Day Trips from Athens on a Sailo Yacht

At the end of the Attica peninsula, Cape Sounion makes a perfect destination for boat day trips from Athens. The cruise takes you along the peninsula, with many options to stop and explore beaches and coves with your snorkel gear. Once you reach Cape Sounion you’re greeted by the Temple of Poseidon, one of the great temples of the golden age of Athens.

The temple is dedicated to Poseidon, the God of the seas, and one of the most feared and respected of the deities in ancient Greek mythology. Today the ruins make a great location to enjoy the views or a stunning sunset.

Just west of Hydra you’ll come to Spetses, another well to do island that makes a great destination for day trips from Athens. If you’re looking for those sandy beaches then Spetses is the place to come, with plenty of choice dotted around the coastline. 

The main town on Spetses is nestled on the side of a hill, perfect for aimless wandering and stopping for a coffee or a spot of shopping. Rent a yacht from Athens and do not miss this Greek gem of an island!

One of the closest of the Saronic Islands to the city of Athens, Aegina is of course one of the most popular day trips from Athens by boat . Although you can rent a yacht and be on the island in less than an hour from Athens, you can take your time to explore the coast and find your own corner of Aegina to enjoy.

Aegina town is quite large and home to the ancient Temple of Apollo, which is definitely worth a stop for history buffs. However the Temple of Aphaia is the jewel in the island’s crown, set on a hilltop with spectacular views across the island. 

This island just beyond Cape Sounion can be done as one of your day trips from Athens with a yacht charter. Kea still feels relatively unspoiled, a fact that is reflected in it’s lazy main town which has just a few small shops. There isn’t much here, but that’s part of the appeal. Athenians head here on the weekend to relax and you’re very unlikely to find non Greek visitors most of the time. 

But that means there’s more beach for you and plenty of places to walk, swim, snorkel or just relax with little interruptions. If you’re looking for a more refined and ‘authentic’ Greek island experience, this might be your best choice!

Go beyond Kea and you’ll stumble upon another sleepy island, Kithnos (or Kythnos). By arriving in your Sailo yacht charter you’ll find a lot of places to set down the anchor. There are great choice of wide sandy beaches, some beautiful rolling hills to wander and sleepy villages where you can enjoy some traditional food and drink.

Like Kea, Kithnos has managed to avoid most of the mass tourism seen in most of Greece and instead thrives on local tourism and the yachting crowd. That means if you rent a yacht in Athens, you can enjoy the beauty of this unspoiled island for as long as you like.

One of the most popular islands for day trips from Athens, Hydra is just a few hours boat ride from Athens. In fact, Hydra has a reputation as a bit of a celebrity hangout, with many of the well to do heading here in the 1960s and 70s. Today you’ll find a well heeled hangout with well maintained stone mansions, and a more laid back pace of life which feels a million miles from bustling Athens.

Adding to the feeling is the lack of cars, which are mostly banned on Hydra. All movement of people and goods is done by donkey. Hydra is also mostly very hilly and lacking in the wide sandy beaches you might normally expect in Greece. Instead you’ll find small coves and beaches dotting the coastline, which are perfect for accessing by yacht charter.