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

Kos
via 14 days.

Catamaran charter Greece — 14-day Kos round-trip Dodecanese route. Symi, Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos, Astypalaia & Tilos in two weeks.

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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.

Kalymnos
Day 1

Kos Marina → Kalymnos

Cast off from Kos Marina and sail north up the Kalymnos channel — vertical limestone cliffs, sponge-diving heritage, and a busy harbour at Pothia. About 18 nm, often beam reach with a NW breeze building after midday.

Distance

15 NM

Sailing

~3h at 5 kn

Route at a glance

Best season

May – mid-October (peak Jun & Sep)

Duration

14 days · Sat – Sat

Departure

Kos

Sailing area

Dodecanese

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, restaurants, and route notes for every leg of the week — written by sailors who've actually run this passage.

Day 1 / 14
Kalymnos
1
Day 1

Kos Marina → Kalymnos

Starting your journey in Kos Marina, where contemporary yachting meets historic ruins, Sail to Kalymnos, the "Sponge Diver's Island," whose sharp cliffs call for mountaineers. Explore the Byzantine remnants of Hrysocheria Castle or plunge into Vathy Bay's turquoise seas. Feast in Pothia's harbour on mououri, or stuffed squid. To find secret beaches like Kandouni, rent a scooter.

Things to do

Watch the sponge auctions at Pothia harbour

Climb (or scramble) the Grande Grotta cliff

Anchor & swim in Vathy fjord

Ride a scooter to Kandouni Beach

Try mououri (stuffed squid) at a quayside ouzeri

Mooring tip

Stern-to on Pothia town quay (free, lazy lines patchy). Quiet alternative is anchoring in Vathy fjord (10–14 m, sand). Pothia exposed to SW swell — check forecast.

Leros
2
Day 2

Kalymnos → Leros

From WWII, glide to Leros, a time capsule. Kayak to Lakki's Art Deco submarine station; then, climb to Panagia Castle for sunset across Agia Marina's pastel port. Dine at a beachfront taverna on pitaroudia, or chicken fritters. Secret spot: Zero crowd blue seas at Xerokambos Beach.

Things to do

Kayak the Lakki Art Deco submarine pens

Climb to Panagia Castle for sunset

Lunch on pitaroudia at Agia Marina quay

Swim the empty shoreline at Xerokambos

Tour the WWII tunnel museum

Mooring tip

Lakki has a huge sheltered bay — stern-to on the town quay or pick up a free buoy. Italian-era marina has lazy lines for a small fee. Bombproof in any wind direction.

Patmos
3
Day 3

Leros → Patmos

See Patmos, the "Island of Revelation." See St. John writing the last chapter of the Bible descending into the Cave of the Apocalypse. Swim in the golden sands of Psili Ammos, then drink mastiha cocktails in Chora's winding lanes. Must-try Melisses farm's Patmian honey.

Things to do

Visit the Cave of the Apocalypse

Walk the UNESCO Chora & Monastery of St John

Swim the golden sands of Psili Ammos

Sip mastiha in Chora at sunset

Buy thyme honey from Melisses farm

Mooring tip

Stern-to on Skala town quay (free, fills by 16:00). Anchor in Grikos Bay (5–7 m sand) as a quieter overnight alternative. Skala exposed to NE — second-line raft moor common in August.

Fourni
4
Day 4

Patmos → Fourni

Eighteen nautical miles northwest from Patmos onto Fourni — the old pirate archipelago between Ikaria and Samos that Mediterranean corsairs used as their base for two centuries. Best on a beam reach with the meltemi astern, often spinnaker-friendly when the wind clocks NW. Stern-to on the Fourni village quay (free, small fishing community — leave space for the trawlers that come and go through the day). Anchor in Kambi or Vlychada (5–8 m sand) if the quay fills, with the sheltered lee bay being the safe choice if the meltemi pushes above 25 kn. The headline ashore is the boat-building tradition — Fourni still has working family workshops where the kaiki (wooden fishing boat) is hand-built using techniques unchanged since the 18th century. The Christos Chapel viewpoint hike from the village takes 45 minutes one way and gives the panorama back across the Aegean. Lunch at Kambi village on astakomakaronada — lobster pasta with the catch from the morning quay; the Fourni langoustine is the local specialty. Sundowner ouzo on the Fourni quay closes the day.

