athens-saronic-gulf
Route · 7 days · round-tripYacht charter route · Cyclades

Athens via Saronic gulf.

Round-trip yacht charter from Athens through the Saronic Gulf: Aegina, Poros, Spetses, Hydra and Agistri. Short hops, sheltered water, easy mooring.

The route

Day-by-day route

Click any pin on the map or any day in the route summary below to see that day's stop, story and photos.

Aegina
Day 1

Athens (Alimos) → Aegina

An easy fifteen-mile run southwest from Alimos gets the crew settled, with Aegina's pistachio stalls and the Aphaia temple waiting at the far end.

Distance

16 NM

Sailing

~3.2h at 5 kn

At a glance

Route at a glance

Best season

May – mid-October (peak Jun – Sep, meltemi Jul – Aug)

Duration

7 days

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, mooring notes and things to do for every leg of the week — the map follows along as you scroll.

Day 1 / 7
Aegina
1
Day 1

Athens (Alimos) → Aegina

First day out is really about bedding in — stowing the provisions, finding where the winch handles live, getting a feel for the boat before anything demanding. Alimos to Aegina is a gentle fifteen miles, and the Saronic hands you sheltered water from the start; the surrounding islands and the Peloponnese keep the fetch down, so even a brisk afternoon breeze rarely builds a real sea. Aegina town sits on the west coast, and you moor stern-to along the quay right in front of the cafes. Grab pistachios from the harbour stalls; the island grows the best in Greece. If you have an afternoon spare, a short taxi ride climbs to the Temple of Aphaia, older than the Parthenon and worth the detour. We usually eat late here, gourounopoulo off the spit.

Things to do

Climb to the Temple of Aphaia

Buy Aegina pistachios at the quay stalls

Swim at Marathonas beach south of town

Try gourounopoulo at a waterfront taverna

See the lone column at Kolona

Mooring tip

The town quay is stern-to and holds well, but it fills with day-trippers' boats and the ferry wash rolls through; if you want calm, Perdika on the south coast is quieter for the night. Reckon on 25-40 euros for the town berth.

Poros
2
Day 2

Aegina → Poros

Poros is a short leg, so there's no rush; we tend to leave Aegina mid-morning and take our time. The approach is one of the prettier ones in the gulf, threading the channel between the island and Galatas on the Peloponnese, close enough to wave at people on the quay. Before you tie up, drop anchor at Love Bay on the south side. Pines run right down to the water, the bottom is sand at five to seven metres, and it holds fine in a northerly. The town quay stretches along the whole waterfront under the clock tower, so finding a slot is rarely a problem. Evening plan: a plate of flaming saganaki and a walk up the stepped lanes for the view over the strait.

Things to do

Anchor and swim at Love Bay

Walk up to the Poros clock tower

Order flaming saganaki on the waterfront

Dinghy across to the Galatas lemon groves

Find the Temple of Poseidon ruins inland

Mooring tip

Stern-to anywhere along the town quay; it's well sheltered whatever the wind does, so slot pressure is low. At Love Bay drop the hook in five to seven metres of sand and you'll sit comfortably in a northerly.

Spetses
3
Day 3

Poros → Spetses

Longest hop so far, and the one where the breeze usually earns its keep; the afternoon sea wind fills in from the south, so an earlier start pays off if you want to sail rather than motor. Spetses keeps cars out of the old town, and the result is a place that runs on horse carriages and bicycles. Dapia is the main harbour and the social heart, lined with cafes and the grand old Poseidonion hotel. Walk round to the Old Harbour at Baltiza, where craftsmen still build wooden caiques the traditional way and the pirate-styled bars come alive at sunset. If the sun's high when you arrive, anchor first at Zogeria on the north coast, all pine and clear sand, and swim before you commit to a berth.

Things to do

Watch caique builders at the Old Harbour

Anchor and swim at Zogeria bay

Cycle the coast road to Agioi Anargyroi

Sunset drinks at the Baltiza bars

See Bouboulina's mansion near Dapia

Mooring tip

Dapia can get chaotic in high season and the berths angle awkwardly, so arrive by mid-afternoon and expect a lively night; the smaller Old Harbour is calmer and far more photogenic if you don't mind the dinghy walk into town. Around 30-50 euros a night.

