Europe Yachts
— Route · 14 days · one-way
Yacht charter route · Cyclades

Athens
via Saronic gulf (14 day).

Sail a 14-day yacht charter from Athens through the Saronic and the Argolic Gulf to Monemvasia and back via Hydra. Mainland Peloponnese cruising for archaeology + quiet anchorages.

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The route

Day-by-day route

Click any pin on the map or any day in the Route summary below to see the daily stop, narrative, and photos.

Poros
Day 1

Athens (Alimos) → Poros

28 nm shake-down SW to Poros. Long first day in sheltered Saronic water. Town quay overnight; day-anchor at Love Bay before mooring. Stern-to in Poros town quay, €25-40/night. Plan to anchor swim at Love Bay (south coast) and walk to the Temple of Poseidon ruins.

Distance

27 NM

Sailing

~5.4h at 5 kn

— At a glance

Route at a glance

Best season
May – mid-October (peak Jun – Sep, meltemi Jul – Aug)
Duration
14 days · Sat – Sat
Departure
Athens
Sailing area
Cyclades

Route summary

Click any day to jump back to the map and see its photos, narrative, and mooring tip.

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The full story

Day-by-day journey

Named anchorages, restaurants, and route notes for every leg of the week — written by sailors who've actually run this passage.

Day 1 / 14
Poros
1
Day 1

Athens (Alimos) → Poros

28 nm shake-down southwest from Alimos to Poros. Long first day in sheltered Saronic water. Stern-to on the long town quay along the Poros waterfront, €25-40/night. Day-anchor at Love Bay on the south coast for late-afternoon swim before mooring. Plan to anchor swim at Love Bay (south coast), walk to the Temple of Poseidon ruins, saganaki cheese flambéed at the waterfront.

Things to do

Anchor swim at Love Bay (south coast)

Walk to the Temple of Poseidon ruins

Saganaki cheese flambéed at the waterfront

Cycle the lemon-grove loop

Mooring tip

Stern-to in Poros town quay, €25-40/night. Sheltered from any direction.

Spetses
2
Day 2

Poros → Spetses

20 nm southwest to Spetses. Car-free old town with horse carriages and bicycles only. Dapia Old Harbour stern-to, €30-50/night. Day-anchor at Zogeria (north coast, sand 5-7 m) for swim before mooring. Stern-to in Dapia harbour, €30-50/night, sheltered from N. Plan to cycle the island perimeter road and sunset cocktails at Old Harbour pirate bars.

Things to do

Walk the car-free old town with horse carriages

Anchor swim at Zogeria (north coast)

Cycle the island perimeter road

Sunset cocktails at Old Harbour pirate bars

Mooring tip

Stern-to in Dapia harbour, €30-50/night, sheltered from N. Old Harbour smaller alternative for the photogenic 19th-c waterfront.

Kiparissi
3
Day 3

Spetses → Kiparissi

32 nm south to Kiparissi — small Peloponnese mainland fishing village in the Argolic Gulf, dramatic mountain backdrop, accessible only by sea or a long mountain road. Anchorage in the bay at the foot of the village, sand 5-7 m, sheltered from N. Few charter boats reach this far south — quietest anchorage of the entire route.

Things to do

Hike to the abandoned Vathy stone village

Snorkel the rocky shoreline north of village

Grilled red mullet at the quay taverna

Sunset behind the Parnon mountain ridge

Mooring tip

Free anchoring in Kiparissi bay on sand at 5-7 m. Sheltered from N. Limited shore facilities — provision before leaving Spetses.

Monemvasia
4
Day 4

Kiparissi → Monemvasia

20 nm south to Monemvasia — UNESCO-listed medieval rock-fortress town on a tidal islet connected to the mainland by a single causeway. Anchorage off the small port at Gefyra (the mainland-side modern town), sand 5-8 m, sheltered from N. Walk across the causeway to the medieval Lower Town (car-free, working population around 100); steep stairs up to the Upper Town for panoramic views.

Things to do

Walk car-free medieval Lower Town

Climb to the Upper Town for the panorama

Tasting Monemvasia (malvasia) wine

Photograph the rock at sunset from the causeway

Mooring tip

Anchor off Gefyra port on sand at 5-8 m. Sheltered from N. Small marina slots inside Gefyra for €30-40/night when wind builds.

Gerakas
5
Day 5

Monemvasia → Gerakas

12 nm south to Gerakas — the southernmost natural harbour in mainland Greece, a fjord-shaped inlet cut into the Cape Maleas peninsula. Sheltered from any direction. Sand bottom, holding excellent. Tiny year-round fishing community, two tavernas, single road to the Spartan-era Zarax cliffside ruins above the village.

Things to do

Hike to the Zarax cliffside ruins

Swim the inlet sand bottom

Grilled octopus at a quay taverna

Walk the olive-grove trail above the bay

Mooring tip

Free anchoring on sand 5-7 m, fully sheltered. Stern-to on the small village quay if available, €15-25/night.

Leonidio
6
Day 6

Gerakas → Leonidio

32 nm north to Leonidio — Peloponnese mainland port, red-cliff town wedged between the sea and a 600 m red sandstone wall. Citrus orchards, world-class climbing routes (Leonidio is a winter destination for European sport climbers). Plaka harbour at the foot of the cliff is the anchorage; small quay for stern-to.

Things to do

Hike Lousios River canyon

Visit Elonis monastery cliff path

Slow-cooked goat kleftiko at a courtyard

Walk the citrus orchards above the village

Mooring tip

Stern-to in Plaka harbour, €15-25/night. Sheltered from N. Anchor in the bay outside on sand at 5-7 m if quay full.

