SOUTH CYCLADES CRUISE
The southern Cyclades islands capture the imagination of anyone who has ever longed to sail the Greek isles. The scenery resembles the Greece flag — blue seas and white houses that deflect the sun.
Average two hours sailing per day. These islands lie on the high seas where the meltemi winds can be strong in summer months. The tour is best suited for seasoned sailers.
Description
South Cyclades Cruise
The southern Cyclades islands capture the imagination of anyone who has ever longed to sail the Greek isles. The scenery resembles the Greek flag — blue seas and white houses that deflect the sun.
Average two hours sailing per day. These islands lie on the high seas where the meltemi winds can be strong in summer months. The tour is best suited for seasoned sailers.
Itinerary
TOUR SCHEDULE
- Day 1 Mykonos island, Delos island
- Day 2 Mykonos island to Tinos island
- Day 3 Tinos island to Syros island
- Day 4 Syros island to Paros island
- Day 5 Paros island to Naxos island
- Day 6 Naxos island to Ios island
- Day 7 Ios island to Santorini island
- Day 8 Departures
Activities: Each day offers active and leisure activities. The itinerary below indicates activity choices available at each destination. We organize a final itinerary — active, leisure or a combination of both — depending on your group’s specified interests.
Tour Starts: Mykonos, daily flights and ferries from Athens to Mykonos.
Tour Ends: Santorini, daily flights and ferries from Santorini to Athens.
DAY 1 Arrive Mykonos port (by sea or air)
Welcome & Orientation at Mykonos port. Mykonos is the sophisticated island with cosmopolitan visitors and high end boutiques. Guests have the option to visit Delos island, once the most sacred sanctuary in ancient Greece. In fact, Cyclades means “circle” in Greek, so named because the surrounding islands circled Delos. Overnight Mykonos island
Active choices: Bike a loop to chic Elia Beach and linger there for swimming 24 km, 15 miles. One hour hike (roundtrip) to Paradise beach — and linger there for swimming. Water sports at Elia Beach or Paradise beach.
Leisure choices: Visit the Archaeology Museum, especially for the vase (pithoi) depicting the Trojan horse. Go shopping in Chora’s famous boutiques. Wine tasting at Vioma, an organic winery.
DAY 2 Mykonos to Tinos
Sailing from Mykonos to Tinos takes barely one hour. Tinos is the most traditional island in the Cyclades. The occupying Venetians left their mark by building dovecotes that dot the island. Thousands of pilgrims come to Tinos’ Church of Panagia (Virgin), considered the protector of the country, with a miraculous icon inside. On Tinos you will likely encounter more chapels and churches in a single day than you may see a month at home. Overnight Tinos island
Active choices: Bike a loop that goes to Volax village where basket makers still weave their craft by hand. Biking 40 km, 25 miles. Take a two hour hike (roundtrip) to the Tsiknias, the highest point on the island (727 meters).
Leisure choices: Tinos is famous for its marble crafts — attend a class of marble sculpture and visit the museum in Pyrgos. Discover the island by a dovecote quest to see how many you can spot. Visit Volax, the basketmakers’ village. Visit the Sanctuary of Poseidon ruins on the coast.
DAY 3 Tinos to Syros
It is a two hour sail from Tinos to Syros, the capital of the Cyclades region. Everyone will enjoy strolling the beautiful port city, Ermoupouli, with its elegant neo-Classical mansions, lively Miaoulis Square with its stately town hall, marble paved streets and the picturesque Vaporia neigborhood. Syros still has a hearty shipbuilding industry, too. Overnight Syros island
Active choices: Bike a loop of the island passing at least a half dozen beaches for swimming choices. 39 km, 24 miles. Hike up to Ano Syros, the car-free Catholic neighborhood with a Capuchin monastery and a museum lauded to “rembetiko,” known as the Greek blues.
Leisure choices: Engage in olive oil tasting and other delights at a local produce shop. Swim in one of Syros’ many sandy beaches. Visit Ano Syro, the car-free Catholic area with imposing churchs and photogenic alleyways. If you are interested, Syros has the only casino in the Cyclades.
DAY 4 Syros to Paros
Paros captivates all visitors from the moment the yacht sails into Parikia port with its welcoming windmill. The light on Paros is particularly illuminating — the British novelist Lawrence Durrell likened it to “the naked eyeball of God.” The cutest town is Naoussa, once a sleepy fishing village but today an escape for trendy Athenians. Paros most famous legacy is Parian marble, now extinct, but was the stone of choice in ancient days, such as the Venus de Milo. The island is small enough you can circle it by car in less than an hour. Overnight Paros island
Active choices: Cycle inland to visit Lefkes, the highest village on the island. Stop at the Valley of the Butterlies to spot thousands of green jersey moths. Lastly, ride to Naoussa to try one of the ouzerias dotting the port or hike on a trail to the 1893 lighthouse.
