Islands of Light: Southern Cyclades Voyage
Discover the hidden beauty of the Southern Cyclades—where mythology, nature, and island elegance come together. Set sail on a motor yacht adventure like no other. Join us and experience the Cyclades from a whole new perspective.
Myths, Shores, and Sunsets
Embark on a 7-day motorboat journey through the sun-drenched gems of the Southern Cyclades. Designed for high-speed cruising, this itinerary offers a perfect blend of history, nature, and island charm—without the crowds.
Day 1 – Athens to Kea
Cruise south around Makronisos and head northeast toward the enchanting island of Kea. Famous for its sandy shores and rich mythology, Kea is home to medieval castles, traditional watermills, and sacred ancient sites dedicated to Athena, Apollo, Demeter, and Asklepios.
Day 2 – Kea to Kythnos
Known for its healing thermal springs, Kythnos is a classic Cycladic island. Explore the fascinating Katafiki Cave—once an iron mine—and admire its striking stalactites and rock formations. Visit local folklore and Byzantine museums in Dryopida, and don’t miss the island’s beloved church, Panagia Kanala.
Day 3 – Kythnos to Sifnos
A southeast sail brings you to elegant Sifnos, with its olive groves and almond orchards. The Church of the Seven Martyrs stands proudly on a rocky outcrop—an iconic Cycladic scene. Discover hidden monasteries and museums, including the revered Chrissopighi Monastery.
Day 4 – Sifnos to Milos
Head southwest to the volcanic island of Milos, still relatively untouched by mass tourism. Discover the island’s mineral-rich heritage at the Mining Museum, explore early Christian catacombs, and visit the ancient theatre in Adamas, where cultural events still take place today.
Day 5 – Milos to Ios
Sail east to lively Ios, an island alive with festivals and summer energy. Beyond the buzz, visit the Tomb of Homer or explore the archaeological site of Skarkos to get a glimpse of ancient Cycladic life.
Day 6 – Ios to Anafi
Anafi welcomes you with peaceful beaches and a laid-back atmosphere. Spend the day sailing around the island or join in on summer cultural events. Its unspoiled beauty makes it a tranquil escape near bustling Santorini.
Day 7 – Anafi to Santorini (Kamari & Vlychada)
Drop anchor in Kamari, where you’ll find seaside shops, tavernas, and a charming open-air cinema. Discover the ancient city of Thera on Mount Mesa Vouno, try diving or water sports, and soak in the island’s unique volcanic landscape. End your journey in Vlychada, known for its scenic beaches and horseback riding tours. If time allows, explore Akrotiri’s archaeological ruins, taste local wines, and visit the monastery of Prophet Elias.
This route is ideal for motorboat seeking a mix of iconic sights, hidden gems, and unforgettable sailing moments in the Cyclades.
Athens
Athens is one of the few places where you can spend the morning at a 2,500-year-old ruin and be anchored off an island by afternoon. The food gets better the moment you leave the tourist zone — fresh seafood at Mikrolimano, late lunches along the Piraeus waterfront. Alimos Marina, the largest in Greece, sits on the city's southern edge and puts the Saronic Gulf and the Cyclades within direct reach. From the water you see the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion the way it was meant to be seen — alone, glowing at sunset, no crowd between you and the cliff. The season runs April through October; give yourself a day in the city before you set sail.
Kea
Kea (also called Tzia, ancient name Keos) is the closest Cycladic island to Athens, 20 kilometres east of the Cape Sounion peninsula and the standard 1st-day overnight stop for any Cycladic charter starting from Lavrion. The 130-square-kilometre island holds about 2,500 year-round residents and lacks a busy international airport, which makes it less crowded than larger Cyclades like Mykonos. The west-coast Korissia is the ferry port and main harbour; the more sheltered yacht moorings are 1 kilometre north at Vourkari, a fishing village with the famous Aristos and Yannis harbour-side fish tavernas. The capital Ioulis (Hora) sits in the interior hills 5 kilometres east, a fortified medieval town with a 6th-century-BC Archaic-era stone lion sculpture carved directly into a hillside outcrop on the edge of town. Kea is 30 minutes from Lavrion by sail. Season runs May through October; meltemi peak July-August.
