Catamaran CharterGreece
— Route · 14 days · one-way
Catamaran charter route · Cyclades

Paros
via Milos & Santorini.

Catamaran charter Greece — 14-day Paros, Milos, Santorini & Syros route. Two-week mix of west & central Cyclades with volcanic finale at Santorini.

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The route

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.

Naxos
Day 1

Paros → Naxos

Easy 8 nm hop ESE from Paros to Naxos — comfortable shake-down leg with the Meltemi astern. Largest marina in central Cyclades; book a Naxos berth ahead in season.

Distance

11 NM

Sailing

~2.2h at 5 kn

Route at a glance

Best season

May – early October (peak Jun & Sep)

Duration

14 days · Sat – Sat

Departure

Paros

Sailing area

Cyclades

Route summary

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The full story

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.

Day 1 / 14
Naxos
1
Day 1

Paros → Naxos

Starting in Paros and sailing to Naxos under the wary eye of the Portara, a marble doorway to Apollo's old temple, After eating kitro-glazed pork in a rural taverna, hike Mount Zas, the legendary birthplace of Zeus. Finish your swim under the moon in Agios Prokopios, where the beach glows like stardust.

Things to do

Photograph Portara at sunset

Hike Mount Zas summit trail

Lunch on kitro-glazed pork

Swim Agios Prokopios long sand

Wander old chora marble streets

Mooring tip

Naxos Marina (south of town) — lazy lines, fees, water/power available, busy in season. Reserve in advance. Town quay also possible but tight for catamarans.

Donoussa
2
Day 2

Naxos → Donoussa

Get away to Donoussa, a little treasure in the Small Cyclades. She is asleep. Anchor at Kedros Beach, hiking to Kalotaritissa's wildflower-choked ruins or snorkelling its azure seas. Dine at a beach shack on gouna, sun-dried mackerel, toes in the sand, stars overhead.

Things to do

Anchor & swim at Kedros Beach

Hike to Kalotaritissa wildflower ruins

Snorkel the secret cave church

Sunset gouna at a beach shack

Stroll the tiny harbour village

Mooring tip

Anchor in Kedros or Stavros bay (sand 5–8 m, very few moorings). Fully exposed in N–NE Meltemi — pick a south-facing cove or move to Naxos lee if forecast >25 kn.

Amorgos
3
Day 3

Donoussa → Amorgos (Aegiali Harbor)

Fourteen nautical miles southeast onto Amorgos — the easternmost of the Cyclades proper, the rocky finger of an island the 1988 Luc Besson film The Big Blue made into a free-divers' pilgrimage. Aegiali on the north coast is the morning destination, an easy beam reach in the Meltemi but the bay opens to the NE; if the forecast tops 25 kn, shift round to Katapola on the south coast for the better lee. Stern-to on the small Aegiali quay (lazy lines, fee, 12 boats) or anchor in 5–8 m sand off the village. The headline ashore is the Hozoviotissa Monastery — the white cliffside chapel built directly into the limestone face above Agia Anna in 1088, reached by 300 marble steps from the road. Dive the Olympia wreck off the south coast in the shallow water (the 1980 cargo ship that the Big Blue used as the underwater set is still there at 25 m). Late raki at a harbour kafeneio on psimeni raki — honey-spiced spirit, the Amorgos local.

Things to do

Hike up to Hozoviotissa Monastery

Dive the Olympia wreck shallows

Stroll Aegiali whitewashed lanes

Late raki at a harbour kafeneio

Walk the southern coast path

Mooring tip

Aegiali Bay anchor in 5–8 m sand or stern-to on the small quay (lazy lines, fee). Open to NE — Katapola on the south coast is the better Meltemi alternative.

Koufonissi
4
Day 4

Amorgos → Koufonissi

Sixteen nautical miles west back to the Small Cyclades and Pano Koufonissi — a low limestone island the size of a small village, fewer than 400 year-round residents, no road grid, fishing boats and tradewind sand-spit anchorages. Stern-to on the small Koufonissi quay (lazy lines, fee, fills early in the afternoon) or anchor in the bay south of the port at 3–6 m sand; if the Meltemi tops 25 kn from the N, shift round to Schoinousa for shelter. The headline beach is Pori on the north coast — a powdered-sugar crescent with no shade, no taverna, a short tender ride from the port. The dinghy across to uninhabited Kato Koufonissi 200 m south is the afternoon excursion — a single chapel, a single shepherd, no road, no electricity. Italida cove between the two has the snorkel arches eroded into the limestone shelf. Astakomakaronada — lobster pasta with the catch from the morning quay — at the harbour taverna for dinner.

