This is the one-way western route: Athens to Mykonos through the quiet side of the Cyclades — Kythnos, Serifos, Milos, Folegandros — before the finale at Santorini, Amorgos and Paros. Because you never double back, every day is a new island, and the crowded east only arrives once you have had the empty west to yourselves. Around 220 nautical miles across the week, with the longest legs mid-week.
The charter runs Saturday to Saturday — board in Athens, disembark in Mykonos, seven nights on board. One-way weeks carry a repositioning fee for the yacht’s return; we will quote it up front so there are no surprises. As always, the captain adjusts the order to the meltemi.
The route at a glance
- Day 1: Board in Athens
- Day 2: Athens to Kythnos (~38nm)
- Day 3: Kythnos to Serifos and Milos (~40nm)
- Day 4: Milos to Polyaigos and Folegandros (~30nm)
- Day 5: Folegandros to Sikinos and Santorini (~28nm)
- Day 6: Santorini to Ios and Amorgos (~48nm)
- Day 7: Amorgos to Paros, Delos and Mykonos (~55nm)
Day 1 – Board in Athens
Embarkation is Saturday afternoon at Alimos Marina, the biggest charter base in Greece and a short transfer from the airport. Meet the crew, unpack once for the whole week, and have a first dinner either aboard or in Mikrolimano’s harborfront tavernas nearby. The route ahead leans west into the islands most visitors never see, so rest up — from tomorrow, every morning starts somewhere new.
Day 2 – Athens to Kythnos (~38nm)
The first real leg crosses to Kythnos, past Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon standing on its cliff — worth slowing down for even if you do not stop. On Kythnos, head for Kolona: a double-sided sandbar beach connecting the island to a rocky islet, with swimmable water on both sides and sunsets that make the whole anchorage go quiet. There are thermal springs at Loutra on the northeast coast if your group wants the harbor-village evening instead.
Day 3 – Kythnos to Serifos and Milos (~40nm)
South through the western chain: a lunch stop under Serifos’ dramatic hilltop Chora — one of the finest in the Cyclades and still barely visited — then on to Milos for the night. Milos is the route’s scenery jackpot: a volcanic island whose coastline changes color every few miles. Get the tender out for Kleftiko’s white rock arches if the sea allows this evening, or save it for the morning.
Day 4 – Milos to Polyaigos and Folegandros (~30nm)
Start with Polyaigos, the largest uninhabited island of the Aegean, just off Milos — turquoise coves, no buildings, no crowds, and some of the clearest water in Greece. This is the day the water toys earn their keep. In the late afternoon, cross to Folegandros and take the path or the bus up to its clifftop Chora for dinner — a village hanging 200 meters above the sea, and for many of our clients the single best evening of this route.
Day 5 – Folegandros to Sikinos and Santorini (~28nm)
A gentle morning hop past Sikinos — stop for a swim or a quick look at its tiny port if the schedule allows — and then the approach every guest remembers: into the Santorini caldera by sea, cliffs rising three hundred meters overhead. Go ashore to Oia or Fira in the late afternoon when the cruise crowds thin, or watch the sunset from the deck with dinner on board, which our crews will tell you beats the crowded balconies ashore. Overnight positioning is the captain’s call — the caldera is exposed.
Day 6 – Santorini to Ios and Amorgos (~48nm)
A morning swim at the Nea Kameni hot springs or a last look at the caldera, then north with a lunch stop at Ios — Mylopotas beach or the harbor bay — before the afternoon run east to Amorgos. Amorgos is the wild card of this week: steep, dramatic, and home to the Panagia Hozoviotissa monastery built into a sheer cliff face 300 meters above the sea. If the group has energy, the evening visit is unforgettable; if not, Katapola harbor does a very good taverna dinner.
Day 7 – Amorgos to Paros, Delos and Mykonos (~55nm)
The final push west, broken twice: a swim and lunch off Paros or the Koufonisia channel, and — if timing allows — a late-afternoon pass by Delos, the sacred island at the center of the Cyclades circle. You arrive in Mykonos with the evening ahead of you: windmills, the old town, and a farewell dinner we are happy to book ahead — Mykonos tables disappear fast in season. Disembarkation is Saturday morning; flights out of Mykonos airport make the one-way logistics easy.
How to make this week work
This route suits groups who want range: the empty western islands and the famous eastern ones in a single week, without retracing a mile. The mid-week legs are real distances, so it works best on motor yachts or fast catamarans, and the meltemi matters here — your captain will run the exposed crossings in the morning calm. Budget for the one-way repositioning fee; for most groups the extra cost is comfortably worth never sailing the same water twice.
Want the same week without the fee? The Athens to Santorini round trip covers the headline islands and returns to Athens, and the Unspoiled Cyclades route stays entirely in the quiet west.
Talk to a Yacht Charter Expert
Finding the right yacht is one of the most important parts of the whole charter process, and one of the easiest places to go wrong without the right guidance.
That is where our experience matters. We know how to look beyond the listing, spot the differences that matter, and shortlist yachts that are a strong fit for the group, the budget, and the kind of trip you actually want to have.
If you are planning a charter in Greece, we would be happy to help you find the right yacht.
