Why book a boat trip when you’re in Greece?
From organised excursions to hiring a speed boat and skipper and setting your own course, taking a boat trip in Greece is an experience you’ll never forget. Isolated beaches and neighbouring islands you’d otherwise only have dreamed about become yours for the day.
Whether you’re on a Greek island or somewhere on the coast of mainland Greece, a boat trip lets you get the most out of your destination. In fact, for some of the most famous beaches in Greece, it’s literally the only way to get there. Take a look at Shipwreck beach in Zante and Lalaria in Skiathos and you’ll know what we mean. And then imagine going to either island and not experiencing them.
On Milos, a boat trip introduces you to the many incredible swimming spots around the island and lets you swim in the aquamarine waters of the sea caves of Kleftiko. Or you could cruise the southern coastline of Kos, where you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to beaches.
Day trips to neighbouring Greek islands
And it’s not just about the beaches. The experience of setting sail on a converted Greek fishing boat (known as a kaiki) is as authentic as it gets in a country with such a rich seafaring past.
When you’re on Kefalonia, you’ll be entranced by the blues of the Melissani Sea Cave or you could even get a taste of neighbouring Ithaca, the island home of Odysseus and pretty-as-a-picture beaches. And if you think Lefkada (another Ionian island) has amazing beaches, try setting sail beyond the port of Nydri to the islets just beyond Lefkada’s shores.
Boat trips that take you to a different Greece
One of the most beautiful holiday boat trips in Greece is into the marine park around Alonissos, in the Sporades island chain. You’ll visit tiny islets with gorgeous swimming spots and be surrounded by incredible natural wealth that includes the largest population of the incredibly shy Mediterranean Monk Seal. And from cosmopolitan Rhodes, you can get a completely different island vibe by visiting small and sophisticated Halki or Symi for the day.
Even the Cyclades’ two megastars, Santorini and Mykonos, have boat trips to nearby islands that offer a totally different pace of life. From Santorini, you step back 50 years when you arrive at Thirassia (another caldera island) and Delos is a cultural treasure trove that was once much more famous than Mykonos as the birthplace of the god Apollo. Without a doubt, both are among the most memorable boat trips in Greece.
You’ll be amazed how many Greek islands have fascinating smaller neighbours: Saria (next to Karpathos) and Polyegos (by Milos) let you hike them first before settling down to more beach time. The same goes for Chrissi (the golden isle) and Koufonisi (a dessert island) off Crete, and for Antipaxos (Paxos’ exotic little brother in the Ionian Sea) and Samiopoula (next Samos in the North Aegean).
Boat trips from mainland Greece
Even Halkidiki, the three-pronged peninsula dripping with beaches in northern Greece, has boat trips that you’ll adore, such as visiting little Ammouliani island and the even smaller cluster of exotic isles next to it known as Gaidouronisia (Donkey Islands), so close you can swim between them.
And, finally, just because you’re in Athens, it doesn’t mean you can’t experience Greece’s amazing islands, with boat trips to the Saronic Gulf isles, visiting Aegina, Poros and Hydra and still being back in time to dine under the Acropolis.
So don’t think twice about adding a boat trip to your holidays in Greece.