Things to do

Lobster pasta lunch at Kambi village

Hike to Christos Chapel viewpoint

Snorkel the wreck off Thymena

Visit a hand-carved wooden boat workshop

Sundowner ouzo on the Fourni quay

Mooring tip

Stern-to on Fourni village quay (free, small fishing community — leave space for trawlers). Anchor at Kambi or Vlychada (5–8 m sand). Open to the meltemi — pick the lee bay if NW kicks.

Lipsi
5
Day 5

Fourni → Lipsi

Drift to Lipsi, an eight-islet quiet jewel. After the shipwreck of Snorkel Aspronissi Bay, savor lipsiako cheese sloshily topped with thyme honey. If timed well, folks dance till dawn at the Panagia tou Harou event. For sunrise, visit Church of Panagia on a single rock.

Things to do

Snorkel the amphorae in Aspronissi Bay

Hike to Church of Panagia on a single rock

Taste lipsiako cheese with thyme honey

Dinghy to deserted Aspronissi islet

Quiet quay dinner with the fishing fleet

Mooring tip

Stern-to on Lipsi town quay (free, plenty of space outside August). No marina — bring your own lines. Anchor in Liendou Bay if the quay fills (6 m sand, holding good).

Levitha
6
Day 6

Lipsi → Levitha

On Levitha, the population is 6. Unplug here. Help herders herd goats, then enter the crystal seclusion of Ammoudi Bay. Live beneath a Milky Way so brilliant it creates shadows. Pack cash; there are no ATMs; just stars and simplicity.

Things to do

Pick up the family-run mooring buoy

Help herd goats with the islanders

Swim the empty bay at Ammoudi

Stargaze without a single shore light

Dinner on board — bring everything

Mooring tip

Pick up one of the family-run mooring buoys in the main bay (~25–30€, dinner often included if booked ahead). No quay, no fuel, no shops. Settled meltemi only — buoys exposed to N.

Palaia
7
Day 7

Levitha → Astypalaia

Sail to Astypalaia fashioned like a butterfly. Wander Chora's Venetian castle then swim at the pebbled coves of Vatses Beach. Feast at Kaminakia Taverna on ladenia, or tomato pie. Readers of history: Search close to Mesa Nisi for Roman mosaics.

Things to do

Walk the Venetian castle of Chora

Swim the pebbled coves of Vatses

Tomato pie (ladenia) at Kaminakia Taverna

Drive across to deserted Mesa Nisi

Sunset photo of the windmill row

Mooring tip

Stern-to in Pera Gialos (free, lazy lines patchy). Anchor in Maltezana Bay (5–6 m sand) for a calmer night. Pera Gialos exposed to S — head round to Maltezana if forecast turns.

Nisyros
8
Day 8

Astypalaia → Nisyros

Twenty-eight nautical miles southeast onto volcanic Nisyros — a long passage day, plan for an early 07:00 cast-off to clear the open water before the afternoon meltemi hardens. Tiny Mandraki harbour fills fast; the alternatives are Pali fishing port further east (small quay, free) or anchor in Pachia Ammos bay (8 m sand, holding good). All three options are exposed to W swell — pick the lee side if the forecast turns westerly. The headline ashore is the live volcano itself: Nisyros is one of two active volcanoes in Greece (Santorini being the other) and the only one you can walk into. Drive 8 km up to the Lakki caldera, then descend the marked path 200 m down into the Stefanos crater — sulfur vents hissing on the floor, fumaroles staining the white pumice yellow, the smell unmistakable. Loutra hot thermal springs at the south coast are the post-volcano soak. Nikia village balanced on the crater rim is the photo stop — black-pebble mosaic church floors, the local capers from the volcanic soil are sold at every village stall. Soumada — almond-and-rosewater milk — under a vine pergola.

Things to do

Walk down into the Stefanos crater

Soak in the Loutra thermal springs

Buy capers from a Nikia village stall

Photograph the black-pebble church floors

Dinner of soumada under a vine pergola

Mooring tip

Tiny Mandraki harbour fills fast — alternative is Pali fishing port (small quay) or anchor in Pachia Ammos bay (8 m sand). All exposed to W swell.

