We are traveling with our 8 and 10 year old boys in July in the Greek Islands. We will be flying into Athens and are considering traveling between the islands or a guided catamaran trip. Does anyone have experience with this? We have spent a lot of time in the Caribbean and BVI's on catamarans but was wondering what experiences are like in the Greek Islands for this.
1
travelerjan
**Not enough info to advise: please be very detailed. "july" not enough. How many days? Do you want to sail TO the islands, sail AMONG the islands, or just out from Athens for a day sail? Not at all clear?
My advice -- GOOOGLE. I found many options: • Day-sail from Athens • Shared-boat charters that start IN the cyclades (i.e. Mykonos etc) for a week (note: by doing this you may find yourself on a party-party boat). If you just want a day-outing on a nice sailboat, Naxos & Paros have an agency that offers VERY pleasant day-sails to small surrounding islands, with stops for swims & BBqs on "santa Maria" - double-mast large sailboat - http://visit-cyclades.com/day-cruises/naxos-cruises
• Antiparos & Paros - also have numerous day-excursions - kayaking sailing snorkeling etc -http://www.parosweb.com/activities/
• PLUS -- if you go to MILOS (a fave island of mine, with 22 beaches!!), they have a whole group of sailing vessels that line up in port each night at dinner, & you can decide which one to take. We decided on a large catamaran (psgr limit 14, but there were only 8 that day) - CHRYSOVANDU - cost 40€ ... including food/drinks. Superb trip 10am- 6:30pm -- the cat was able to be under sail, when wind was too much for smaller vessels. Also, it only went HAlf-round the island, more time for swim-stops, rubber-boat expeditions. These sails allow you to see amazing rock formations from sea, not accessible by foot or car.
Basic advice -- Get going, FAST! July is high season, and it's very late to book lodging in islands and even more for transport -- if you have a very short stay & want domestic flights to isle(s) to save time (i.e., 45 min. flight vs. 5.5 hr ferrry to Naxos, 6.5 to Milos) -- planes may be fully booked to some destinations. In fact, you may want the help of a Greece-based travel agency. 3 that are well-reviewed & used to working online w. N. Americans: Fantasy Travel, Aegean Thesaurus, and Dolphin-Hellas. NOTE: Don't be vague! Give exact dates AND time of day arriving (that affects transport choices) , what you want in activities, what kind of lodging you want (a 1 br apt w. 2 daybeds in mainroom easiest to find), what your budget range per night is etc. E-mail all 3 at once, see who answers first.
2
Thorn Tree
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