This is one of the best Greek itineraries for catamaran charters. The Saronic Gulf offers short daily hops, calm water, and a mix of historic harbour towns and secluded nature spots, all within easy reach of Athens. The loop runs from Aegina to Poros, Hydra, Spetses, Nafplio, Dokos and Agistri, with plenty of protected bays to anchor in and lively waterfront towns to tie up stern-to. More sheltered than the Cyclades, yet still exposed enough for good sailing, this route suits guests who want authentic island experiences without long passages or weather-related rerouting.
Take a day to explore Athens before you set sail if your schedule allows: the Acropolis, the Parthenon and Erechtheion, the Dionysus Theatre, the Acropolis Museum, and Plaka, the city’s most picturesque shopping neighbourhood.
The week runs Saturday to Saturday: board Saturday afternoon at Agios Kosmas near Glyfada, hand back the following Saturday morning, seven nights on board, about 180 nautical miles in total. One leg stands out from the rest, the 39nm crossing from Nafplio to Dokos, everything else on the route is under 25nm. Your captain adjusts the order to conditions; the shape below assumes normal summer weather.
The route at a glance
Day 1 – Athens to Aegina (about 15nm)
Midday: boarding and the crossing
After boarding at Agios Kosmas near Glyfada, cruise southwest toward Aegina, less than an hour away. Along the route you pass Salamina, where the Greek navy famously defeated the Persians in 480 BC, industrial today but genuinely monumental in Greek history.
Afternoon: Aegina Town
Aegina briefly served as the capital of Greece from 1826 to 1828, during the War of Independence, and its main town still reflects that legacy: neoclassical buildings, a lively harbour, and narrow streets lined with pistachio vendors, a real local specialty worth trying.
Evening: Agia Marina
For the first anchorage, Agia Marina, a sheltered bay on the northeast coast with tavernas and sea views, sits below the Temple of Aphaia. Dating to the 5th century BC, this well-preserved Doric temple forms a sacred triangle with the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. If the group wants a swim, Agia Marina Beach has clear water and watersports, while Souvala on the north coast is quieter, known for its hot springs.
Overnight: Agia Marina, Aegina.
Don’t Miss
- The Temple of Aphaia, overlooking Agia Marina
- Aegina Town’s harbour and pistachio market
- A swim at Agia Marina Beach or the hot springs at Souvala
Day 2 – Aegina to Poros (about 15nm)
Morning: a short hop south
A short morning crossing south from Aegina brings you to Poros, one of the best islands in the Saronic Gulf to arrive at by yacht. Popular beaches include Megalo Nerio, Mikro Nerio, Russian Bay and Kanali on the southern side, and Vagionia to the north.
Lunch: Love Bay
Just northwest of town, Love Bay is a pine-fringed beach with turquoise water, popular enough that it is worth anchoring early or visiting in the late afternoon. Askeli Beach to the east is longer and better-equipped, with sunbeds and watersports.
Afternoon: the Clock Tower
Poros Town is filled with narrow streets, flowering balconies, and neoclassical architecture. Climb up to the iconic Clock Tower for panoramic views, especially at sunset. Archaeology lovers can reach the remains of the Temple of Poseidon, inland between Poros Town and Vagionia, by car in under 30 minutes.
Evening: dinner at Oasis
For dinner ashore, our brokers send guests to Oasis on the waterfront, the reliable choice in Poros Town rather than the flashiest one, exactly what you want on a first night out.
Broker insight
The Saronic is the easiest week in Greece to get right. Short hops, calm water, and Athens always close by, so it suits first-time charterers and families best.
Marcelle Hailwax
Charter Broker
Overnight: Poros Town.
Don’t Miss
- The Clock Tower’s panoramic sunset view
- Swimming at Love Bay or Askeli Beach
- Dinner at Oasis on the Poros waterfront
Day 3 – Poros to Hydra (about 22nm)
Morning: a car-free island
A crossing to the car-free Hydra. Where Poros is green and wooded, Hydra is rugged and rocky, though the island hides a number of sheltered coves, some surprisingly lush. Since no motor vehicles are allowed, donkeys are the local mode of transport, and part of the charm.
