Lavrion
via Milos & Sifnos.
Catamaran charter Greece — 14-day Lavrion, Milos & Sifnos western Cyclades route. Volcanic coves at Sarakiniko, Kleftiko, Kamares.
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.
Lavrion → Kea (Korissia Harbor)
Cast off from Lavrion and ease across the channel to Kea — about 20 nm with the Meltemi astern. Vourkari Bay, sheltered and lined with seafood tavernas, is the natural first overnight before heading deeper west.
Distance
15 NM
Sailing
~3h at 5 kn
Route at a glance
Best season
May – October
Duration
14 days · Sat – Sat
Departure
Lavrion
Sailing area
Cyclades
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.
Lavrion → Kea (Korissia Harbor)
Say goodbye to the shipyard buzz of Lavrion and fly into Kea's hug. Anchor in V ourkari Bay, a calm harbor with fishermen boats swinging next to elegant yachts. Dive the spooky WWII wreck Brittany at twilight, then eat octopus carpaccio at a seaside taverna; the air smells strongly of oregano and salt.
Things to do
Dive the Brittany WWII wreck at sunset
Hike to the 6th-century BC Stone Lion
Octopus carpaccio at a Vourkari ouzeri
Wander Ioulida marble alleys at dusk
Swim at Otzias before settling for the night
Mooring tip
Stern-to in Vourkari (lazy lines, small fee) — the most sheltered option in N–NE Meltemi. Korissia town quay is the free alternative but exposed to N swell when forecast shows above 18 kn.
Kea → Andros
Let the Meltemi winds bring you to Andros, a rough island with stone bridges and waterfalls. Trekkers the historic paths to Pithara Falls, then meander Chora's marble-paved streets wheremodern art galleries collide with medieval towers. Lunch? Dinner At a local kafeneio, froutalia—herb-flecked omelette—was cleaned down with raki.
Things to do
Hike the stone footpaths to Pithara Falls
Wander Chora marble-paved main street
Visit the Goulandris contemporary art museum
Lunch on froutalia herb omelette + raki
Swim Achla Beach freshwater spring
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Gavrio town quay (free, ferry wash heavy — moor away from the ferry berth) or Batsi quay (smaller, lazy lines). Both exposed to NW — drop anchor in Vitali Bay for a calm Meltemi night.
Andros → Tinos
Sail to Tinos where workmanship meets spirituality. Pilgrims crawl to the Panagia Evangelistria, but Pyrgos village has marble marvels to hunt. Lunch on artichokes à la polita in a courtyard surrounded by bougainvillea, then lose yourself in the labyrinth of V olax, its terrain strewn with enormous granite rocks.
Things to do
Visit Panagia Evangelistria pilgrimage church
Explore Pyrgos marble-carving village
Hike the Volax granite-boulder field
Lunch on artichokes à la polita
Wine tasting at a Falatados vineyard
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Tinos town quay (lazy lines, marina office assigns slot via VHF 09). Excellent shelter from N. Avoid the ferry quay — wash is brutal in season.
Tinos → Donousa
Go to the little gem in the Small Cyclades, Donousa. Drop anchor on the crescent of beach lapped by blue waves at Kedros Beach. Trek to the hidden only known Stone Village of Kalotaritissa or dive in the Cave of the Wall. Dine naked at a beach shack on grilled gouna, sun-dried mackerel.
Things to do
Anchor swim at Kedros Beach turquoise cove
Hike to the Stone Village of Mersini
Snorkel the Cave of the Wall (Fokospilia)
Dinner of grilled gouna at a beach shack
Star-gaze with no light pollution
Mooring tip
Anchor at Kedros (6–8 m sand, good holding) or Stavros bay near the village. Both open to N — only viable in light Meltemi. If forecast above 20 kn, skip Donousa and continue to Naxos for shelter.
Donousa → Amorgos
Rising sharply, Amorgos has Monastery of Hozoviotissa topped over its rocks. Climbing the three hundred steps to this whitewashed wonder, hang to the rocks like a seabird. Under a sky ablaze with stars, dive the crystal waters close to the Olympia shipwreck then celebrate the day with a psimeni raki (honey-spiced spirit).
