Last updated: September 2026
This is a 5-day yacht charter from Athens into the Western Cyclades: Kea, Kythnos, Serifos and Sifnos, then back towards Athens. “5-day” here means five nights on board, which gives six days: a boarding day on Kea, four days among the islands and a return day. It is written for a crewed motor yacht first, with a catamaran as the alternative, for the 2027 season.
Our island guides describe Kea as a practical first stop from Athens, Kythnos as a stop that connects Athens, Kea, Serifos and Sifnos, and Serifos as a stop that works between Kythnos and Sifnos on a western Cyclades yacht charter route. Put in that order they keep the week out of the more exposed central Cyclades on the first day.
Board and hand back at Lavrio (also spelled Lavrion), which gets you to Kea quickly (about 15nm). Only 15 of the yachts we list give Lavrio among their bases, as at 30 September 2026, so ask for a Lavrio-based yacht when you enquire. From Alimos in Athens the first leg is about 30nm instead; if you also hand back at Alimos, Day 6 becomes about 45nm and replaces Day 5 as the longest leg. On the Lavrio version the longest leg is Day 5, Sifnos to Kythnos, at about 25nm (27nm before rounding); Day 6 is about 25nm too, and every other leg is 10 to 15nm. Distances are approximate straight-line figures, which can cross an island, between the main harbours, Lavrio, Vourkari (Kea), Merichas (Kythnos), Livadi (Serifos) and Kamares (Sifnos), not the named anchorages such as Loutra, Kolona or Platis Gialos, so a leg that ends there can differ; the captain’s route may be a little longer.
A 5-night charter sits between a short break and a full week, so read our guide to yacht charter in Greece for less than a week for how short charters are priced. In July and August the meltemi matters on this route, and there is a plan B further down.
Day 1 – Lavrio to Kea (about 15nm)
Morning: boarding at Lavrio
Lavrio sits outside central Athens, and our Athens guide notes that some charters start there because it gets you moving faster towards the islands. Your broker confirms the base when you book. The short first crossing takes you to Kea; our meltemi guide says the passages around Kea deliver more wind than the forecast, so this is a morning leg in July and August.
Lunch and swim: Koundouros or Spathi
Our Kea guide lists Koundouros as a beach and bay area often considered by yacht crews, and Spathi Beach as a scenic option when the route and conditions fit. The captain picks whichever is workable on the day.
Evening: Vourkari
Vourkari is the best-known yacht-side village on Kea for dining and an evening ashore. Kea is a practical first stop because it gives an island feeling quickly, without a long run deep into the Cyclades on day one.
Don’t Miss
- Dinner in Vourkari
- Koundouros or Spathi Beach for a swim
Day 2 – Kea to Kythnos (about 15nm)
Morning: a hop south to Kythnos
Our Kythnos guide calls it one of the most useful Cyclades stops from Athens, because it gives a charter a real island day without pushing too far into the more exposed central Cyclades.
Lunch and swim: Kolona Beach
Kolona is the signature double-sided beach. Kolona has anchorage on both sides, and the captain picks the one that suits the wind on the day.
Evening: Loutra
Loutra is a harbour village with hot-spring history, according to our guide. The captain chooses the overnight anchorage by wind direction and comfort.
Don’t Miss
- Kolona Beach, the double-sided beach
- Loutra and its hot-spring history
Day 3 – Kythnos to Serifos (about 15nm)
Morning: towards a rugged island
Our Serifos guide describes it as a raw, less polished Cyclades stop that works well between Kythnos and Sifnos.
Lunch and swim: Livadi and Livadaki
Livadi is the practical harbour reference point, with Livadaki and the Livadi coast nearby for a swim. Beach stops on Serifos depend on the conditions, which is why the island is planned with Kythnos and Sifnos either side, so the captain has options if the wind changes.
Evening: Chora at sunset
Chora is one of the most dramatic hill towns in the Cyclades, especially around sunset.
Don’t Miss
- Chora at sunset
- Livadaki and the Livadi coast
Day 4 – Serifos to Sifnos (about 10nm)
Morning: a short crossing
The shortest leg of the route takes you to Sifnos, which our Sifnos guide calls one of our favourite Cyclades islands for guests who care about food and villages.
Lunch and swim: Platis Gialos
Platis Gialos is a beach and dining area our guide describes as often useful for guests. Faros and Chrissopigi are classic Sifnos coastal scenery if you want a second stop.
Evening: Apollonia and Kastro
Apollonia is the main village area and a good evening ashore, and Kastro is a beautiful old village with strong views. Our guide says Sifnos is one of the Cyclades islands where we most strongly recommend dinner ashore. Kamares is the main port reference, but the final anchorage depends on wind, berth space and whether guests want beach time or a village evening, so ask the captain how you will get to the villages.
Don’t Miss
- Dinner in Apollonia
- Kastro’s old village
- Platis Gialos beach
Day 5 – Sifnos to Kythnos (about 25nm, the longest leg)
Morning: the longest leg of the week
This is the longest leg of the route, about 25nm in a straight line, and it heads north up the chain into the prevailing meltemi, so it is the leg where the wind matters most: start early and check the forecast with your captain the day before. It doubles back through Kythnos on purpose. A direct run from Sifnos to Lavrio would be about 55nm, so the Kythnos stop keeps each of the last two days near 25nm.