Afternoon: Hydra Town
Hydra Town is built like an amphitheatre into the hillside, stone mansions and paved lanes, its harbour overlooked by a bastion lined with 18th-century cannons. Hydra is also one of the best diving spots in the Saronic Gulf, with day and night dives around a Bronze Age shipwreck, and the Historical Archives Museum holds documents from Greece’s War of Independence.
Evening: Kaminia or Vlychos
Nearby villages Kaminia and Vlychos, both a short donkey ride away, offer laid-back beach options, Kaminia a long sandy beach with Peloponnese views, Vlychos more organised with sunbeds and tavernas. For a further detour by tender, Bisti and Agios Nikolaos beaches in the southwest are pebble beaches reachable only by sea.
Overnight: Hydra Town.
Don’t Miss
- Hydra Town’s amphitheatre of stone mansions
- Diving the Bronze Age shipwreck
- Agios Nikolaos beach, reachable only by sea
Day 4 – Hydra to Spetses (about 16nm)
Morning: the westernmost island
Spetses, the westernmost island of the Argosaronic archipelago, is reached past small islets off the Peloponnese coast. Many guests consider its secluded beaches the most beautiful in the Saronic.
Afternoon: the Bouboulina Museum
Spetses Town, in the east, has elegant mansions from the Middle Ages, and the island was among the first to contribute ships to the War of Independence, commemorated every September at the Armata Festival. Near Dapia Port, the Bouboulina Museum, in the house of Laskarina Bouboulina, heroine of the Independence War, runs guided tours in English.
Evening: Vinoterra
For the evening, Vinoterra is worth booking, one of our brokers checked ahead and confirmed they pour four different proseccos, not something you find on most Greek islands. Afterward, the coastal path continues past the restaurant toward the Arvanitia lighthouse, an easy walk with the water on one side the whole way.
Overnight: Spetses Town.
Don’t Miss
- The Bouboulina Museum’s guided tour of Spetses’ history
- Agios Nikolaos Church’s marble bell tower
- The coastal walk to the Arvanitia lighthouse
Day 5 – Spetses to Nafplio (about 28nm)
Morning: into the Argolic Gulf
Leaving the Saronic for a spell, sail west into the Argolic Gulf toward Nafplio, the mainland town most captains agree is worth the longer crossing. Nafplio was Greece’s first capital, from 1823 to 1834, and the neoclassical architecture in the old town still reflects that era.
Afternoon: Bourtzi Castle
Bourtzi Castle sits on its own small islet, St Theodoroi, guarding the harbour entrance. Venetian engineers built it in 1473 to block pirate raids, and added a chain barrier across the harbour mouth in 1502 so no ship could enter without permission. Greek forces retook Nafplio from the Ottomans on 18 June 1822, and Bourtzi later had a grim second life as the residence of the executioner for convicts held at Palamidi Fortress, on the hill above town, until 1865. It spent decades afterward as a small hotel before becoming the landmark it is today.
Evening: the old town
Climb to Palamidi Fortress for the view over the gulf if there’s time before dinner, then head down into the old town’s stone streets, filled with jewellery shops, cafes and tavernas built into the Venetian architecture. It’s a proper walking town, one of the few stops on this route where you’ll want real shoes, not deck shoes.
Overnight: Nafplio.
Don’t Miss
- Bourtzi Castle’s four centuries as a Venetian fortress
- The climb to Palamidi Fortress for the view over the gulf
- The Venetian old town’s stone streets and tavernas
Day 6 – Nafplio to Dokos (about 39nm)
Morning: the longest crossing of the week
The trip from Nafplio to Dokos is the longest leg of the whole route, about 39 nautical miles across open water in the Argolic Gulf. Plan on three to four hours under engine or sail, and check the forecast with your captain the night before, this is the one crossing most likely to move if the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Afternoon: an island with nothing on it
Dokos has no port, no village, and no taverna, just a rocky, mountainous island rising to 308 metres, reached only by yacht or sea-taxi from Hydra, Ermioni or Spetses. The best anchorage is Skindos Bay, clear water sheltered from most winds, and one of the quietest stops on the whole itinerary.