Things to do

Swim Pori Beach turquoise crescent

Dinghy across to Kato Koufonissi

Lunch astakomakaronada on the quay

Snorkel the limestone arches at Italida

Late drink in the small harbour bar

Mooring tip

Stern-to on the small Koufonissi quay (lazy lines, fee, fills early) or anchor in the bay south of port (sand 3–6 m). Fully exposed to N — move to Schoinousa if Meltemi peaks.

Schoinousa
5
Day 5

Koufonissi → Schoinousa

Four nautical miles west drops you onto Schoinousa — even smaller than Koufonissi, fewer than 200 year-round residents, one road from the harbour to the village. The 4 nm crossing usually takes the engine on the second half; the channel between the two islands stays sheltered enough that the wind rarely fills until mid-afternoon. Stern-to or alongside in tiny Mirsini Harbor (limited length, fee, only 6–8 boats) by mid-afternoon; if the slot count runs out, anchor in Tsigouri Bay (4–6 m sand, holding good), and re-anchor on the north side if a southerly is forecast. Tsigouri itself is the headline swim — long sandy crescent with a single beach taverna under tamarisks. The walk up to Panagia clifftop church on the western cape takes 30 minutes and gives the 360° panorama over the Small Cyclades cluster. Stargaze on deck after dinner — light pollution here is the lowest in the Cyclades, the Milky Way comes out reliably. Tomato keftedes — the Cycladic vegetable patty — and crisp white at the family taverna.

Things to do

Anchor & swim at Tsigouri Beach

Walk up to Panagia clifftop church

Tomato keftedes at a family taverna

Beach-hop the southern bays by dinghy

Stargaze on deck after dinner

Mooring tip

Stern-to or alongside in tiny Mirsini Harbor (limited length, fee) or anchor in Tsigouri Bay (sand 4–6 m). Bay open to S — re-anchor on N side if S forecast.

Irakleia
6
Day 6

Schoinousa → Irakleia

Sub-3 nm coastal hop west onto Irakleia — the last and least-developed of the Small Cyclades, fewer than 150 year-round residents, one village (Panagia) up the hill, a single ferry per week from Naxos. There is no real marina; anchor in Agios Georgios Bay (the harbour cove on the north coast, 4–6 m sand, holding good) or in the smaller Livadi cove on the south, with the tiny inner quay taking only 1–2 boats. Open to the N — pick a south-facing bay if a fresh Meltemi is forecast. The headline ashore is the Kastro hilltop ruins above Panagia village — a 17th-century Venetian-era pirate refuge built on a Hellenistic foundation, reached by a 40-minute walk through the olive groves from the harbour. The Blue Cave on the south coast is the snorkel ride, a sea-cleft chamber that lights up at noon. Loukoumades — small honey-drenched dough fritters — at the courtyard kafeneio in the village.

Things to do

Snorkel the Blue Cave entrance

Hike to Kastro hilltop ruins

Loukoumades at a courtyard kafeneio

Swim Livadi long sand beach

Sunset walk on the western cape

Mooring tip

Anchor in Agios Georgios bay (sand 4–6 m) or the small Livadi cove. Tiny inner quay only takes 1–2 boats. Open to N — pick a south-facing bay in fresh Meltemi.

Vlychada
7
Day 7

Irakleia → Santorini (Vlychada Marina)

Thirty-two nautical miles southwest down to Santorini via a quick Ios pit stop. Cast off by 07:00 to clear the open passage before the afternoon Meltemi hardens; Mylopotas Beach on Ios is the lunch swim halfway down the leg, a wide sandy bay sheltered from the N by a low headland. From there 15 nm onward to Vlychada Marina on Santorini's south coast — the only viable sailing-yacht overnight on the island. The famous caldera looks dramatic on the chart but is too deep to anchor (300+ m water, sheer volcanic walls); always book Vlychada days ahead in summer (small marina, lazy lines, fee, full services). Ferry boats between Athinios and the islands move through the marina entrance fast — keep clear of the dredged channel. The headline above water is the caldera itself, the flooded crater the 1646 BC Minoan eruption left behind. Kayak the rust-coloured Red Beach cliffs at the south coast for the morning, sundown fava at any Oia caldera-edge taverna.

Things to do

Quick swim at Mylopotas in transit

Kayak the Red Beach rust-hued cliffs

Sundowner at an Oia caldera-edge taverna

Akrotiri Bronze-Age site visit

Walk Fira-to-Oia caldera trail

Mooring tip

Vlychada Marina (south coast) — small, lazy lines, fee, full services. Book days ahead in summer. NO caldera anchorage (300+ m). Ferry boats move fast in the channel.

