The Saronic circuit
A week of short, sheltered hops through the Saronic Gulf, close enough to Athens to sail out and back without long open-water crossings.
- Length
- 7 days · 7 nights
- Months
- May – October
- Stops
- 5
The route on a map
1 · 1 night
Alimos marina, Athens
The main charter base for Saronic sailing, a short taxi from central Athens.
2 · 1 night
Aegina
The closest of the Saronic islands, known for pistachios and the Temple of Aphaia.
3 · 2 nights
Poros
Separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strait, with a lively waterfront town.
4 · 2 nights
Hydra
A car-free island with a stone-built harbour, favoured by artists since the 1960s.
5 · 1 night
Spetses
Pine-covered, with grand nineteenth-century mansions and horse-drawn carriages instead of cars.
Day by day
Day 1
Board in Athens
Sleep · Alimos marina
Provision and board, sleeping aboard before the first sail.
Day 2
Sail to Aegina
Sleep · Aegina
A short first leg of around seventeen miles; the Temple of Aphaia in the afternoon.
Day 3
On to Poros
Sleep · Poros
Sail the narrow strait into Poros town, mooring against the quay.
Day 4
Poros and the mainland coast
Sleep · Poros
A day sail to Galatas and back for lunch at anchor.
Day 5
Sail to Hydra
Sleep · Hydra
A longer crossing, mooring beneath the old captains' houses.
Day 6
Hydra to Spetses
Sleep · Spetses
On to Spetses, with a stop to swim off Dokos island.
Day 7
Return and disembark
Departure
Sail back to Athens by evening, or disembark and take the hydrofoil.