient option is shared/chartered helicopter rides.
Films/TV references
With the goal of removing the strain of island-hopping by ferry while offering the added benefit of catching unreal views of the region, hoper (yes, it's officially spelled with a lowercase 'h') seeks to add excitement and convenience to visiting the islands. If you like epic movies, perhaps you may want to add some of the filming locations from Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Odyssey to your itinerary.
Founded in 2024 by Demitris Memos, hoper’s services aim to make your island hopping a breeze and perhaps increase the number of islands you can squeeze into your itinerary. When transit is this quick, it makes sense to add a few more islands to your list.
Demitris saw an opportunity after flying to the Cyclades via helicopter. Eighteen months later, hoper was born. The company has since gone beyond the Greek islands to offer flights in other regions. With a fleet of single and twin-engine helicopters from Robinson, Bell, Airbus, and Agusta, split across their shared and charter services, hoper has all the flexibility you could hope for.
As fans of helicopter rides here at Fortloc, we’ve seen the benefits of this mode of transportation for cutting down on travel time (over relatively short distances) and enjoying unmatched aerial views of places you’re visiting.
We’ve enjoyed this in Las Vegas, Miami, Cannes, and Monaco, and it never gets old. Starting this summer, hoper will begin operating on our main turf, the French Riviera. That’s one more option for helicopter transfers from Nice. When your final destination is Monaco, you really don’t want to be stuck in traffic upon arrival in Nice after a cross-Atlantic flight.
We’ll soon have an opportunity to see how hoper compares to established players in the region, such as Heli Air Monaco and Monacair. Perhaps the upcoming Monaco Yacht Show will be the perfect time to give it a try.
It doesn’t take a lot to be convinced that the Greek islands are worth visiting. Choosing the ones that work for you is the challenge. When you have the most efficient way to travel across these islands in your pocket, that’s about 70% of the problem solved.
Helicopter flight for island-hopping in Greece isn’t exactly new. There are established players like Arilift, Ifly, and Helifly. These providers offer charters to many of the Greek Islands.
What sets hoper apart is the ease of booking flights. When all you want to do is casual hopping, this service seems most convenient. Vacations shouldn’t involve inconveniences or strenuous options, so anything that improves efficiency is always welcomed. Meanwhile, I need to make the case for another visit to Greece. Hopefully, it won’t be a tough sell.
