Mykonos
via Naxos & Paros.
Sail a 14-day yacht charter from Mykonos through Naxos, Paros, Milos, Sifnos, Serifos, Kythnos, Kea, Andros, Tinos and Syros — the full central + western Cyclades grand tour.
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.
Mykonos (Tourlos Marina) → Naxos
22 nm south to Naxos. Town harbour well-protected; Portara marble doorway is the headline sunset. Optional Delos detour if start time allows arrival before 18:00.
Distance
21 NM
Sailing
~4.2h at 5 kn
Route at a glance
Route summary
Click any day to jump back to the map and see its photos, narrative, and mooring tip.
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.
Mykonos (Tourlos Marina) → Naxos
22 nm south to Naxos — the largest Cycladic island, fertile interior, mountains over 1000 m. Naxos town harbour is well-protected and stern-to is reliable. The Portara — a single marble doorway from the unfinished 6th-century BC Apollo temple — sits on the small islet at the harbour entrance and is the headline sunset spot. Optional Delos detour on the way south if start time allows.
Things to do
Sunset at the Portara marble doorway
Hike Mount Zas (Zeus birthplace, 4 h)
Kitro citron liqueur tasting at Halki
Swim Agios Prokopios Beach
Mooring tip
Stern-to in Naxos town harbour, €30-50/night. Well-protected from any wind direction. Plenty of slot capacity even in peak season.
Naxos → Paros (Parikia Harbor)
Short 6 nm hop west across the Naxos-Paros channel. Parikia is the larger of the two Paros harbours and the easier mooring; Naoussa on the north coast is the photogenic alternative. Day-anchor at Antiparos east coast for a swim before mooring. The shallow channel between Paros and Antiparos is one of the prettier swim spots in the central Cyclades.
Things to do
Visit the 4th-century Ekatontapiliani church
Anchor swim in the Paros-Antiparos channel
Wine tasting at a Marpissa vineyard
Walk Lefkes village marble paths at dusk
Mooring tip
Stern-to in Parikia harbour, €30-50/night, easier than Naoussa. Naoussa is the photogenic alternative; expect to compete for slot.
Paros → Milos (Adamantas Port)
38 nm long beam-reach southwest to Milos — full-day passage in standard Meltemi. The long Milos inlet provides one of the most sheltered overnights in the western Cyclades; once inside Adamas Bay the wind drops away from any direction. Sarakiniko on the way past is the unmissable swim stop, but the anchorage is exposed and only viable in calm wind.
Things to do
Swim stop at lunar Sarakiniko cliffs
Snorkel Papafragas sea caves
Visit Plaka Castle for the panorama
Klima fishermen syrmata photo walk
Mooring tip
Stern-to in Adamas town quay, €30-50/night. Excellent shelter in any wind direction. Pollonia northeast is cheaper but exposed in N Meltemi.
Milos → Sifnos (Kamares Harbor)
18 nm short hop north to Sifnos. Kamares Bay on the west coast is the obvious overnight — sheltered from N and NE but opens to W. In late summer when Meltemi has a westerly component, swell rolls in and the bay can become unsettled; switch to Vathi on the south coast. Sifnos is the gastronomy island of the Cyclades.
Things to do
Walk to cliffside Chrysopigi monastery at Faros
Mastelo lamb in clay pots at Artemonas
Pottery workshop visit in Vathy
Swim Vathi Bay (south coast, calmest)
Mooring tip
Anchor on sand at 5-8 m in Kamares Bay or stern-to on the small quay (€20-30/night). Switch to Vathi (south coast, fully sheltered) when wind clocks west.
Sifnos → Serifos
14 nm short upwind hop north to Serifos. Livadi Bay on the south coast funnels the Meltemi but holds well on sand. Drag is the most common Serifos charter incident — set anchor with long scope, dive to verify, stay aboard for the first hour after mooring. Chora above the harbour is one of the most photogenic Cycladic villages and a 30-minute donkey-path climb.
Things to do
Walk the donkey path up to Chora
Revithada chickpea stew in a kafeneio
Swim Psili Ammos beach (south coast)
Sunset at the windmills above Chora
Mooring tip
Anchor in Livadi Bay on sand at 5-8 m, long scope mandatory. Stern-to on town quay, €20-30/night. Drag risk above 22 kn — dive the anchor before going ashore.
Serifos → Serifos
Lay-day on Serifos. Day-anchor at Vagia Beach (north coast, sheltered from S) or Psili Ammos (south coast, sheltered from N) for swim. Hike from Livadi up to Chora via the old donkey path (40 minutes one way) and back via the road. Lunch at a hilltop kafeneio in Chora; the views back across the south coast are some of the best in the western Cyclades.
Things to do
Day-anchor swim at Vagia Beach (north coast)
Donkey-path hike Livadi to Chora
Mega Livadi abandoned mines walk
Sunset on the Chora windmills hillside
Mooring tip
Stay anchored in Livadi or move day-anchor to Vagia/Psili Ammos. Overnight back at Livadi. Long scope mandatory in any anchorage.
Serifos → Kythnos (Merichas Port)
15 nm north to Kythnos. Merichas is the small ferry port on the west coast and the easier mooring than Loutra in build wind. Day-anchor at Apokrousi cove for lunch (sheltered from N). The Kolona double-bay sandbar 6 nm further north is the headline anchorage of the island and worth the detour if time and wind allow — boat-only access, sheltered from N by the islet.