Folegandros
8
Day 8

Santorini → Folegandros

Fourteen nautical miles west-northwest from Santorini onto Folegandros — easy beam reach in the standard Meltemi N flow, the boat heeled gently and the chart-plotter set for Karavostasi. The pocket harbour on the east coast is the only port; stern-to on the new lazy-line mole (small fee) or anchor in the bay at 5–8 m sand. Open to the south — re-anchor or shift bay if a S–SW switch is forecast. The cliffside Chora is the headline ashore, perched 200 m above the harbour and reached by the 4 km zigzag road or the older mule path that climbs straight up; allow 90 minutes on foot in the cool of the morning. The Panagia clifftop church above the Chora climbs another 200 marble steps for the panorama down to the sea — the best long-view in the western Cyclades. Matsata — hand-cut pasta with wild goat ragù — at any Chora courtyard taverna under lanterns. Coastal hike to Agali bay through the day if the heat allows; sundowner at a cliff-edge bar.

Things to do

Climb the path to Panagia Church

Swim the bay south of Karavostasi

Dinner of matsata pasta in Chora

Coastal hike to Agali bay

Sundowner at a Chora cliff-edge bar

Mooring tip

Stern-to in Karavostasi (lazy lines on the new mole, small fee) or anchor in the bay (5–8 m sand). Open to S — re-anchor or move in S–SW switch.

Milos
9
Day 9

Folegandros → Milos

Twenty-two nautical miles west onto Milos — ducking into the deep inner lagoon at Adamantas, the best Meltemi shelter in the western Cyclades. Adamantas sits inside a flooded volcanic caldera, one of the largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean — almost zero swell inside no matter what the wind does outside. Stern-to on the town quay (free, helpful local boatmen will assist) or anchor inside the inner bay at 4–6 m on soft mud — set the anchor well, the bottom is loose under the weight. Milos is volcanic and the colour palette around the coast is the headline: Sarakiniko on the north coast is the moonscape walk, white volcanic rock eroded into ridges and pools (day-stop only — the anchorage there is open to the N); Klima on the west has the rainbow syrmata row, fishermen's boat-house garages from the 19th century painted in solid primary colours. Snorkel through the Papafragas sea caves on the east coast. Grilled octopus dinner at Mandrakia, the working fishing village 4 km north. Sundowner from Plaka village ridge.

Things to do

Sarakiniko white-rock anchor & swim

Snorkel the Papafragas sea caves

Photograph Klima syrmata at golden hour

Grilled octopus at Mandrakia

Sundowner from Plaka village ridge

Mooring tip

Stern-to on Adamantas town quay (free, helpful local boatmen) or anchor inside the inner bay (4–6 m, soft mud — set well). Sarakiniko anchorage open to N — day-stop only.

Vathi
10
Day 10

Milos → Sifnos

Eighteen nautical miles north onto Sifnos — pick Vathi on the west coast over Kamares for the better Meltemi lee. The bay is a long, semi-enclosed inlet that opens narrow to the southwest and gives almost the same shelter as Milos's inner lagoon — sand and mud bottom on 5–8 m, very good holding, family-friendly. Drop the hook in the inner bay or take a slot alongside the small inner quay (limited space, fills early); chartered cats raft up after 17:00. The headline ashore is the Chrysopigi cape monastery on a sea-cleft islet at the southern end of the bay — a chapel built in 1650 on a rock the locals say split from the mainland to save Christian girls from Algerian pirates, accessible by a small footbridge across the cleft. Walk inland to the potters of Apollonia (40-minute uphill); Sifnos clay has been the source of Greek ceramic cookware since the Bronze Age. Lunch on mastelo — lamb slow-cooked overnight in a sealed clay pot with red wine and dill — at any Artemonas taverna. Long swim across the Vathi inner bay before sundown.

Things to do

Hike the Chrysopigi cape monastery

Lunch on mastelo at Artemonas

Drop into a pottery workshop

Long swim across Vathi inner bay

Sundowner at a beach taverna

Mooring tip

Drop hook in Vathi (5–8 m sand, very good holding) or alongside the small inner quay (limited space). Best Meltemi shelter on Sifnos. Watch chartered cats raft up after 17:00.

Kythnos
11
Day 11

Sifnos → Serifos

Fourteen nautical miles north-west onto Serifos — beam reach mostly downwind in the standard Meltemi flow. Livadi Bay on the south coast is the only port; stern-to on the town quay (free, lazy lines on the inner side) or anchor at 5–6 m sand off the beach. The bay opens to the east-swell but stays comfortable in normal N flow. The headline ashore is the climb to Chora — a whitewashed cluster of cubic houses cascading down a granite ridge above the port, reached by the old donkey path (40 minutes uphill, easier in the cool of the morning) or the asphalt road by taxi. Revithada — chickpea stew slow-baked overnight in a clay pot with lemon and olive oil — is the Sifniot signature plate that the Serifiots claim was theirs first; eat it on a cliffside terrace in Chora with the panorama back across the bay. The 19th-century iron mines at Mega Livadi west of the port are the abandoned industrial heritage walk. Sundown swim at Livadakia or Karavi beaches before back to the boat.

