Greece Itineraries: Multi-Day Yacht Routes Across Greece
Greece’s islands reward both the long weekend and the extended voyage. The itineraries below are designed to be combined: a guest looking at the 3-day and 4-day routes can stitch them together into a full 7-day Greek odyssey without repeating a single island or anchorage. Every itinerary is fully customisable – your Boatcrowd charter specialist and onboard captain will tailor stops, pacing and activities to your group’s interests and the conditions on the day.
3-Day Greece Yacht Charter Itinerary: Athens, Cape Sounion and the Saronic Gulf
Day 1: Athens to Cape Sounion and Kea
Board your yacht at Athens’ Alimos Marina or Flisvos Marina by mid-morning. After a welcome briefing and a champagne toast on the flybridge, cruise south along the Athenian Riviera – past the upmarket beach clubs of Glyfada and Vouliagmeni – towards Cape Sounion, roughly 25 nautical miles from Athens and a comfortable two-hour run. As you round the headland, the Temple of Poseidon appears on the clifftop 60 metres above the sea: 15 of its original Doric columns still standing against the sky, built between 444 and 440 BC. Anchor in the sheltered bay below for a swim and a chef-prepared lunch on the aft deck. In the afternoon, cross to the island of Kea – the closest Cycladic island to Athens, just 10 nautical miles from Sounion. Anchor in the deep, fjord-like harbour of Vourkari, a tiny fishing village with excellent seafood tavernas. Stroll the harbour, sample grilled octopus and a glass of local Tinos wine, and settle into the kind of quiet, authentic Greek evening that sets the tone for the days ahead.
Day 2: Hydra
Set course south-west for Hydra, roughly 35 nautical miles from Kea – around two and a half hours at cruising speed. Hydra is one of the most unique islands in Greece: no cars, no motorbikes, no airport. Transport is by foot, donkey and water taxi. The harbour is a postcard of neoclassical stone mansions built by 18th- and 19th-century sea captains, wrapped around a crescent bay that your yacht enters to admiring glances from the quayside cafés. Spend the morning exploring the town’s art galleries, jewellery shops and the Historical Archives Museum of Hydra, which chronicles the island’s outsized role in the Greek War of Independence (Hydra provided 130 ships to the revolutionary fleet in 1821). After lunch onboard – perhaps a Greek salad with creamy local feta, grilled prawns, and warm pita – cruise to Bisti Bay on Hydra’s southern coast, a pine-fringed cove accessible only by sea, for an afternoon swim in water so clear the pebbled bottom looks painted. Return to Hydra harbour for a harbourside dinner at Omilos, where the tables are set on a terrace right at the water’s edge.
Day 3: Spetses and Return to Athens
A short 12-nautical-mile cruise south brings you to Spetses, the most elegant of the Saronic islands. Spetses has long been a retreat for Athenian high society – grand shipowner mansions line the waterfront, horse-drawn carriages replace taxis in the old town, and the Poseidonion Grand Hotel (built in 1914, modelled on the Côte d’Azur’s grand hotels) still anchors the social scene. Anchor off the old harbour and take the tender ashore for a morning coffee and a walk past the Bouboulina Museum (dedicated to Laskarina Bouboulina, the heroine of Greek independence who commanded her own warship). Cruise around to Zogeria Bay on the island’s south side – a sheltered pine-backed cove with turquoise water – for a farewell swim and a gourmet lunch on the aft deck. Depart mid-afternoon for the 50-nautical-mile return to Athens, arriving by early evening with the Athenian skyline and the illuminated Acropolis as your backdrop.
