Itinerary Athens – Kos ( 2 weeks )
A cruise that will allow
you to discover the entire Aegean
Sea !
Day 1 Embarkation
at 17.00 p.m.
Departure at 18.00 hrs
to Cape Sounion
Arrival at 21.00 hrs
Taverna on the beach
Though only at 3 hours sailing from Piraeus, you will
discover that the anchorage of Cape Sounion is surprisingly savage.
You can enjoy the first evening
of your holidays watching the sunset,
while you are having an ouzo at the one and only
small taverna on the beach.
Overlooking the anchorage
stands the beautiful temple
of Poseidon.
Day 2 Kea
The principal port of the island stretches along the sealine
and is considered
to be one of the most secure natural
ports in the Mediterranean.
The port, also called Livadi, is built on the
ruins of ancient Korissia. In Antiquity Korissia, Ioulida, Karthea and Poiessa
were the four independent cities on the island.
The houses in the port of Kea all have red-tiled roofs. It used to be once a favourite pirates’ lair when they were
threatened by the rough sea, especially around Cavo Doro.
On the surrounding
hills rise the ruines of an Archaic amphitheatre and on top of the southern side,
next to a small chapel are the remains of a sanctuary dedicated to Apollo. It’s difficult
to tell more about the origin
because of the poor state
of conservation. Most important is the angle from where you will
view it.
In 1923 during the exchange of population between Greece and Turkey ( this concerned about more than 1 million people in total), Greek
refugees coming from Asia Minor
started living on Kea.
Day 3 Serifos
Seen from the sea Chora is
an eye-cathching village from
the start : a scribble of white houses crowning a high and rocky peak,
overlooking the magnificent bay of Livadi.
Walk up the steps into the fabulous
Chora that lead to the charming
main square, watched over
by the imposing neoclassical town hall and the cathedral
of Saint Athanasios dating from the 18th century.
From the square, narrow
alleys and more steps lead ever
upwards to the remnants of the ruined 15th century Venetian Kastro ; an eagle’s
nest if ever there was one. There are two chapels
from where you have an extraordinary panoramic view.
Located inside of the
Kastro you will see houses that are built on two-three levels, this in contrast with the
tiny houses in general consisted of one piece you will meet
elsewhere.
At the entrance of the village, in the quarter of the Windmills the
square is flanked by cafés and it is
the favourite meeting-point of the islanders.
Enjoy a pleasant walk and follow
the ancient steps that lead
down to Livadi , though they
are fragmented by the snaking road that links the two villages.
Day 4 Sifnos
Sifnos captures a preponderate
position in the Western Cyclades.
First of all because of the
natural beauty of the landscapes, and secondly because of the purity of the construction forms.
In order to appreciate
and feel the island , you should
not hesitate to explore the
multitude of old
paths, that have woven a web all over the island, and
lead to chapels and monasteries built on a hill or in a small valley.
Not to be missed
is a promenade to the monastery of Prophet Ilias on the culminating point of the island 680m (duration of walk about 1 ½ hours ).
What strikes you immediately on Sifnos are the landscapes
and terraced valleys that are cleaved by low walls.
They are built in layers of slate stone and are covered with sandstones that are placed oblique on top.
Each parcel of land
has been marked out like this and can
be approached by snaking paths that
wriggle between the slate walls.
The terraced valleys and hillsides ‘’sculpted’’ with slate walls, which
are master pieces of art, give
a geometric aspect to the landscape.
The rural constructions have largely contributed to the beauty of the island. A good example are the remarkable dovecotes, which you can see
almost everywhere on the island. They are like tiny palaces built in square or rectangular form,
The ground floor is used
as a storage place for tools,etc. In the upper
part of the construction are subtle
openings decorated with symbols of trees, wagon wheels, triangles, and sun symbols from
where the pigeons enter into the dovecotes.
Day 5 Paros
You will arrive at
Paros from the west of Dhespotiko and Antiparos.
If the wind is too
strong sail through the passage between Paros and Antiparos.
There are many opportunities to anchor for
a swim.
In the evening you can go and visit the
traditional Cycladic town of
Day 6 Ios
You can choose to anchor in the port of Ios and spend the
evening in Chora, the village overlooking the bay, or ...
… for those who prefer it more quiet you
can anchor in the turquoise waters of Manganari bay, in
the south of the island. The long white sandy beach is well protected from the
trade winds.
Day 7 Santorini
Santorini is famous all over the world and you will be more
than overwhelmed as you enter the huge crater on your yacht.
Santorini is not an easy island for sailing-boats, but you will
find a mooring below the
You will have to climb up the steps to Oia,
there are no cable cars like in
But you will be rewarded
by the breath-taking views over the
island and the much quieter
village than tourist-frenzied
Thira.
Day 8 Skinoussa
Situated in the heart
of the Little Cyclades, Skinoussa is a combination of all sceneries in the Aegean. A well protected small harbour,
a few tavernas right on the waterfront and a whitewashed village a few
minutes up the hill.
Though this is a small island, you will
enjoy impressive views of both sea and land.
Day 9 Amorgos
Amorgos rises savagely
and steep from the sea.
Famous from the movie « Big Blue » that has been shot on the island,
conspicuous tourism has not
been able to get a foothold
on Amorgos.
Take some time out and
go and visit the extraordinary monastery embedded in a huge cliff in the
south of the island.
Day 10 Astypalea
Astypalea is part of the
Dodecanese, but its environ
and architecture will remind you of the
Islands of the Cyclades. The small port and the village with its white washed
houses are dominated by an old
fortress. You will discover the
peace and quiet of islands far away from civilization.
If the weather is not serene you can
find anchorage at Maltezana, in the centre of the large bay formed by the
two sides of the island.
You will find shelter there to recover from long navigation and prepare yourself
for the next day.
Taverna under tamarind
trees.
Day 11 Nisyros
Nisyros is a still
active vulcan. You have a splendid view on the surrounding islands from the
top of the crater.
Nikia is a beautiful
village on the border of the
crater overlooking the sea.
Visit Mandraki, the
capital with its tangle of streets, on the west point of the island. A monastery has been built inside the
remainings of the castle of the Knights
of St. John.
A still intact fortress of the 4th century B.C. overlooks the village of Mandraki.
Make a stop in the small
port of Palo, situated on the north side.
It’s more quiet and better protected than Mandraki.
You can rent a
scooter to explore the rest
of the island.
Day 12 Tilos
After having enjoyed
the morning in Nisyros, you can
sail in the afternoon to Tilos.
You can drop anchor
in the small port of Tilos, or in the large deserted bay in the south of the
island, an ideal place for
a barbecue.
Day 13 Cnidos (Turkey)
Anchorage at Cnidos, west of the almost island
of Datca.
The only place in the
world where you can anchor in an authentic ancient port, just below the
theatre which is located right in the middle of the ruins of the ancient
city.
The first village is
at 8km distance.
Turkish authorities allow
saling-boats coming from Greece to stop here.
There is one taverna
on the beach.
Day 14 Kos
Leave early in the morning to avoid trade winds at
the point of Cnidos.
After some miles you
will sail again under good
conditions and you will be able to choose anchorage for a last swim, before returning
to Kos in the end of the afternoon.
Spend the evening in
the old town
of Kos.
Day 15 Disembarkation
at
If you have time enough before your
departure you can leave your
luggage with the supervisor of the base and visit
the Asclepion, the archaeological site where the first
ancient hospital was situated and
Hippocrate used to teach medicins.