Things to do
Day-anchor lunch at Apokrousi cove
Anchor swim at the Kolona sandbar (detour)
Soak in Loutra hot springs (taxi)
Sfougato cheese pie at a Driopida taverna
Mooring tip
Stern-to in Merichas town quay, €20-30/night. Sheltered from N Meltemi. Loutra (north coast) is the alternative for thermal springs.
Kythnos → Kea (Korissia/Vourkari)
15 nm north to Kea. Vourkari Bay on the northwest of the island is the better-protected overnight (stern-to lazy lines, €25-35/night); Korissia is the larger free quay alternative when winds stay below 18 knots. Plan to be moored before 16:00 — afternoon swell builds at Korissia entrance once Meltemi exceeds 20 knots.
Things to do
Walk to the 6th-century BC Stone Lion of Kea
Snorkel the Patris steamship wreck off Koundouros
Octopus carpaccio at a Vourkari ouzeri
Walk Ioulida marble streets at dusk
Mooring tip
Stern-to in Vourkari with lazy lines, €25-35/night. Korissia town quay free but exposed in N Meltemi above 18 kn.
Kea → Andros (Batsi Port)
32 nm east-northeast to Andros — long beam-reach leg in standard Meltemi. Batsi on the southwest coast is the small charter port; Gavrio further north is the larger harbour with more capacity. Andros has surface water unique in the Cyclades — streams, waterfalls and stone bridges in the inland villages, accessible by car or hike.
Things to do
Hike to Pithara waterfalls (inland)
Walk Chora marble paths and contemporary art museum
Froutalia herb omelette at a kafeneio
Swim Achla Beach (north coast, river estuary)
Mooring tip
Stern-to in Batsi harbour, €25-40/night, sheltered from N. Gavrio is the larger alternative, well-protected from any direction.
Andros → Tinos
20 nm southeast to Tinos. The Andros-Tinos channel funnels the Meltemi but the leg is short. Tinos new harbour stern-to has moderate sand holding; the inner small craft harbour is the calmer alternative when Meltemi exceeds 25 knots. Tinos is the marble-carving capital of the Aegean and the Greek Orthodox pilgrimage centre.
Things to do
Marble-carving workshop visit in Pyrgos
Walk the dovecote trail above Falatados
Artichoke à la polita lunch in a courtyard
Sunset at Volax granite-boulder field
Mooring tip
Stern-to in Tinos new harbour, €25-40/night. Holding moderate sand — set anchor with long scope. Inner craft harbour is calmer above 25 kn.
Tinos → Tinos
Lay-day on Tinos. Inland day — taxi or rental car to Pyrgos for the marble-carving workshops, lunch at a Falatados taverna, and back via Volax (granite-boulder field around the village). Surf or swim Kolymbithra Beach on the north coast. Sunset at Agios Fokas (south of Tinos town) for the panoramic sea-and-mountain framing.
Things to do
Marble workshops at Pyrgos village
Walk Volax granite-boulder field
Surf Kolymbithra Beach (north coast)
Sunset at Agios Fokas south of town
Mooring tip
Stay overnight in Tinos new harbour or inner craft harbour. Day-anchor at Kolymbithra (sheltered from S) or Agios Fokas for swim before re-mooring.
Tinos → Syros (Ermoupoli Port)
14 nm fast beam reach west to Syros — Tinos-Syros channel funnels the Meltemi, expect 5 knots extra. Ermoupoli town quay sits at the head of a deep harbour and is one of the most forgiving stern-to in the entire Cyclades. The capital climbs the slope above in pastel neoclassical layers.
Things to do
Climb Ano Syros for the Catholic quarter
Loukoumi tasting at a 19th-century confectionery
Walk Miaouli marble square at dusk
Swim the rock platforms at Asteria Beach
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Ermoupoli town quay (no fee, your own anchor). Excellent shelter in any direction. Manna marina €60-80/night if quay full.
Syros → Mykonos (Tourlos Marina)
22 nm east back to Mykonos. The leg passes south of Delos — day-anchor possible for a 3-4 hour UNESCO visit (closes sundown). Tourlos New Marina arrival by 17:00 for handover-prep evening. Pre-book the slot online in peak season. Last evening dinner in Little Venice on Mykonos main town waterfront.
Things to do
Day-anchor at Delos archaeological site
Walk the Apollo sanctuary and lion terrace
Last-evening dinner in Little Venice
Sunset at Scorpios beach club
Mooring tip
Stern-to in Tourlos New Marina, €70-110/night peak. Pre-book online. Mykonos town quay only safe under 18 kn N.
Mykonos → Check-out
Handover at Tourlos before 09:00. Inspection with the skipper present — deposit released within 7 days. Mykonos airport (JMK) is 10 minutes by road from Tourlos. Photo evidence of any noted damage before signing. Plan to final inspection with the base manager and last swim at Agios Stefanos beach.
Things to do
Final inspection with the base manager
Last swim at Agios Stefanos beach
Coffee at a Mykonos town café
Airport transfer (10 min from Tourlos)
Mooring tip
Hand over at Tourlos before 09:00. Deposit released within 7 days post-inspection. Photo evidence of any noted damage before signing.
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