Evening: the oldest shipwreck in the world
Archaeologists have found evidence of settlement on Dokos going back more than 8,000 years, and the waters off the island hold one of the oldest known shipwrecks anywhere in the world, a Bronze Age wreck roughly 4,200 years old, discovered still carrying its cargo of amphorae. There’s nothing to see from the deck, the wreck is a protected archaeological site, but it’s a genuinely remarkable thing to be anchored above.
Overnight: Skindos Bay, Dokos.
Don’t Miss
- Anchoring in Skindos Bay, sheltered from most winds
- Swimming above one of the world’s oldest known shipwrecks
- A night with no light pollution at all
Day 7 – Dokos to Agistri (about 23nm)
Morning: the greenest island in the gulf
Agistri, reached after a crossing north from Dokos, is one of the greenest islands in the Saronic Gulf, hidden coves, pine-covered hills, and a laid-back local vibe. Skala and Megalochori are the main villages, both easy stopovers for supplies or a quick stroll.
Afternoon: the southern coast
Skala Beach is sandy and family-friendly, Halikiada to the south is secluded and reachable only on foot or by boat. But the real highlight is the uninhabited southern coast, where your crew swims a stern line to the rocks so you can moor up close to shore for an afternoon of swimming and water toys.
Evening: the secret beach bar
Just around the corner from one of these coves is a small beach bar known mostly to locals and yacht crews, an Aperol Spritz, fresh grilled seafood, and one of the best sunset views in the Saronic, the Peloponnese silhouetted in the distance.
Overnight: A protected cove, Agistri’s southern coast.
Don’t Miss
- Mooring stern-to on Agistri’s uninhabited southern coast
- The locals-only beach bar with the best sunset on the route
- Dragonera Beach, a quiet pebble cove framed by pine forest
Day 8 – Agistri to Athens (about 21nm)
Morning: the sail to Piraeus
Leaving Agistri behind, sail for Athens and the port of Piraeus, a modern, bustling seaport and your last stop to close out the week.
Afternoon: Cape Sounion, if there is time
The Temple of Poseidon at Sounion and Cape Sounio is worth the excursion by coach or taxi from Piraeus harbour if the schedule allows, spectacular views over Attica Bay and ancient ruins on the way back down.
Evening: a final night in Athens
A final evening back on Athens’ doorstep before hand-back, an easy way to close out a week that never strayed far from the capital.
Overnight: Piraeus.
Don’t Miss
- The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion
- Panoramic views over Attica Bay
- A relaxed final evening close to Athens
Making This Week Work
The yacht you need
Catamarans, sailboats and motor yachts all suit the Saronic equally well. Every leg on this route is a comfortable day-hop except one: the crossing from Nafplio to Dokos, about 39nm across open water, worth checking the forecast for with your captain a day ahead.
How weather can change the week
The Saronic is more sheltered than the Cyclades, so this is an average rather than high weather-dependency route overall. The exception is the open-water crossing between Nafplio and Dokos, the one leg of the week with real exposure, and the one most likely to move the day order if conditions turn.
Best Months to Book
- Best: May, June and September, warm water with fewer crowds at Hydra and Spetses
- Toughest: nothing here is truly difficult in summer, July and August are simply the busiest at the harbour towns
Swap-In Stop: Ermioni
The eight days above are the version of this route we book most often, but one more mainland-side stop is worth knowing about, and your captain can fold it into the week without adding much distance.
Ermioni is a small peninsula town on the mainland between Hydra, Spetses and Dokos, calm water on both sides, a working waterfront with some of the best fish tavernas in the gulf, and none of the evening crowds of its famous neighbours. It’s also one of the closest real embarkation points to Dokos, so some captains break up the long Nafplio-to-Dokos crossing with a night here instead of sailing it in one go.
If this appeals more than the single long crossing in the main route, just tell us when you book, the distances in the Saronic are short enough that the week bends to your preferences, not the other way around.
