7 days of luxury on the water during your yacht trip to South Peloponnese
Spend the week with the family on a luxury yacht trip, cruising back through time to the most historic locations in the Saronic and the southwestern Peloponnese! Your introduction to Greece’s culture and history takes you to elegant Hydra and Spetses, medieval Monemvasia, the world renowned beaches of Elafonisos and to rustic Kythira. This laid-back tour will inspire families and friends looking for an alternative and cosmopolitan holiday near Athens.
- Ideal choice for families
- Discover low-key destinations
- Fuel included in the price
- Travel by yacht and see the sights from the water
- Private tour is operated with just your party and the captain
What you need to know
- Capacity: Up to 10 people
- Yacht type: Motor yacht
- Departs from: Athens
- Duration: 8 days, accommodation for 7 nights
- Nearest airport: ATH – Athens, El Venizelos – Greece
Your family only needs 7 days to explore thousands of years of Greek history and culture. This tour will help you understand the civilizations that left their mark on the islands and mainland south of Athens.
First destination – Hydra
Setting off from Southern Athens at 5:00p.m., your first destination is the island of Hydra. Inhabited since the Neolithic times, the island became an important 18th century maritime centre. The 30s found Hydra attracting artists and authors from Greece and around the world. These visitors established its modern day character as an island of the Arts. The island’s beautiful, car-free port is its main community, and the home of the National Historical Museum and the Archives Museum. A number of art and culture festivals take place there each summer. Dining and entertainment options mirror the island’s character – you can have your pick, from unembellished Greek taverns to elegant restaurants. Spend the first two nights in Hydra to have time to visit every site.
Second destination – Spetses
On the third day, you will head for Spetses. Mirroring Hydra’s 18th century shipping and trade history, the island has turned into a favourite destination for the yachting jet set. Private automobiles are prohibited. Pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages use the long and quiet promenade along the port. Swim along the promenade. After sunset, you can go for a movie at one of the two summer cinemas (movies are never dubbed).
Spetses’ restored merchant villas are tucked away into the maze of streets. To take a look inside, visit the Museum of Spetses. It’s in a late-1700s wealthy shipowner’s mansion. Spetses’ Bouboulina Museum is dedicated to Greece’s female admiral Laskarina Bouboulina, who played an important role in Greek independence. Overnight in Spetses.
Further south, your captain will take the family to Monemvasia, the town-fortress hidden away on an island off the Peloponnese coast. Crossing through the entrance of the city’s stone wall, you might as well be back in 583 A.D. the time of the town’s first tumultuous steps through history. It used to be an important trade and maritime centre, pirate lair, and valuable prize for the Venetians, Byzantines and Turks. Monemvasia is as accessible yet far away from modern civilization as a European city can get! Overnight in Monemvasia.
Third destination – Elafonisos
You’ll be swimming in a number of family-friendly beaches on the first leg of your tour, but your next waypoint of Elafonisos is truly special. The double beach of Simos and nearby Sarakiniko are famous, featuring golden sands and dunes up to 10 meters high. Panagias Nissia is also very popular, with indigenous juniper trees lining this large and Caribbeanesque beach. Just off the coast is the sunken Greek city of Pavlopetri that vanished beneath the waves in 1000 B.C.. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site today. It is also a potential candidate for the myhtical city of Atlantis. There’s nothing around you but sun, sand, and the area’s tiny port, where you’ll find rustic Greek taverns. Stay overnight in Elafonisos.
Fourth destination – Kythira
Your next stop is Kythira, the birthplace of Aphrodite. It’s also been at the crossroads of Mediterranean civilizations since as far back as 6,000 B.C.. Situated between the Ionian and the Cyclades, Kythira is one of the Homeric islands which Odysseus visited on his voyage. Greek, Venetian, Ottoman, French and British cultures all left their cultural and architectural mark in Kythira. So, though part of the Ionian islands, its fusion character is distinct from the Ionian and Cyclades islands.
The island’s fishing village of Kapsali is your first port of call. The walk up to Kythira lies in the shadow of the 13th century Venetian era castle. From the castle, you’ll get a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean. You can hide away in tiny Avlemonas or cruise to beautiful Kaladi or Diakofti. Near Diakofti, take the family for an organized tour of Chousti Cave. This cave was important during the Classical and Roman times as it was dedicated to the goddess Venus. Spend the night in Kythira.
Fifth destination – Sounio
The following morning you’ll start doubling back toward Sounio, stopping at Ermioni for a refreshing swim and lunch in its main port, an attractive spot filled with little shops and traditional tavernas. In the afternoon you’ll head for Sounio, where you will have the chance to witness the most beautiful sunset you can imagine, with the breathtaking and ancient Temple of Poseidon as your background. The temple has been a landmark for mariners for aeons. Overnight in Sounio.
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