Things to do
Climb the steps to Hozoviotissa monastery
Free-dive the Olympia (Big Blue) wreck
Walk Chora hilltop windmill row
Sundowner with psimeni raki on deck
Swim Mouros Beach below the cliffs
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Katapola town quay (free, lazy lines on inner side). Sheltered from Meltemi but ferry traffic until 22:00. Anchor in Aegiali Bay (10–12 m sand) for the calmer alternative.
Amorgos → Koufonissi
Sail to Koufonissi, where time moves at the trot of a donkey. Boat to the uninhabited coves of Kato Koufonissi or swim at Pori Beach, a sugar-white stretch surrounded by dunes. At a harborside taverna, feast on astakomakaronada (lobster pasta), the catch pulled early that morning.
Things to do
Swim Pori Beach sugar-sand crescent
Dinghy across to uninhabited Kato Koufonissi
Walk the cliff path to Italida cove
Astakomakaronada (lobster pasta) at the harbour
Sunset cocktail at Sorokos rock-cut bar
Mooring tip
Stern-to on the small town quay (free, fills by 13:00 — drop crew, then circle for a slot). Anchor in Pori Bay (5–7 m sand) for total quiet but exposed to N — re-tie before nightfall if Meltemi rises.
Koufonissi → Schoinousa
Anchor in Schoinousa's slumbering harbor, where people are few compared to goats. Claim Tsigouri Beach as your own; the waters there have a blues gradient; alternatively, climb to the mountaintop Church of Panagia for 360° Aegean vistas. Dinner is Simple perfection: under a tamarisk tree tomato keftedes with a carafe of house wine.
Things to do
Anchor swim at Tsigouri Beach blue gradient
Walk to the hilltop Church of Panagia
Tomato keftedes at a tamarisk-shaded taverna
Snorkel the reefs off Lioliou cove
Dinghy to Fykio for an empty-cove picnic
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Mersini quay (free, only 4–5 slots) or anchor in the bay (5–8 m sand). Open to S — fine in summer Meltemi but uncomfortable if forecast shows southerly swell.
Schoinousa → Irakleia
Find Irakleia, the best-kept secret among the Small Cyclades. Trekking through olive trees to the ancient ruins of Kastro, snorkel the glittering depths of Blue Cave. If you're lucky, join neighbors for a panigiri (festival) at night and dance to fiddle tunes under strings of lights.
Things to do
Hike through olive groves to Kastro ruins
Snorkel the Blue Cave entrance
Walk to the Cave of Saint John
Join a panigiri festival if dates align
Beach lunch at empty Alimia cove
Mooring tip
Anchor in Agios Georgios bay (8–10 m sand, well sheltered). Limited stern-to space on the small quay — locals get priority. Free anchorage is the calmer option in any weather.
Irakleia → Folegandros
Sail west to Folegandros, where Chora's town on the cliff defies gravity. Wander car-free alleys to secret chapels, then negotiate the cliff route to Panagia church—the reward? Views all the way to Sicily. Eat on matsata, hand-cut pasta, with wild goat ragù; the sea breeze is the only background music.
Things to do
Hike up to Chora cliff-top old town
Climb to Panagia church for sunset views
Dinner of matsata pasta with goat ragù
Swim Agali Beach turquoise crescent
Boat-trip to Katergo Beach (no road access)
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Karavostasi town quay (free, lazy lines on inner side). Wash from incoming ferries — secure a long stern line. Anchor in Vardia Bay (8 m sand) for a quieter overnight.
Folegandros → Milos (Port Adamantas)
Twenty-two nautical miles south-southwest onto Milos — volcanic island with the most geologically dramatic coastline in the Cyclades. Adamantas, the main port, sits inside one of the largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean — a flooded volcanic caldera that gives all-weather shelter no matter what the Meltemi does outside. Stern-to on the town quay (lazy lines, fees apply) by mid-afternoon; in August call port police on VHF 12 from 30 minutes out, and fall back to Pollonia or Klima anchorages if the quay is full. Plan two nights here — Kleftiko sea caves on the south coast are a 90-minute tender or RIB run and the headline of any Milos charter, the white pumice arches and chambers that smugglers used for centuries to hide loot from the Ottoman authorities. Sarakiniko on the north coast is the moonscape walk, white volcanic rock eroded into ridges and pools. Klima village on the west is the row of rainbow-painted syrmata — fishermen's boat-house garages from the 19th century. Sundowner at Plaka castle.