Hydra
4
Day 4

Spetses → Hydra

Hydra is the showpiece of the Saronic and it knows it, so the harbour is the one genuine scramble of the week. There are no cars anywhere on the island; donkeys and mules haul everything up the stepped lanes to the grey-stone captains' houses stacked above the water. The catch is berths. Slots along the quay go fast, and if you roll in after three you may find nothing left. We aim to be tied up by two, or else drop anchor in Mandraki a mile east and run the crew in by tender. Once you're settled, the town rewards a wander with no plan at all. Climb past the cannons at the harbour mouth, find the Spilia rocks for a swim and a cold drink, and let the evening happen.

Things to do

Swim off the Spilia rocks below town

Wander the stone lanes above the harbour

Walk west to Kamini and Vlychos beach

Hike up to Profitis Ilias monastery

Drink at Hydronetta on the cliff rocks

Mooring tip

The main quay is stern-to and coveted; get in by early afternoon in July and August or you'll be hunting. If it's full, Mandraki Bay a mile to the east has good holding in six to eight metres of sand and a short tender hop into town. Roughly 30-50 euros for a berth.

Aegina
5
Day 5

Hydra → Aegina

Twenty-five miles makes this the biggest passage of the trip, so we get the anchor up early and use the flat morning water before the breeze wakes. It's a straight enough run north, and by early afternoon you're back off Aegina. Rather than fight for the town quay a second time, aim for Perdika on the southern tip. It's a working fishing village with a row of tavernas along the water and none of the ferry commotion. On the way in, Marathonas beach is an easy anchor for a last swim before you moor. Perdika does simple, honest food well, straight-off-the-boat fish and a carafe of local white. Across the water sits little Moni, an islet reserve where deer and peacocks wander; worth a dinghy poke if there's light left.

Things to do

Eat fresh fish on the Perdika quay

Swim at Marathonas beach on the way in

Dinghy over to Moni islet's deer reserve

Visit the Agios Nektarios monastery

Watch the sunset from the harbour wall

Mooring tip

Perdika is stern-to on a small, sheltered quay and calmer than Aegina town, usually 20-30 euros a night; it's popular for dinner so an early-afternoon arrival secures a spot. Marathonas offers a clean sand anchor at five metres for the swim stop.

Agistri
6
Day 6

Aegina → Agistri

After the crowds of Hydra and Spetses, Agistri feels like the gulf let you in on a secret. It's a five-mile stroll from Aegina, barely enough to trim the sails, so there's no reason to hurry off. The island is small and thick with pine, and the pace drops the moment you arrive. Start at Aponissos on the southwest corner, a shallow turquoise cut behind a tiny islet where the bottom is pale sand and the water goes see-through. Skala on the east side is where you'll spend the night, a modest harbour with family tavernas a few steps from the quay. Order the lobster spaghetti if it's on. With the afternoon free, rent bikes and loop through the cypress woods, or walk the short climb up to old Metochi village for the view back over Aegina.

Things to do

Anchor and swim at Aponissos cove

Cycle the pine-and-cypress island loop

Eat lobster spaghetti at a Skala taverna

Walk up to Metochi hill village

Find the wild Chalikiada pebble beach

Mooring tip

Skala harbour is small and stern-to, sheltered from the north and cheap at 20-30 euros; it doesn't take many boats, so don't leave it too late in peak weeks. Aponissos is a straightforward day anchor on sand in four to six metres.

Athens
7
Day 7

Agistri → Athens (Alimos)

Last day, and it's a straightforward twenty miles back up to Alimos. There's usually time for one more swim, so if the crew wants it, swing past Moni off Aegina and drop the hook in a quiet cove before pointing north. The important jobs are practical ones. Top up the fuel at the marina berth before you tie up, so the tanks are full for the handover and nobody's scrambling at check-in. Most bases want the boat back by early afternoon, so build the morning around that rather than a leisurely brunch. Once you're secured, Glyfada is a short taxi away for a proper farewell dinner, and the Faliro promenade is good for a last stroll and a souvenir before the transfers pull everyone in different directions.

Things to do

Last swim off uninhabited Moni islet

Refuel and rinse down at Alimos

Farewell dinner at a Glyfada taverna

Stroll the Faliro seafront promenade

Mooring tip

Alimos is a big lazy-line marina, stern-to at 70-100 euros a night; take the fuel berth by the entrance first and confirm your handover time a day ahead so the slot's ready. Aim to be alongside by early afternoon.

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