4-Day Greece Yacht Charter Itinerary: The Cyclades – Mykonos to Santorini
Day 1: Mykonos and Delos
Board your yacht at Mykonos New Port or Tourlos Marina by mid-morning. Settle in with a glass of rosé on the flybridge as your captain cruises the short 4 nautical miles to Delos, the sacred island and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Step ashore for a guided walk through one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the world: the Lion Terrace with its row of Archaic marble guardians, the House of Dionysus with its 2,000-year-old floor mosaics depicting the god riding a panther, and the remains of a cosmopolitan port city that was the wealthiest in the ancient Mediterranean. Return to the yacht for a chef-prepared Greek lunch, then cruise back to Mykonos’s western shore. Spend the afternoon at Nammos Beach Club on Psarou Beach – designer cabanas, Mediterranean gastronomy, and a celebrity energy that’s become synonymous with the island – or choose Scorpios at Paraga Beach for a more bohemian, nature-focused atmosphere. Dinner in Mykonos Town: Matsuhisa at the Belvedere Hotel for Nobu’s Japanese-Peruvian fusion, or Interni for refined Greek cuisine in a secret garden off Matoyiannia.
Day 2: Paros and Antiparos
Depart early for the 24-nautical-mile crossing to Paros – roughly 90 minutes at 18 knots. Paros is the Cyclades’ great all-rounder: traditional villages, world-class windsurfing, the ancient marble quarries of Marathi (whose Parian marble was used to carve the Venus de Milo), and one of the best-preserved Byzantine churches in Greece – the Panagia Ekatontapiliani (Church of 100 Doors), dating from the 4th century AD. Anchor off Naoussa, a fishing village turned gastronomy hub, for a morning swim and a wander through the narrow lanes. After lunch onboard, cruise the short distance to Antiparos – just 2 nautical miles across the strait – and anchor off the south coast near Despotiko island for a swim in crystalline water over white sand. Visit the Antiparos Cave, one of the oldest known caves in Europe, with stalactites and stalagmites formed over 45 million years. Return to Paros for dinner at Mario’s Restaurant in Naoussa, a local institution famous for its fresh-catch seafood and harbourside tables.
Day 3: Naxos
A gentle 10-nautical-mile crossing brings you to Naxos, the largest and most fertile of the Cyclades. As you approach, the Portara dominates the skyline – the massive marble gateway of an unfinished Temple of Apollo, begun around 530 BC by the tyrant Lygdamis, standing on the Palatia peninsula at the harbour entrance. It is one of the most iconic images in the Aegean, and it’s visible from your yacht’s deck. Go ashore to walk through the gateway and explore Naxos Town’s Venetian Kastro – a 13th-century fortress quarter built by the Frankish Duke of Naxos, with narrow marble-paved lanes, Catholic churches and the oldest school in Greece (the Ursuline School, founded 1670). In the afternoon, cruise south along Naxos’s western coast to Plaka Beach – 4 kilometres of unbroken golden sand backed by cedar trees – for a swim and water sports. Your chef prepares dinner onboard using local Naxian ingredients: Graviera cheese, Kitron citrus liqueur, potatoes grown in the volcanic soil, and fresh-caught fish from the morning’s haul.
Day 4: Santorini
Rise early for the crossing to Santorini – roughly 55 nautical miles from Naxos, around three to four hours at cruising speed. The approach is unforgettable: the caldera opens up before you, sheer volcanic cliffs rising 300 metres from the water, topped with the sugar-cube villages of Fira, Imerovigli and Oia clinging to the rim. Anchor in the caldera – your yacht floating over the submerged volcanic crater – and take the tender ashore to explore Fira’s winding lanes, or ride the cable car (or a donkey, if you prefer) up the cliff face. Visit the Museum of Prehistoric Thera for artefacts from the Minoan settlement of Akrotiri (destroyed by the eruption of 1613 BC and often called the “Greek Pompeii”). In the afternoon, cruise to the hot springs near the volcanic islet of Nea Kameni, where geothermally heated water turns the sea a sulphurous yellow-orange – a surreal swimming experience. As the sun sets, return to your caldera anchorage and watch the sky turn from amber to violet above Oia while your crew serves a farewell dinner on the aft deck: Santorini fava, cherry tomatoes from the volcanic soil, grilled sea bream, and a glass of local Assyrtiko wine.
Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine the 3-day Athens–Saronic route with the 4-day Cyclades route for a comprehensive 7-day charter covering the Athenian Riviera, the Saronic Gulf and the heart of the Cyclades – without repeating a single stop. Your Boatcrowd charter specialist can arrange a one-way itinerary, with embarkation in Athens and disembarkation in Santorini (or vice versa), so you cover maximum ground.