Things to do
Tender or RIB tour to Kleftiko sea caves
Walk the Sarakiniko lunar landscape
Snorkel Papafragas sea caverns
Sunset at Plaka castle viewpoint
Photograph the Klima rainbow syrmata
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Adamantas town quay (lazy lines, fees apply). Fills early in August — call port police on VHF 12 from 30 min out. Pollonia and Klima are anchorage alternatives if quay is full.
Milos → Sifnos (Vathi or Kamares)
Sif Nos calls with gastronomic enchantment. Dock in Vathi, a fjord-like harbor bordered by salt flats, sometimes known as Kamares' golden arc of sand. Trek to the Chrysopigi Monastery; afterward, in Artemonas village, eat mastelo (clay-pot lamb). You should not miss: A pottery workshop; Greek tables for millennia have been fashioned from Sifnos' clay.
Things to do
Hike the cliff path to Chrysopigi Monastery
Mastelo clay-pot lamb in Artemonas
Pottery-studio visit in Kamares
Swim Vathy Bay turquoise shallows
Save room for revithokeftedes (chickpea balls)
Mooring tip
Vathy on the south-west coast is the calmest in Meltemi (anchor in 5–7 m sand or stern-to small quay). Kamares quay (lazy lines, small fee) is exposed when north winds push swell into the bay.
Sifnos → Kythnos (Merichas Harbor)
Go back to Kythnos, anchored in the laid-back harbor of Merichas. Swim at Kolona Beach, a sliver of sand separating twin bays, or soak in Loutra's thermal springs—a cure recommended by Byzantine emperor. At a dockside taverna, feast on sfougato (cheese pie), the stars so close you could pick them.
Things to do
Lunch swim at Kolona Beach sandbar
Wander Merihas waterfront tavernas
Soak in Loutra thermal springs (taxi or sail)
Cheese-pie dinner at a dockside taverna
Sundown swim off the boat at anchor
Mooring tip
Stern-to on Merihas town quay (free, lazy lines on inner wall). Holding poor in W swell — drop anchor in Apokrousi Bay 1 nm north (8 m sand) if forecast goes bad.
Kythnos → Lavrion
Sail north, dolphins chasing your bow, and Lavrion's shadow shows up. Stop at Cape Sounion for a last plunge under Poseidon's temple; the dying light has bronzed her columns. Now planning your next escapade, celebrate your voyage with ouzo and salted stories back in port.
Things to do
Last swim at Cape Sounion below the temple
Photograph Poseidon's columns from the water
Refuel at Lavrion fuel dock
Pack swim kit and sort gear at anchor
Farewell ouzo and meze on the marina quay
Mooring tip
Lavrion Olympic Marina, lazy lines on assigned berth — call marina office on VHF 09 from 30 min out. Hand-back briefing at 18:00 Friday; sleep aboard, disembark Saturday by 09:00.
Lavrion → Lavrion
Final morning at Lavrion Olympic Marina — the technical hand-back is straightforward when fuel and clean-time were sorted at the Friday 18:00 briefing. Boat back by 09:00 Saturday for the marineros' inspection, papers signed at reception. Lavrion was Athens' silver-mining port in the 5th century BC — the wealth that paid for the Athenian fleet at Salamis came out of these hills, and the open-air museum 3 km west of the marina preserves a stretch of the original ancient washing tables. The marina kafeneio does Greek coffee and koulouri sesame ring breakfast on the quay; pick up a Cycladic souvenir from the little shop near the gate on the way out — the local marble miniatures are the right scale for hand luggage. Athens International Airport (ATH) is 50 minutes by KTEL bus or private taxi from the marina gate; book the transfer the evening before in August peak. Disembark with sandy sandals, a heart full of pumice-white sea caves, and the long memory of a Cyclades wind on the beam.
Things to do
Greek coffee at a marina kafeneio
Final crew photo on the bow
Pick up Cycladic souvenirs in town
Transfer to Athens airport (~50 min)
Toast the trip before disembarking
Mooring tip
Lavrion Olympic Marina hand-back complete by 09:00. KTEL bus and private taxis run direct to Athens International Airport — book a transfer the evening before in August peak.
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