Sampatiki
7
Day 7

Leonidio → Sampatiki

15 nm north to Sampatiki — quiet mainland fishing inlet under a Venetian watchtower. Small pebble cove, two tavernas, no road from the major Peloponnese routes. Anchor on sand at 4-6 m, sheltered from N. The single best lay-day stop on the entire route.

Things to do

Snorkel the rocky shoreline below the watchtower

Hike up to the Venetian watchtower ruins

Pitaroudia chickpea fritters at a beach taverna

Read on deck under the cicadas

Mooring tip

Free anchoring on sand at 4-6 m, sheltered from N. No marina services — provision before arriving.

Nafplio
8
Day 8

Sampatiki → Nafplio

20 nm north to Nafplio — the first capital of modern Greece, Venetian fortress walls, Old Town pedestrian streets, the most photogenic port in the Peloponnese. Stern-to in the small marina under the Palamidi fortress walls, €30-50/night. Climb the 999 steps up to the fortress for the panoramic late-afternoon view.

Things to do

Climb the 999 steps to Palamidi fortress

Buy komboloi worry beads in the Old Town

Almond amygdalota pastries at a candle-lit café

Walk the seawall promenade at sunset

Mooring tip

Stern-to in Nafplio marina, €30-50/night. Sheltered from N. Town quay anchorage is not available — marina only for charter boats.

Dhokos
9
Day 9

Nafplio → Dhokos

32 nm east to Dhokos — uninhabited island between the Argolic peninsula and Hydra, famous for the Dhokos shipwreck (Bronze Age, 2200 BC, the oldest shipwreck in the world). The wreck is 15 m down — only certified divers. Skindahos Bay on the north coast is the anchorage; sand at 5-7 m, sheltered from S.

Things to do

Snorkel above the Bronze Age shipwreck site

Beachcomb the uninhabited shoreline

Picnic with feta and figs on deck

Walk the dry-stone walls inland

Mooring tip

Free anchoring in Skindahos Bay on sand at 5-7 m. Sheltered from S. No services — provision before arriving.

Hydra
10
Day 10

Dhokos → Hydra

8 nm east to Hydra. No cars on the island; donkeys carry luggage from harbour up to cliff-side village houses. Hydra harbour stern-to slot competition is fierce — arrive by 15:00 or anchor in Mandraki Bay 1 nm east. Cliff-cut Spilia Beach Bar above the harbour is the famous sunset stop.

Things to do

Walk the cliff-side stone alleys (no cars)

Drink at Spilia Beach Bar cliff cut-out

Swim Vlychos Beach (15 min walk west)

Hike to Profitis Ilias monastery

Mooring tip

Hydra harbour stern-to, €30-50/night, slot fills by 15:00. Anchor in Mandraki Bay 1 nm east on sand at 6-8 m if full. Sheltered from N.

Palaia
11
Day 11

Hydra → Palaia Epidavros

20 nm north to Palaia Epidavros — small Peloponnese mainland port, 4 km below the famous 4th-century BC Epidavros theatre (UNESCO). Day-anchor at the underwater Sunken City (Roman ruins under 2-3 m water, snorkel-accessible) before mooring on the town quay.

Things to do

Snorkel the underwater Sunken City

Taxi to the 4th-c BC Epidavros theatre

Lunch on ladenia tomato flatbread

Paddleboard at sunset off the quay

Mooring tip

Stern-to in Palaia Epidavros town quay, €15-25/night, sheltered from N. Sunken City for day-anchor on sand at 3-5 m.

Aegina
12
Day 12

Palaia Epidavros → Aegina

20 nm east to Aegina. Switch to Perdika village on the south coast for the quieter overnight (smaller harbour, family tavernas on the quay). Visit the Temple of Aphaia (5th-century BC) by taxi; the temple predates the Parthenon and is the second-best preserved Doric temple in Greece.

Things to do

Taxi to the Temple of Aphaia (5th-c BC)

Walk Perdika fishing-quay tavernas

Swim Marathonas Beach (sand)

Pistachio-crust baklava at a Perdika kafeneio

Mooring tip

Stern-to in Perdika harbour, €20-30/night. Aegina town quay alternative for the larger waterfront scene.

Athens
13
Day 13

Aegina → Athens (Alimos)

15 nm northeast back to Alimos. Optional swim stop at Agistri Skala Beach on the way. Refuel at Alimos before tying up. Standard 14:00 marina arrival for relaxed handover-prep afternoon. Confirm handover slot 24h ahead. Plan to crew dinner at a Glyfada taverna and souvenir-stop on Faliro promenade.

Things to do

Optional swim stop at Agistri Skala Beach

Refuel and clean the boat at Alimos

Crew dinner at a Glyfada taverna

Souvenir-stop on Faliro promenade

Mooring tip

Alimos Marina stern-to with lazy lines, €70-100/night. Refuel at the entrance fuel berth before mooring. Confirm handover slot 24h ahead.

Athens
14
Day 14

Aegina → Athens (Check Out)

Handover at Alimos before 09:00. Boat inspection with the skipper present — deposit released within 7 days. Crew transfer to Athens airport is 25 minutes by road; allow an hour in Friday traffic. Photo evidence of any noted damage before signing. Plan to final inspection with the base manager and coffee on the Glyfada promenade.

Things to do

Final inspection with the base manager

Coffee on the Glyfada promenade

Airport transfer (25 min from Alimos)

Tip the dock crew if service was good

Mooring tip

Hand over at Alimos before 09:00. Deposit released within 7 days post-inspection. Photo evidence of any noted damage before signing.

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