Mykonos Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes
Mykonos is perfectly placed for both day charters and multi-day Cycladic explorations. The itineraries below cover different ground and can be combined – a guest choosing the 3-day and 4-day routes would enjoy a 7-day voyage through the central Cyclades without repeating a single island.
Day Charter Routes
Delos and Rhenia Day Charter
Depart Mykonos in the morning and cruise 4 nm to the sacred island of Delos. Spend 2–3 hours walking the UNESCO archaeological site: the Lion Terrace, the House of Dionysus, the Sacred Lake. Return to your yacht for lunch, then cruise the short distance to Rhenia – the uninhabited island just beyond Delos – for an afternoon of swimming and paddleboarding in crystal-clear water with no other visitors. Return to Mykonos for sundowners. Total: roughly 12 nm, 6–8 hours.
Southern Beaches Day Charter
Cruise south from Mykonos harbour to Ornos Bay for a morning swim, then continue to Psarou Beach for lunch at Nammos. Spend the afternoon at Paraga’s Scorpios beach club, or continue south to Elia Beach – the longest stretch of sand on Mykonos – for a quieter swim. Return via Agios Ioannis, the beach made famous by the film Shirley Valentine, with sunset views towards Delos. Total: roughly 15 nm, 6–8 hours.
3-Day Mykonos Yacht Charter Itinerary: Mykonos, Tinos and Delos
Day 1: Mykonos Town, Delos and Little Venice
Board your yacht at Mykonos New Port by mid-morning. Cruise to Delos (4 nm, 15 minutes) for a guided walk through the ancient site. Return to the yacht for a chef-prepared lunch anchored off Rhenia’s quiet bays. In the afternoon, cruise to Psarou Beach for a late session at Nammos or a swim in the turquoise shallows. Return to Mykonos harbour for dinner in town – Matsuhisa for Nobu’s Japanese-Peruvian fusion, or Interni for Greek fine dining in a secret garden. End the evening at Little Venice for sunset cocktails.
Day 2: Tinos
Depart for Tinos, 12 nm north-east (under an hour). Tinos is the quiet, artistic counterpoint to Mykonos – an island of marble-carved dovecotes, terraced hillside villages, and one of the finest emerging food scenes in the Cyclades. Visit the Church of Panagia Evangelistria – Greece’s most important Marian pilgrimage site, famous for its miraculous icon found in 1823 – then drive (or ride a local bus) to the mountain village of Pyrgos, the marble-carving capital of the Cyclades, where sculptors still work in open-air workshops. Lunch at a village taverna in Volax, a tiny hamlet surrounded by giant granite boulders that look as though they were dropped from space. Return to Tinos harbour for dinner at Marathia, known for creative Cycladic cuisine using hyper-local ingredients.
Day 3: Syros and Return to Mykonos
Cruise west to Syros, roughly 15 nm (45 minutes). Syros is the capital of the Cyclades and one of Greece’s best-kept secrets: the neoclassical harbour town of Ermoupoli, with its grand 19th-century mansions, marble-paved square and the Apollo Theatre (a miniature of Milan’s La Scala, built in 1864), feels like stepping into a different era. Walk the narrow lanes of the hilltop Catholic quarter of Ano Syros and the Orthodox quarter of Vrodado, then descend for lunch at a harbourside taverna. In the afternoon, cruise back to Mykonos (18 nm, roughly one hour), arriving for a farewell sunset at Little Venice.
4-Day Mykonos Yacht Charter Itinerary: South Through the Cyclades
Day 1: Mykonos to Paros
Board at Mykonos and cruise south to Paros (24 nm, 90 minutes). Anchor at Naoussa, the fishing village turned gastronomy destination on Paros’s north coast. Swim in the bay, wander the narrow lanes, and visit the 4th-century Panagia Ekatontapiliani church. In the afternoon, cruise the short distance to Antiparos (2 nm from Paros) for a swim in crystalline water and a visit to the ancient cave with its 45-million-year-old stalactites. Dinner in Naoussa at Mario’s, with fresh catch and harbourside tables.
Day 2: Naxos
Cross to Naxos (10 nm from Paros, 30 minutes). Walk through the Portara – the massive marble gateway to the unfinished Temple of Apollo (530 BC) on the Palatia peninsula – then explore the Venetian Kastro in the old town. After lunch, cruise south to Plaka Beach (4 km of golden sand backed by cedar trees) for an afternoon of swimming and water sports. Dinner onboard, featuring Naxian specialities: Graviera cheese, fresh-caught fish, and Kitron citrus liqueur.
Day 3: Koufonisia or Amorgos
Cruise south-east to the Small Cyclades – specifically Koufonisi (Ano Koufonisi), roughly 15 nm from Naxos. This tiny island is one of the Cyclades’ hidden gems: pristine beaches (Pori Beach is the standout), a network of coastal trails, and a laid-back atmosphere that feels like the Greece of 30 years ago. Swim, snorkel, and walk the trail that connects the village to a string of remote coves. Alternatively, continue to Amorgos (30 nm from Naxos) to visit the Monastery of Hozoviotissa – an 11th-century white-washed monastery built into a sheer cliff face 300 metres above the sea, one of the most photographed religious buildings in Greece. Anchor in the calm bay below for the night.
Day 4: Ios and Santorini
Cruise west to Ios (20 nm from Koufonisi or 35 nm from Amorgos), a beautiful island with excellent beaches and a charming hilltop village – the Hora – with winding white lanes and blue-domed churches. Swim at Manganari Beach on the south coast, one of the finest in the Cyclades: a long crescent of golden sand in a sheltered bay. After lunch, set course for Santorini (20 nm south), arriving in the caldera by late afternoon. The approach is unforgettable: sheer volcanic cliffs rising 300 metres, topped with the villages of Fira, Imerovigli and Oia. Your crew serves a farewell dinner on the aft deck as the sun sets behind the caldera rim – Santorini fava, cherry tomatoes, grilled sea bream, and local Assyrtiko wine.
Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine the 3-day Mykonos–Tinos–Syros route with the 4-day southbound Cyclades route for a comprehensive 7-day charter covering the cultural north and the island-hopping south – Mykonos, Delos, Tinos, Syros, Paros, Naxos, Koufonisia, Ios and Santorini – without repeating a single island.
