Hidden Cyclades Sailing Adventure

10 days
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Small Ship Cruise
Sail through the Cyclades exploring the hidden islands so often overlooked by tourists. Forget paradise lost, it's waiting to be found on small islands like Serifos, Sifnos, Kythnos and Milos, where the blue and white buildings lean more towards authentic than aesthetic. Explore the white, lunar-like landscape of the Moon Beach, Sarakiniko, and dine on fresh ...

Overview

Trip type
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • The Aegean is one of the best places in the world to explore by boat, with small villages, deserted beaches, incredible food and crystal-clear, unbelievably blue water.
    • Spend your days hopping between the small islands of the Cyclades.
    • Visit the ruins of Karthaia and see temples dedicated to Athena and Apollo, as well as the ancient theatre, just up the hill from a beautiful beach.
    • With a maximum of eleven people on this trip, you'll be able to cram into the traditional tavernas lining the ports for an authentic culinary experience.

What's this trip about?

    Sail through the Cyclades exploring the hidden islands so often overlooked by tourists. Forget paradise lost, it's waiting to be found on small islands like Serifos, Sifnos, Kythnos and Milos, where the blue and white buildings lean more towards authentic than aesthetic. Explore the white, lunar-like landscape of the Moon Beach, Sarakiniko, and dine on fresh seafood in the small, local tavernas, washed down with a glass of ouzo. Whether it's by boat, swimming or snorkelling, the Aegean is waiting to wrap you in its warm, salty embrace, as are the hardy locals who call these islands home.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeIntimate group - max of 11 people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityAthens
End CityAthens

Travel Themes

  • Small Ship Cruise
  • Sailing

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Greece

Attractions

  • Athens
  • Milos

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Athens - Kythnos

Welcome to Greece! Meet your group at 11 am on Athens' southern coastline and board your boat for a safety briefing before sailing out towards Kythnos, an island in the Western Cyclades. Feel the spray of salt and the wind in your hair during a six-hour sail while getting to know your group, and spend the evening anchored offshore, waking up the following morning next to a beautiful beach. 

Day 2 Kythnos - Serifos

Enjoy a relaxed morning swimming or exploring Kythnos' gorgeous beaches. Eat lunch on board before heaving up anchor sailing towards Serifos, stopping in Livadi Bay. Serifos was a place of exile during Roman times but the only exile these days is willingly self-impose...

Day 3 Serifos - Vathi

Take an optional morning walk (approx. one hour) to the hora (town) of Serifos, for beautiful views of the island and the Aegean Sea. Enjoy a coffee in the town square before making your way back down the Livadi's harbour and taking the dinghy back to the boat where y...

Day 4 Kimolos

Spend the day sailing south to Kimolos and swimming in the ridiculously clear water until evening. Kick back on deck with a good book, or a bad one, and get to know the people in your group with some quality bonding time soaking up the sun. Fun fact: Kimolos may be sm...

Day 5 Polyaigos

Set sail from Kimolos to Polyaigos with a swim stop on the way. Lots of options including Sarakiniko, known as Moon Beach thanks to its lunar-like landscape. The dazzling white rock formations are twisted into incredible shapes as a result of erosion from the wind and...

Day 6 Sifnos - Platys Gialos

Sail to the Platis Gialos Marina on the southern end of Sifnos and spend the day relaxing and swimming at its sandy beach. Here, you'll have lunch (maybe a cold Mythos beer too) and pick up supplies for the rest of the journey. In the evening, take a bus up to the vil...

Day 7 Serifos - Koutalas Bay

Prepare for a super relaxed day. Sail to Koutalas Bay or north to the far side of Serifos to Psili Ammos, which was voted Europe's Best Beach in 2003 by the Sunday Times. It translates as 'soft fine sand', and nothing much has really changed in the past 15 or so years...

Day 8 Kythnos - Agios Ioannis

Today you'll return to the island of Kythnos, north of Serifos. But before you arrive, there's a swim stop at Agios Ioannis Beach. A quieter beach than its neighbour Psili Ammos, it's the perfect place for a mid-morning swim, a visit to the small church of Agios Ioann...

Day 9 Kea

Wake up to another day in paradise, this time sailing north to the island of Kea. Hit the beach at Mikres Poles on Kea's southside and check out the ancient Karthaia ruins. Karthaia was one of the four ancient cities of Kea, and these days you can see the remnants of ...

Day 10 Athens

Depart early from Kea on your final morning, at around 7 am. Sail back to your starting point, a marina on Athen's southern coastline, approximately six hours from Kea. Arrive and disembark the boat around 1 pm, at which point this sailing adventure comes to an end.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $2,167
Price per day$217
Last Updated: 7/19/2023

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Intrepid Travel.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Intrepid Travel

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The Intrepid Travel Experience

If you’re looking for adventure, you’ve come to the right place. For the past 25 years, we’ve been taking small groups of travelers on unforgettable trips around the world. What makes them unforgettable? Take a look for yourself and discover the Intrepid experience.

Our travelers have three styles of tour to choose from: Basix, Original and Comfort. Each has a different level of inclusions and accommodation, but all have unforgettable real life experiences as part of the package. Travellers can also choose themed trips, such as Family, Sailing or Food, to suit their interests.