Things to do

Zigzag walk up to Chora

Lunch revithada on a cliffside terrace

Swim Livadakia & Karavi beaches

Visit the abandoned iron mines

Sundowner on the chora ridge

Mooring tip

Stern-to on Livadi town quay (free, lazy lines on inner side) or anchor 5–6 m sand off the beach. Bay open to E swell — fine in normal N flow.

Paros
12
Day 12

Serifos → Kythnos

Twenty-two nautical miles north onto Kythnos — close-hauled if the Meltemi is on the bow, otherwise a comfortable beam reach. Tuck into the small Loutra harbour on the northeast coast — the best Meltemi shelter on the island, a small lazy-line marina with full services and a fee. The headline ashore is the geothermal spring complex 200 m up the road from the harbour — Roman-era baths fed from two natural mineral springs at 38°C and 52°C, used continuously since the 1st century AD; the modern facility runs cooled outdoor pools and a small spa, with the mineral content (sulfates and calcium) good for joints and skin. Anchor and swim at Kolona during the day — the famous double-bay sandbar on the west coast, where two beaches meet on a 100-m tombolo of white sand; day-stop only as the anchorage is exposed to the N. Walk up to Driopida village in the interior for sfougato, the local cheese-and-mint pie. Sundowner above Apokrousi cove on the way back to the boat.

Things to do

Soak in the Loutra thermal springs

Anchor & swim at Kolona double-bay

Walk up to Driopida village

Try sfougato (cheese pie) for dinner

Sundowner above Apokrousi cove

Mooring tip

Stern-to on Loutra quay (small marina, lazy lines, fee). Best Meltemi shelter on Kythnos. Kolona day-stop only — exposed to N.

Paros
13
Day 13

Kythnos → Paros

Final passage of the cruise — about 38 nm east-southeast from Kythnos to Paros. Long beam reach, often downwind in the classic Meltemi N flow, with the boat heeled gently and the gennaker out on the second half. Plan an early start (07:00 cast-off) to clear the harbour by lunch and aim Naoussa on the north coast, the small Venetian-fortress fishing port that is the Paros end-of-week base. Naoussa harbour fills early — stern-to on the outer mole or anchor in the bay at 5–7 m sand. Parikia main port on the west coast is the alternative if Naoussa is full or the wind is hard from the N. Last swim at Kolymbithres on the way in — the granite rock pools eroded into surreal lunar bowls between the headlands, the most photogenic swim on Paros. Goodbye seafood saganaki on the Naoussa quay, ouzo through the old-town lanes of Parikia for the after-dinner walk. Sundowner across the strait toward the marble Portara of Naxos closes the loop.

Things to do

Last swim at Kolymbithres rock pools

Stroll Naoussa old fishing harbour

Goodbye seafood saganaki on the quay

Parikia ouzo & old-town lanes

Sundowner by the Portara temple

Mooring tip

Naoussa small harbour fills early — stern-to outer mole or anchor in the bay (5–7 m sand). Parikia main port is the alternative if Naoussa is full or wind is hard from N.

Paros
14
Day 14

Paros → Paros

Final morning at the Paros base — the technical hand-back is straightforward when fuel was sorted at the Friday 18:00 briefing. Boat back by 09:00 Saturday for the marineros' inspection, papers signed at reception. Parikia harbour has full fuel and water at the south mole; the on-quay marina shop handles the technical exit checklist (bottom reading, electronics test, gear inventory). Walk Parikia old town one last time — the Panagia Ekatontapiliani Byzantine basilica two blocks inland is one of the oldest standing churches in Greece, founded in the 4th century and rebuilt under Justinian; the marble baptismal font is the original 5th-century basin. Ferries to Athens (Piraeus) run hourly through the day — the high-speed Seajet does the trip in 3 hours, the conventional ferry in 5. Paros JTR airport for direct flights to Athens (35 min) is a 10-minute taxi from the harbour. Disembark with sea-stiff hair and the long memory of pumice cliffs above an inner blue.

Things to do

Final breakfast at the Parikia café

Pack and sweep cabins

Refuel before hand-back

Technical hand-over with company

Last wander through Parikia old town

Mooring tip

Return to base by 17:00 the day before for the agreed hand-back; sleep aboard the final night, disembark by 09:00. Parikia harbour has fuel & water at the south mole.

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