If you are only interested is spending a few days on board , a bit of exploring combined with swimming then either will do.
Our departure point for your Greek islands sailing adventure
Welcome to Greece !
Where do we embark? Athens or Paros or Mykonos
ATHENS
For sailing cruises from Athens during a week on board you can visit the Saronic islands (Aegina, Agistri,etc and the Peloponnesus coast) and maybe even Kea or Kythnos. But some of the islands people are usually dreaming about might be too far away for a sailboat to reach if you only have 7 days on board.
PAROS
Many travelers consider that the perfect vacation in Greece is a combination of quintessential white washed villages with sugar–cube homes and blue-domed churches. And add some secluded beaches, dazzling light, crystal blue waters and delicious food of the Cyclades islands. So most of the time we start our trips at Paros island-right in the heart of the Cyclades. Thus you will be only a few hours away from some of the best Greek islands and your itinerary can contain several of the destination listed at the link above. Ether it’s 1) Syros, 13) Mykonos and 14) Tinos or maybe 2) Sifnos, 4) Milos, 5) Serifos or maybe even 8) Santorini and 12) Folegandros.
It will be a perfect mix of islands. And according to your interests, the number of days you have on board and of course the weather conditions. From islands that need little introduction (like Mykonos or Santorini) to little fishing harbors and off the beaten path hamlets, your vacation in the Greek islands will be unique!
Mykonos
Upon specific circumstances, embarkation or disembarkation at Mykonos might sometimes be arranged. If interested please contact us for more details.
“Why do you say a trip starting in the middle of the islands so much better?” you might be wondering.
Let’s take for example Naxos which is always a favorite among our guests.
The distance Athens – Naxos is about 100 nautical miles. A sailboat travels with around 6-7 knots ( miles / hour) so in order to get from Athens to Naxos a sailboat would need to travel about 15 hours (plus the detour to stop at the islands on the way for overnight) . To cover this, you need 3 days with an average of 5-6 hours each day . And once you’re there, you’d be visiting one more island in the area and then you need to start making your way back. For this, 3 more long days will be needed to get back to Athens. So you get right the heart of the Cyclades just so you have to start the return trip as soon as you get there.
But starting the sailing trip in Paros you are only 16 nautical miles away from Naxos. So once you sail out at Paros you will be at Naxos in about 2 and a half hours. The same applies for other islands around.
This is exactly why we have decided to move our base in Paros. Like this, people can easily and quickly get from Athens and other islands to the embarkation point. And then during the time on board they can reach many places that are on their ‘wish-list’. The same places which unfortunately are too far away for a sailing trip starting from Athens can be added on a itinerary that starts from Paros.
Our recommendation
Having in mind how easy it is to get from either Athens, Santorini, Mykonos (and many other Greek islands -even from Crete or Rhodes) to Paros we strongly recommend you plan directly for embarkation at Paros.
That is the key to fit in your sailing route several of the best Greek islands that are unfortunately too far away for a cruise Athens – islands.
But with Paros located in the middle of the Cyclades / Aegean archipelago (as you will notice on the map above) you have the guarantee of the perfect experience in Greece that will exceed your every expectation.
There are so many islands around but we are starting the trip in Paros (alternatively Mykonos) because:
– it’ a delight for the travelers – a gorgeous place to spend another few days before or after the sailing trip . The article about things to do in Paros manages to cover why Paros is a must in any visitor’s Greek travel plans.
– logistics are as simple as they get. Paros has great connection with Athens ( 4 hours ferry or 40 minutes flight) and it’s also a ferry hub where you can hop in the next ferry to most of the islands in the Cyclades. This is perfect for the ones that want to spend more time after the trip at other islands and even to Crete, Rhodes and other places.
– it’s very practical . Located perfectly right in the middle of the Cyclades it has a dozen of islands around you can get to and from with a short sailing leg with an average around 3-4 hours/day.
“Sounds wonderfull- but how do we get to Paros?” you might be wondering
a) Most of our guests arrive at Athens International airport.
From there you can immediately get to Paros:
- By booking a 40 minutes flight Athens to Paros . Olympic Airlines and Sky Express have multiple connections daily.
- By ferry (3-4 hours) from the port of Rafina (only 15 kilometers/9 miles away from the airport – 20 minutes taxi ride or 30 minutes bus ride). Or from the port of Piraeus (only 10 kilometers/6 miles from the center of Athens – 15 minutes taxi ride)
b) If you are coming from Santorini, Mykonos (and most of the islands in the Cyclades) or Crete, Rhodes, there are regular ferry connection to Paros.
NOTE: Although it’s so easy to connect through Athens that it’s no reason for second thoughts, you might want to know that the neighboring Mykonos has several international flights from across Europe. So there are chances you might even a direct flight from your country straight to Mykonos. Upon landing in Mykonos you can take a 40 minutes ferry and arrive at Paros in no time.
Our recommendation: If you have the chance, it might be a great idea to plan arriving at Paros a couple of days before embarkation date so you can fully enjoy the island before setting sails in the first day of your sailing cruise.
If you need help with connections and organizing your traveling please don’t hesitate to contact us. We want to help with ideas and options of how you can better arrange your travel schedule so you get the most out of your visit to Greece.
NOTE: the embarkation point is to be set before booking.