Our group size has an average of just ten travellers, which allows us to get off the beaten track, use local accommodation and transport, and really get to know the culture. It also ensures we are contributing to the local economy; by choosing local suppliers we were able to keep AUD 60 million in local economies in 2012. We’re also working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and were the first in our sector to introduce carbon offset trips. This, along with our many corporate sustainability activities, has meant we’re one of the travel industry’s leaders in responsible travel.

Why Intrepid?

  •   Small groups - average of 10 people per trip
  •   Sustainability - pioneers for the industry
  •   Local leaders - authentic perspectives
  •   Local transport - get close and personal
  •   Local accommodation - experience real living
  •   Intrepid travelers - like-minded companions 

History

Intrepid Travel has come a long way since its beginnings in 1989. From two university friends, a typewriter and a kitchen desk, it is now a proud member of The Intrepid Group, taking over 100,000 travelers every year.

Intrepid Travel is part of The Intrepid Group of companies, alongside leading small group adventure companies Peregrine, Urban Adventures and PEAK DMC.

Despite growing into a global business with over 1,000 staff based all over the world and over 800 different trips across every continent, we’ve remained devoted to the same grassroots values and responsible travel philosophies that we had at the very beginning.

 

Values

On every trip we operate and in every interaction we have with a client, supplier or local, we live our core values everyday:

  • Integrity – Doing the right thing
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  • Fun – It’s engrained into who we are and what we do
  • Passion – We are inspired by the work we do and the trips we offer

 

Why we love this operator
They’re very committed to sustainable and responsible tourism and contribute to important initiatives like climate action.
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Small group tours for active and adventurous travelers at a range of different price points and service levels.

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Logistics

Accommodation

Overnight boat (9 nights),

Transportation & Flights

Boat,

Transportation & flights

Boat
Guides
On this trip you will be accompanied by one of our skippers. Your skipper's role involves taking charge of the sailing, the safety of the vessel and safety for all passengers on board. Skippers all hold a Yacht Master Offshore license or higher and have completed an intense training and review process before sailing with us. They are also fully qualified in CPR and First Aid. The aim of the skipper is also to take the hassle out of your travels by organizing the overall operation and smooth-running of the trip, managing trip logistics and coordinating the kitty (where applicable). Your skipper will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect skippers to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory for all our trips. We require that, at a minimum, you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. We strongly recommend that the policy also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. When travelling on a trip, you won't be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance company's 24 hour emergency contact number has been seen by your leader. If you have credit card insurance your group leader will require details of the participating insurer/underwriter, the level of coverage, policy number and emergency contact number rather than the bank's name and credit card details. Please contact your bank for these details prior to arriving in-country. http://www.intrepidtravel.com/insurance.php Many insurance companies will only cover you on a sailing trip if you are within a certain distance off the coast.  Noted below are the maximum distances (nautical miles) we travel off shore in Europe: Amalfi: 7 NM Sardinia: 2 NM France: 3NM Greece: 7NM Croatia: 5NM
Visa requirements
Passport: Your passport details are required to complete your booking. Please ensure the name on your passport matches the name on your booking and airline tickets. As a general rule most countries expect that your passport has a minimum of 6 months' validity remaining. Take a copy of the main passport pages and other important documents with you, and leave another copy at home with family or friends. Visas: Visas are the responsibility of the individual traveller. Entry requirements can change at any time, so it's important that you check for the latest information. Please visit the relevant consular website of the country or countries you’re visiting for detailed and up-to-date visa information specific to your nationality. Visas can take several weeks to process, so familiarise yourself with any requirements as soon as you have booked your trip to allow for processing time. If you receive an immigration card upon entry, please ensure you keep this safe as it may be requested at point of exit.
Health & Safety
Many national governments provide a regularly updated advice service on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure. Please refer to our website's safety page for links to major travel advisories and updates on safety issues affecting our trip. We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe-keeping of your passport, air tickets, cash and other valuable items. Leave your valuable jewellery at home - you won't need it while travelling. Many of our hotels have safety deposit boxes, which is the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage. In addition to any included activities on your trip you'll have some free time to pursue your own interests, relax and take it easy or explore at your leisure. Our local representative may be able to assist you with available options in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your Intrepid itinerary, and Intrepid makes no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time. Please also note that our local representative has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it's deemed necessary due to safety concerns. For more details on the type of conditions and safety standards you can expect on your trip, please refer to Intrepid's operational safety policy on our website. We recommend that you take a moment to read through this information before travelling, and would appreciate any feedback on how well it's being implemented in the field: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/safety-guidelines WATER SAFETY AT SEA: Travellers that are able and confident swimmers will be able to enjoy swimming & snorkelling off the boat, but please always note the skipper's advice and instructions on when and where to swim and what precautions to consider. Travellers who are not able to swim are certainly welcome on this trip, but you will be required to wear a life jacket when we are sailing. LIFE JACKETS: Intrepid will provide life jackets for private boats, but cannot guarantee that all public ferries will have enough life jackets or life rings for all clients. ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION: Alcohol abuse will not be tolerated onboard for safety reasons. The availability and consumption of alcohol on our sailing trips will be up to the skipper's discretion.
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Finish point Alimos Marina Alimos 174 55, Greece Alimos Athens GREECE
Trip ID
intrepid-ZSRC

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