Kythnos
Kythnos (sometimes spelled Kithnos, locally Thermia) sits in the western Cyclades, 30 nautical miles southeast of the Athens marinas, between Kea to the north and Serifos to the south — a 99-square-kilometre island with about 1,500 year-round residents and 92 small beaches but no commercial airport, which makes it one of the quietest of the Cyclades close to Athens. The defining feature is the small north-coast village of Loutra, which holds the only active thermal hot springs in the Cyclades — two sulphur-rich springs (38°C and 52°C) flow directly into the harbour and into a small bath house built 1857 by Bavarian-era King Otto, with year-round bathers. The main ferry harbour is Merichas on the west coast. The capital Hora sits 8 kilometres inland in the central hills. Kythnos is 90 minutes from Kea by sail. Season runs May through October; meltemi peak July-August.
Sifnos
Sifnos sits in the western Cyclades, 75 nautical miles southeast of Athens, between Serifos to the north and Milos to the south — a 74-square-kilometre island with about 2,600 year-round residents and a distinctive culinary culture (the chef Nikos Tselementes, who wrote the foundational 1910 modern Greek cookbook, was from Sifnos and the island is widely accepted as the origin point of modern Greek cuisine). The island is also rated for its traditional ceramic pottery — Sifniot earthenware (red clay vessels with distinct rim designs) has been continuously produced since classical antiquity in the southern hill village of Kamares. The most-rated yacht stop is Vathy Bay on the southwest coast — a deep horseshoe inlet with a sandy seabed and a single beach taverna village. The capital Apollonia sits inland in the central hills, with the fortified medieval Kastro village 4 kilometres east on a coastal headland. Sifnos is 4 hours from Serifos by sail. Season runs May through October.
Milos
Milos is the volcanic outlier of the Cyclades — a horseshoe-shaped island built from white pumice and rust-coloured lava that creates some of the most dramatic coastlines in Greece. Sarakiniko looks like a lunar landscape: smooth white rock sculpted by wind and sea, with a small turquoise channel cutting through. Kleftiko, on the south coast, holds towering sea caves that pirates once used as hideouts, now accessible only by boat. The fishing village of Klima stacks colourful boathouses (syrmata) directly on the water. The island is also where the Venus de Milo was found in 1820. Milos is 4 hours from Santorini. Season runs May through October.
Ios
Ios is the night-life capital of the southern Cyclades — a small island halfway between Naxos and Santorini that turns into one long open-air party in August. By day the picture changes: Mylopotas beach is a kilometre of golden sand with shallow turquoise water, Manganari in the south offers quieter sand coves, and the harbour of Ormos handles the charter traffic. The hilltop Chora village holds 365 churches (one for every day of the year, by local count) and the alleged tomb of Homer at the island's northern tip. Ios is 90 minutes from Santorini and 2 hours from Naxos. Season runs May through October.
Anafi
Anafi is the easternmost Cyclades island and one of the smallest with year-round population — fewer than 300 people, one harbour, one Chora village. The east end of the island is dominated by Mount Kalamos, a 460-metre limestone monolith rising straight from the sea, said to be the second-largest in Europe after Gibraltar. A path climbs to a small monastery wedged into a cliff terrace near the summit. The southern coast has empty white-sand beaches at Roukounas and Klissidi, both unmarked and reachable only by foot or boat. Anafi is 90 minutes from Santorini. Season runs May through October.
Santorini
Santorini (officially Thira) is the southernmost main Cycladic island, 110 nautical miles southeast of Athens — the surviving rim of a Bronze Age volcanic caldera. The 1627-BC Minoan eruption (the largest volcanic event in human civilisation) collapsed the centre of a single circular island into a 12-kilometre-wide flooded caldera 390 metres deep, leaving four crescent-shaped fragments of the original rim: Thira (the main inhabited island), Thirassia, Aspronisi, and the two younger volcanic cones in the centre (Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni) that emerged from later eruptions. The defining feature is the caldera-rim cliff towns of Fira (capital) and Oia (the rated sunset village), built 300 metres directly above the flooded volcanic centre. The visiting yacht moorings are inside the caldera at Vlychada port and at Ammoudi below Oia. Santorini is 8 hours from Mykonos by sail. Season runs May through October.
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