Leisure choices: Visit the tranquil Valley of Butterflies and a pottery workshop to learn more about the craft. Visit a winery in Naussa
DAY 5 Paros to Naxos
You will never forget the moment sailing into Naxos harbor because you are greeted by the island’s signature monument, the Portara, a majestic marble portal built to honor Apollo and located on a little islet called Palatia. Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades with an ample network of smooth roads, green mountains and long sandy beaches on the west coast. In a Halki distillery is kitron, a unique liqueur from lemon leaves. Naxos has three “kouros,” 6th century BC statuary, that are still in their marble quarries. Overnight Naxos island.
Active choices: Bike up to Halki 38.5 km 24 miles or another 5 miles to refreshing Aria Springs where you can hike to Za Cave. Water sports at Flisvos Center include windsurfing, kite gliding, sea kayaking. Hiking paths near the Mili kouros.
Leisure choices: Stroll the medieval Venetian Bourgos neighborhood with labrynthine alleyways and the Portara. Visit the two “kouros” at Mili and nearby archaeology site with ancient beehives. Try a Cyclades cooking class in Potamos. Swim the long beach at Agia Anna.
DAY 6 Naxos to Ios
Ios is a classic Cyclades islands with white boxy houses and blue doors clinging amphitheatrically up a hillside of the harbor. At top of the capital Chora lies a Venetian castle and of course a church. Homer is said to be buried in Ios Island. Bike to Plakotos, in the north, where his tomb is supposedly on a hill. Overnight Ios island
Active choices: Four hour hike from Hora to Agios Ioannis monastery passing windmills, small theatre, Mylopotas and Agios Prokopios beaches to Ios’ highest mountain, Pyrgos (2330 feet, 710 meters). Bike to Plakotos, in the north, where Homer’s tomb supposedly lies. 25 km 15 miles
Leisure choices: Walk up the hillside to a site believed to be Homer’s tomb. Visit the archaeology museum housed in a stunning Neoclassical building, the Amiradakio Megaro — it holds statuettes and other artifacts excavated in Ios. Stroll and shop in Chora, considered one of the most beautiful towns in the entire Cyclades.
DAY 7 Ios to Santorini
After three hours morning sailing you are back on the Greece mainland in the Attiki peninsula. Overnight at Lavrio port. We will have our farewell dinner in Lavrio’s lovely marina. Overnight Santorini island
Active choices: Three hour hike from Fira to Oia. Two hour hike up to Anicent Thira. Sea sports on Perissa Beach. Take a sea excursion into the caldera to climb and the volcano and swim in healing thermal waters.
Leisure choices: Take a Cyclades cooking class. Go for wine tasting in a winery that is also a contemporary art museum. Tour Akrotiri ruins and Ancient Thira. Tour an original 19th century cave house. Stop by the Fira Archaeology Museum. Stroll and shop for gold in Fira’s jewelry stores and Oia’s boutiques.
DAY 8 Departure
Daily flight from Santorini to Athens for your connecting flight home.
Inclusions
Inclusions depend on the yacht that is chartered and its capabilities. Below are indicative inclusions for this tour.
- Yacht accommodating from 2 to 12 adults, or 16 persons with young children over age 12 years.
- 7 nights IN cabin, double occupancy, with en suite bathroom
- Captain and 3 crew.
- Cruise Director handling all logistics.
- All required safety equipment such as life rafts, life jackets, motorized tenders, satellite beacon devices, emergency communication devices, fire prevention/extinguishing equipment, emergency pumps and other essential sea faring devices.
- All meals prepared on board.
- Transfers from airport or Athens hotel to Alimos marina.
- Active and leisure activities.
- Gear: bicycles, snorkeling gear, fishing gear, kayaks.
- Entry fees to ancient sites.
- Map of region and trip packet with useful info.
- Transfer to Mykonos and from Santorini not included. (See Notes)
Notes
Bring swim wear, hat, sun glasses and sun screen For bikers, wear appropriate shoes.
On the yacht rubber soled footwear only, or barefoot.
Frequent flights are available from Athens to Mykonos/Santorini with Aegean Airlines.
Ferries depart daily from Piraeus for the Cyclades including Mykonos and Santorini.
Map
South Cyclades Cruise