Tilos
9
Day 9

Nisyros → Tilos

Twelve nautical miles southeast onto Tilos — Greece's first zero-waste island, a sustainability pioneer that runs its entire grid on a 1.5 MW wind turbine plus solar farm and recycles 86 % of its rubbish. Calm half-day with the meltemi astern. Stern-to on the small Livadia town quay (free, very small — 8 boats max) or anchor in Eristos Bay as backup (8–10 m sand, holding good); both exposed to S, head round to Plaka if a SW wind kicks. The headline ashore is the wildlife — Tilos was declared a Natura 2000 reserve in 2011 and is the only Greek island with a permanent free-roaming peacock population (introduced in the 1960s, now self-sustaining); Bonelli's eagles, Mediterranean monk seals, and the giant Eleonora's falcon all breed in the cliffs. The 14th-century Agios Panteleimonas Monastery on the central peak is the morning hike (90 minutes from the road, peacocks in the olive groves on the way). Mikro Chorio ghost village taverna — the village was abandoned in the 1960s and the single taverna in the empty stone houses runs only on summer evenings. Eristos Beach for the quiet swim before sundown.

Things to do

Hike to Agios Panteleimonas Monastery

Photograph wild peacocks among olive groves

Dinner at the Mikro Chorio ghost village

Toast with solar-powered local wine

Quiet swim at Eristos Beach

Mooring tip

Stern-to on Livadia town quay (free, very small — limited slots). Anchor in Eristos Bay as backup (8–10 m sand). Both exposed to S; head round to Plaka if SW kicks.

Chalki
10
Day 10

Tilos → Chalki

Fourteen nautical miles east onto Chalki — the smallest inhabited Dodecanese island, fewer than 300 year-round residents, no cars allowed in the harbour village (donkeys still do the cobble work). Easy beam reach with the prevailing N wind. Stern-to in Emborios harbour (free, small — 12 boats, get in before 16:00); the lazy lines are uneven, bring a stern anchor as backup. Open to NW swell, sheltered from the meltemi. The Emborios waterfront is the photogenic line of pastel townhouses — Italian neoclassical from the 1930s occupation, restored in the 1980s under a UNESCO programme as the prototype for sustainable Aegean tourism. The Knights' Castle on the central peak is the sundown walk (35 minutes uphill from the abandoned village of Chorio) — the 14th-century Hospitaller fortress holds the panorama back across to the Turkish coast 30 nm east. Snorkel Pontamos Cove for the morning — clear water, sandy bottom, posidonia patches with bream and damselfish. Taverna Giorgos on the harbour does pougia — sun-dried octopus, the local preservation method that turns the catch into chewy strips.

Things to do

Snorkel the clear water at Pontamos Cove

Hike to the Knights' Castle for sunset

Sun-dried octopus at Taverna Giorgos

Walk the abandoned village of Chorio

Watch the donkey-train at the harbour

Mooring tip

Stern-to in Emborios harbour (free, small — get in before 16:00). Lazy lines uneven; bring stern anchor as backup. Open to NW swell, sheltered from meltemi.

Rhodes
11
Day 11

Chalki → Rhodes

Twenty-four nautical miles east across to Rhodes — meltemi often forward of the beam, expect tacks if it pipes up. Mandraki harbour stern-to is the historic central berth (fee, sit at the foot of the medieval Old Town walls), with three windmills on the breakwater that the 14th-century Knights of St John used for grain. The modern Mandraki Marina (Rhodes Marina) outside the Old Town is the alternative — lazy lines, fuel, full facilities, easier for the August changeover. The headline ashore is the UNESCO-listed Old Town itself: the Street of the Knights runs 600 m up from the harbour through the medieval Hospitaller quarter — eight national auberges (Italian, French, Spanish, English, German, Provençal, Auvergne, Aragonese) line the cobbles in the same order they held the wall sections during the 1522 siege. The Palace of the Grand Master at the top is the largest medieval royal residence in Greece. Anthony Quinn Bay 8 km south of town for the swim — the small turquoise cove takes its name from the 1961 film The Guns of Navarone shot here. Cocktails in the courtyard at Socratous Garden close the evening.

Things to do

Walk the Street of the Knights

Swim Anthony Quinn Bay

Visit the Palace of the Grand Master

Cocktail in the Socratous Garden courtyard

Photograph the Mandraki harbour windmills

Mooring tip

Mandraki harbour stern-to (historic, central, fee). Mandraki Marina (Rhodes Marina) outside Old Town is the modern alternative — lazy lines, fuel, full facilities.

