Aegean adventure sailing cruises in the Greek islands

This 'Aegean Adventure Sailing Cruise', is the premier sailing vacation in Greece. It captures all the history, beauty and flavours of Greece and is aimed at anyone who wants to experience the best of the Greek islands aboard a sailing yacht, to join in with the life aboard ship, to taste the cultural and historical flavours of the country and to visit the most sought after archaeological sites.

The programme has developed a great reputation for four unique reasons:
1) The variety of islands is diverse. The two week programme is the boldest itinerary in the industry. It follows fascinating historic trade routes and a gastronomic circuit for all tastes.
2) The professional service is the highest level available in Greece. Our international staff are certified, knowledgeable on Greek waters and history as well as trained in the service industry.
3) The quality of the boats used and equipment sets a standard unparalleled in Greece.
4) The ‘hands on’ character of the tour, where ‘guests are the crew’, allows experienced sailors to feel right at home and offers novice sailors a great experience to learn and practice. Guests can participate as much or as little as they would like as the yachts are crewed.

CABIN OR FLOTILLA BOAT OPTIONS:

Guests have two cruising options to choose from: They can reserve a ‘cabin’ with 2 light meals and beverages per day aboard a skippered flotilla ‘lead’ vessel. Or guests can book their own ‘flotilla yacht’ and sail themselves with a group of boats. Flotillas allow trouble free sailing as they are guided by our knowledgeable staff. Flotilla yachts range from 36ft to 60ft. Please contact our office to find out more about both options.

Itinerary

The two-week 'Odyssey Cruise' covers the most complete itinerary in the Greek sailing industry! It is roughly 360 miles round trip and is a challenging sailing adventure taking in the most important archaeological, mythological and historical islands in the Saronic Gulf and central Aegean sea.

Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive at Marina 17:00. Dinner briefing & sleep over
Day 2 Athens to Aegina, (Temple of Aphaia) then Poros
Day 3 Poros to Spathi for lunch then onto to Hydra
Day 4 Second night in Hydra - possibility of 'Pirate Night' or BBQ at a beach (seasonal).
Day 5 Hydra to Adamas Port Milos
Day 6 Explore island by rental car in AM, weather permitting sail to Kleftiko, swim in caves & dine under stars.
Day 7 Milos to Ios passage
Day 8 Ios to Santorini by ferry. Stay in apart. & visit sites
Day 9 2 day excursion in Santorini.
Day 10 Ios to Tagania for lunch then onto Paros
Day 11 Paros to Mykonos
Day 12 Mykonos to Delos return (by yacht or ferry) to see ruins.
Day 13 Mykonos to Kea (hike to 600 BC Lion)
Day 14 Kea to Cape Sounion, lunch and swim under the Temple of Poseidon.
Day 15 Farewell at Athens at 09:00

Click here to read a detailed daily program.

7-night tour guests disembark or embark at Ios on Ios on morning 8 or 15 respectively. 10-night tour guest disembark at Paros on morning 11. 7-night and 10-night tours may vary from the above itinerary, as they may be round trip Athens-Athens

Yachts

Yachts used on these cruises are the best maintained in Greece. Most Archaeological Adventure Cruises & Flotillas are led aboard the luxury Atlantic 65 foot sloops ‘Margarita’ and ‘Dream’ , for groups of 8–9 guests. The Atlantic 65’s are 61 feet on deck but offer almost 70 feet overall with the bow sprit and afterdeck platform extensions. These are the biggest charter boats ever made in Greece. The amount of cabin, berth and head (washroom) space is impressive.

This superb Atlantic 65 Sloop has been chosen to serve on its Archaeological Adventure Cruise.

The yachts feature four identical double bed staterooms, one ‘singles’ forward bunk berth cabin all with private washroom facilities and an aft skipper cabin. Headroom in the cabins is 6’4”. Washrooms feature marble/granite countertops and stainless steel fixtures with 30–PSI water pressure. A 16.5–foot wide beam allows for a fully equipped galley including 2 refrigerators, a microwave and double sink. The saloons have a large dining area including a table with surround couch, storage cabinets, oil paintings and 6’9” headroom. To one side of the open saloon / galley layout is a well–equipped navigation station complete with a full range of navigational equipment and a large chart table with electrical outlets. The spacious topside cockpits have external refrigerators and weather resistant sound systems. The yachts are equipped with a generator with 220–volt output, Bimini (shade awning) and spray hood. These 32–ton sloops have a cutter rig with two forward furling sails and battened mainsails with ‘lazy–jack’ system – a total of 200 square meters of sail!