Lunch and swim: Apokrousi
Apokrousi is a beach area our Kythnos guide says is often paired with Kolona, so it is a natural swim stop on a second visit to the island.
Evening: back on Kythnos
The captain chooses the overnight anchorage on Kythnos by wind direction and comfort; our Kythnos guide says Kolona is famous, but it is not the only decision. Loutra, the harbour village you used on Day 2, is the other option.
On a motor yacht: the long leg
Ask your broker how long your yacht takes for this leg, and plan to make it in the morning before the afternoon wind builds.
Don’t Miss
- Apokrousi beach
Day 6 – Kythnos to Lavrio (about 25nm)
Morning: the last leg
The return to Lavrio is about 25nm in a straight line, close to Day 5 in length, and it also heads north and runs close to Kea, so the same morning window applies in a meltemi spell. Agree the hand-back time with your broker at booking; it depends on the yacht’s terms.
Hand-back at Lavrio
Lavrio is outside central Athens, so plan the transfer for your flight with your broker; our Athens guide gives roughly 30 to 60 minutes from the airport to a marina, depending on where the yacht is based and the time of day.
The Meltemi in July and August: Plan B
The meltemi is the dry northerly wind that blows across the Aegean from June to September, strongest from mid-July to mid-August. Our meltemi wind guide says it is typically Force 4 to 5 in the Cyclades with spells of Force 6 to 7, that a spell lasts 3 to 6 days, and that the passages around Kea, Andros and Tinos deliver noticeably more wind than the open-water forecast. On this route, Days 2 to 4 run south with the wind. Day 1 is a crossing east to Kea, where the wind is stronger, so it needs a morning window. Days 5 and 6 run north into the wind, and Day 6 runs close to Kea.
Our guide also sets out how crews plan around it: cruise in the morning before the afternoon wind builds, sit on the lee side of an island at anchor, and agree a fallback route before the charter rather than after. Our suggestion for this route is three steps, agreed with your broker and captain:
- Plan A: the route as written, with morning cruising windows on Day 1, Day 5 and Day 6.
- Plan B: shorten the chain and take the exposed legs early. Turn at Serifos instead of Sifnos, which shortens the Day 5 run north into the wind to about 15nm, spend the spare day at anchor on the lee side of Kythnos or Serifos, and still take Day 6, which runs close to Kea, in the morning window. This gives up the Sifnos evening ashore.
- Plan C: decide before departure to swap to the Saronic Gulf, starting from Lavrio with a first leg of about 30nm to Aegina. It feels far less of the meltemi, according to our guide, and our Saronic loop from Athens shows the sheltered alternative.
These steps are our routing advice, not a forecast rule: Plan B or C is worth considering if a strong meltemi spell is forecast, and your captain makes the final call. The port authority can also hold vessels in harbour in gale spells, so keep the last day flexible. Our Greece yacht charter weather page has the month-by-month picture.
Which Yacht Suits This Route
A crewed motor yacht is the best fit for the Day 5 and Day 6 legs into the meltemi, because, with stabilisers, it holds its comfort line best in a meltemi spell, according to our meltemi guide. For a larger yacht, see our luxury yachts and 30m-plus superyacht pages. A catamaran is the alternative, with a lower weekly rate, and our guide says it rewards patient routing between sheltered stops; our own suggestion is to make Plan B the default on one in a meltemi spell.
Our short-charter guide gives the convention on most Greek yachts for a short charter: the weekly rate divided by 6, times the nights, though some owners charge more, and we confirm per yacht. For 5 nights that is 5/6 of the weekly rate, which is about €37,500 to €37,917 at the motor yacht median in April, May and October and about €45,833 from June to September, and about €15,417 to €20,167 at the catamaran medians. The medians are the median weekly base rate across all the Greece-based yachts of every size we list on mygreekcharter.com (fleet-wide medians, not prices for Lavrio-based yachts; a quote depends on the yacht, base and dates), as at 30 September 2026: the rate in effect on the 15th of each month, 2027 list rates for April to September and the latest published rate (2026) for October, before VAT, APA and gratuity. The number of yachts behind each median is in brackets.
| Month | Motor yacht, median per week | Sailing catamaran, median per week |
|---|---|---|
| Apr | €45,000 (227 yachts) | €19,500 (109 yachts) |
| May | €45,500 (232 yachts) | €20,000 (115 yachts) |
| Jun | €55,000 (232 yachts) | €22,000 (111 yachts) |
| Jul | €55,000 (237 yachts) | €24,200 (122 yachts) |
| Aug | €55,000 (237 yachts) | €24,200 (122 yachts) |
| Sep | €55,000 (229 yachts) | €22,000 (105 yachts) |
| Oct (2026 rate) | €45,500 (232 yachts) | €18,500 (117 yachts) |
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