Symi
12
Day 12

Rhodes → Symi

Twenty-two nautical miles north onto Symi — the pastel-neoclassical-houses-cascading-down-the-amphitheatre-harbour photograph that anchors every Dodecanese brochure. Easy beam reach off the meltemi, often spinnaker-friendly. Stern-to in Yialos harbour (free, fills before 13:00 in July and August — radio Port Police on Ch 12 from 30 minutes out); drop the bow anchor on a clear bottom but watch for old chains from forgotten moorings. Pedi Bay 2 nm east is the calmer overflow anchorage on 5–7 m sand. Symi made its 19th-century fortune from sponges — the divers worked the Libyan and Tunisian coast every spring, and the elaborate neoclassical houses the captains built are the legacy. Walk up the 500-step Kali Strata at sundown to Chorio for the panorama back over the harbour. The Panormitis Monastery boat trip on the south coast is the morning excursion (the 18th-century Archangel Michael icon is the local pilgrimage). Lunch on tiny Symian shrimp — sweet, eaten head-on with the shells crackling in the teeth — at any harbour-side ouzeri. Buy a sponge from a local diver-merchant.

Things to do

Walk up the Kali Strata steps at sunset

Boat trip to Panormitis Monastery

Swim and lunch at Nanou Bay

Eat tiny Symian shrimp on the quay

Buy a sponge from a local diver-merchant

Mooring tip

Stern-to in Yialos harbour (free, fills before 13:00 in July–August). Drop bow anchor — clear bottom but watch for old chains. Pedi Bay is the calmer overflow anchorage.

Kos
13
Day 13

Symi → Kos

Twenty-eight nautical miles northwest hugging the Anatolian coast back to Kos — the lee shore of the Turkish mainland breaks the worst of the meltemi for the final delivery leg. Refuel and prep the boat for hand-back at Kos Marina (lazy lines, fuel, water and electricity, full hand-back facilities); reserve the return berth weeks ahead, the marina is large but well-organised and August fills the slot count. Town quay is the free alternative but exposed to the SW. Kos is the birthplace of Hippocrates — the 4th-century BC Asklepion sanctuary 4 km from the marina is the world's first organised medical school; the cycling path through the ruins from the modern hospital takes the morning. Therma Beach hot springs at the south coast are the post-trip soak — natural sulfur springs that flow from the cliff straight into the sea, mixing with cold seawater for an open-air outdoor bath. Last dinner under the 2,400-year-old plane tree of Kos Town that Hippocrates is supposed to have taught beneath — kleftiko lamb (slow-roasted in baking paper with garlic and lemon) is the Kos plate.

Things to do

Cycle the ancient Asklepion ruins

Soak in the Therma Beach hot springs

Last dinner under the 2,400-year-old plane tree

Provisioning run for last-night BBQ

Refuel at Kos Marina pump

Mooring tip

Kos Marina has lazy lines, fuel, water and electricity. Reserve berth for return — large, well-organised, full hand-back facilities. Town quay is a free alternative but exposed.

Kos
14
Day 14

Kos → Kos

Final morning at Kos Marina — 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. Kos Marina is one of the largest in the eastern Aegean and the hand-back routine is well-drilled — fuel up the day before to skip the Saturday morning queue. The marina kafeneio does Greek coffee and koulouria sesame ring breakfast on the quay. If the airport transfer leaves a few hours, walk the 10 minutes into Kos Town for the final kalimera at the harbour — the 14th-century Knights' Castle of Neratzia at the harbour entrance is the marble-and-stone fortress the Hospitallers built from the ruins of the Asklepion in 1450, the Roman Odeon two blocks inland holds 750 spectators on intact white marble seating. Last swim at Therma Beach south of town if the bus schedule allows. Kos Island International Airport (KGS) is 15 minutes by taxi from the marina gate; direct charters to most European hubs through the day. Disembark with sea-stiff hair and the long memory of a meltemi day on the beam.

Things to do

Final koulouria run from a Kos bakery

Inventory check with the base manager

Pack & strip linens for hand-back

Last swim on Therma Beach

Taxi to Kos Island International Airport

Mooring tip

Hand-back by 09:00 Saturday at Kos Marina — fuel up the day before to skip the queue. Kos airport is 15 min by taxi; direct charters to most European hubs.

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