Smaller groups of 5–8 guests can be accommodated aboard similar but smaller yachts (40 to 51 foot yachts) with only 1 crew. These yachts are sporty, modern designed sloops built for comfort and easy sailing. Whether you are confirmed on a larger or the smaller Archaeological Adventure Cruise yacht we offer the same luxury equipment on the boats: Bimini, spray hood, CD stereo and private washrooms (larger yachts only). The only difference when reserved on a smaller boat is that there are fewer passengers. The tour remains the same. All yachts meet the safety standards required by Greek maritime law. Emergency life rafts, life jackets, harnesses, first–aid kits and the standard safety equipment for sailboats are part of all yacht inventories. The cruise operators reserve the right to change the yacht for a larger or smaller model than originally stated without notice if the group bookings increase or decrease on certain departures.

Crew

Captains make a huge difference on any charter. For that reason carefully selected and trained Captains and Program Directors have been selected for exactly what the Archaeological Adventure Cruises & Flotillas Program requires.

On some of the two week cruises your guide is Steven Parry. Captain Parry is a 40 year old Royal Yachting Association certified skipper registered with the British Department of Transport who is also a member of the Canadian Power Squadron and a graduate of the J-World Sailing School. He is a certified PADI Divemaster and is trained in first–aid. This will be his 15th year in the Greek islands and the ‘Archaeological Adventure Cruises & Flotillas Program’ is based on his experience in the region. Steven trained in archaeology with the Institute of Nautical Archaeology attending the University of Texas A&M Masters level course in marine archaeology. He also dived with the Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology on the oldest shipwreck in the world at Dokos Island. Captain Parry is convinced that exploring the enchanting Greek waters by private yacht is one of the best vacation experiences possible.

Life on board

Two healthy meals are served aboard each day and consist of the following: Breakfast: coffee, tea, orange juice, fresh bread, cereal, yogurt, honey and fresh fruit. A hot breakfast may be prepared on some mornings. Generally breakfasts are self-serve and light as a result of the heat in Greece and are a great start to the day before heading out to sites or onto the water. Lunch – consists of salads: green, vegetable, tuna, chicken, egg, coleslaw, potato or pasta salads served with fresh bread, an assortment of cheeses as well as our famous Captain Stavros salad dressing. Also cold cuts, olives, capers, peppers, Greek dips (tzatziki, fish roe & egg plant salad) and fruit are served! Lunches are usually served in the shaded cockpit while anchored in secluded bays. Stops are often made for lunch, a swim and a snorkel. Beverages such as soft drinks, ice tea and bottled water are included and stowed on board. In the afternoon we also offer coffee or tea and sweets such as cookies to tide us over until dinner. The galley is always well stocked in the event of unforeseen meals. Guests are expected to help prepare, serve and clean up after meals. Guests are advised to bring aboard their own specialty and snack foods, alcohol, mixer drinks and ice. These items may be purchased at reasonable rates on all inhabited islands. Excessive alcohol consumption is not tolerated.

This is not a cruise ship holiday, it is a ‘hands on’ adventure where guests are invited to take part in all aspects of life aboard ship; partaking in raising sail, navigation, taking watches, practicing Med-Mooring, as well as helping prepare, serve and clean up the two light meals aboard each day. Group dynamics are exceptionally good but it is necessary to develop respect for fellow crewmates, Captains and Programme Directors. Guests are expected to be mindful of other guests, especially in early morning and night hours. The bars are ashore! This is an adventure group holiday not a fully crewed charter so voluntary participation is expected from the guests. Aboard the yachts there are toilets and showers with hot water, however, showers are also available on shore at some islands. Digital telephone service to call North America, 24–hour bank cash machines and laundry services are available on almost all islands.

It is important to note that the 'Aegean Adventure Cruises and Flotillas' are not guided by an archaeologist and there are no lectures given aboard. The itinerary is designed to offer some of the most important archaeological, mythological and historical islands but guests are advised to explore them with guide book in hand. The captains are well trained sailors and have a good knowledge of modern and ancient Greece but are not government trained guides. It is also important to note that the 'Aegean Adventure Cruises' are not privately booked tours. They are ‘individual, group 'by the cabin' tours where groups who know each other cannot dictate the size of yachts or the number of guests aboard. Generally the departures are one yacht but often two and sometimes there are as many as four yachts on a departure. Customised itineraries and bareboats with captain can be arranged for groups wanting their own private yacht and itinerary.