Ten days in the Cyclades: Lavrion to Santorini and back
Ten days is the shortest time in which you can sail a full circle of the Cyclades on your own boat without turning the holiday into a race. Lavrion in southern Attica is the charter base closest to the islands: Kea is 13 nm away, Kythnos 25. The loop of about 281 nm runs down the western chain to Milos, crosses via Folegandros to the caldera of Santorini and comes back north through Ios, Paros and Syros. This is meltemi country: the wind decides how far you get each day, so the route is meant for an experienced crew, and the weather may take one or two legs.
Day by day
Lavrion (Olympic Marine)
- Lavrion (Olympic Marine)37.697, 24.060
Handover after 17:00 — the marina is 40 minutes' drive from Athens airport. Provisioning in town, night on the pontoon.
Lavrion → Kythnos (Merichas)
- Kolona (Kythnos)37.416, 24.372
- Merichas (Kythnos)37.391, 24.393
A short first day across the Kea Channel. On the way, lunch at anchor off Kolona, a sand spit between two bays two miles north of the port. Merichas is the main harbour of Kythnos, with tavernas along the quay.
Kythnos → Sifnos (Vathi)
- Vathi (Sifnos)36.929, 24.683
- Livadi (Serifos)town quay37.140, 24.518
South past Serifos, with the meltemi behind you. Vathi is an almost round bay in the south-west of Sifnos with a sandy bottom and the Taxiarchis monastery right at the water's edge: anchor, and dine in the beach tavernas.
Sifnos → Milos (Adamas)
- Adamas (Milos)36.723, 24.446
- Psathi (Kimolos)town quay36.784, 24.580
Milos is a volcanic island with a huge caldera bay, and the port of Adamas lies at its head. Moor on the town quay; ashore are Plaka on the hill, the fishing village of Klima with its boat garages and the white rocks of Sarakiniko.
Milos → Folegandros (Karavostasis)
- Karavostasis (Folegandros)36.614, 24.951
East to Folegandros, which splits the run to Santorini — about 55 nm direct — in half. Karavostasis is a small port behind a breakwater; the Chora on the edge of the cliff is one of the most beautiful in the Cyclades and is reached by bus.
Folegandros → Santorini (Vlychada)
- Oia (Santorini caldera)36.463, 25.366
- Vlychada Marina (Santorini)36.336, 25.434
The highlight of the route: into the caldera from the north below Oia, past Fira and the volcanic island of Nea Kameni. You cannot anchor in the caldera — it is hundreds of metres deep — so the night is in Vlychada marina on the south coast.
Santorini → Ios
- Ios36.722, 25.268
North to Ios — against the meltemi, so leave in the morning. The port sits in a deep bay on the west of the island with the Chora and its windmills above: quiet by day, the loudest nightlife in the Cyclades after dark.
Ios → Paros (Naoussa)
- Naoussa (Paros)37.126, 25.238
- Piso Livadi (Paros)town quay37.034, 25.259
Another day north, along the east coast of Paros. Naoussa is a fishing harbour with the ruins of a Venetian fort on the mole and dozens of tavernas; berths in the small marina go by lunchtime, the fallback is anchoring in the bay off the Kolymbithres rocks.
Paros → Syros (Ermoupoli)
- Ermoupoli (Syros)37.432, 24.943
Ermoupoli is the capital of the Cyclades and the only big 19th-century town in the islands: neoclassical mansions, the marble Miaoulis Square and the Apollo theatre. A good place to restock before the final legs.
Syros → Kea (Vourkari)
- Vourkari (Kea)37.666, 24.325
- Loutra (Kythnos)marina37.443, 24.427
A long leg to the north-west, on a beam reach in the meltemi. Vourkari is a sheltered corner of Agios Nikolaos bay on Kea: tavernas at the water's edge and a calm last night.
Kea → Lavrion
- Lavrion (Olympic Marine)37.697, 24.060
A short morning hop across the channel, refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Meltemi: in July and August the northerly blows at 20–30 knots in spells of several days and accelerates in the channels between the islands. The loop runs clockwise so that most legs are downwind or on a beam reach; only Santorini — Ios — Paros is upwind, so sail those in the morning. The best months are June and September; do not start an open-water leg on a forecast above 25 knots.
- Santorini: there are no anchorages in the caldera, and Ammoudi below Oia is a tiny fishing harbour. The island's only marina, Vlychada, is on the south coast and its entrance silts up: depth can be around 1.5–2 metres, so check with the marina before you arrive.
- Mykonos is left out on purpose: from Paros it is 20 nm dead against the meltemi, and the harbour is open to the wind and packed in summer.
- Berths and fuel: island ports have town quays — stern-to on your own anchor; water and power are not available everywhere. On the small islands fuel often comes by tanker truck when you call — top up at every opportunity.
How to get to the marina
- Olympic Marine, Lavrion
- Athens (ATH) — 40 km, 40 min by car
35–50 min · €55–75 per car
Taxi rank outside arrivals; the road runs south through Markopoulo and Keratea. The night tariff from midnight to 5 am costs more.
35–50 min · €60–80 per car
A driver meets you with a name sign in arrivals and takes you to the marina; price fixed when booking. A minivan for the whole crew is about €80–100.
35–50 min · €30–60 per day
Rental desks in the arrivals hall. Handy for a supermarket stop on the way, but the car will sit in a paid car park during the cruise.
1–2 h · €4–7 per person
Orange KTEL Attikis suburban buses leave from the arrivals level; Lavrion usually means a change in Markopoulo. The bus stops in the town centre, about a 20-minute walk from the marina; no buses at night.
If you land late in the evening, book a transfer in advance: suburban buses stop at night and the taxi queue after midnight can be long.
Prices are autumn 2026 estimates in euros; times are without traffic. Bus and ferry timetables change with the season, so check them before you travel.
When to go and what it costs in Greece
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Greece
All boats in Greece
How long is the Lavrion — Santorini route and where do you stay overnight?
11 days and about 281 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Lavrion. Overnight stops in order: Lavrion (Olympic Marine), Merichas (Kythnos), Vathi (Sifnos), Adamas (Milos), Karavostasis (Folegandros), Vlychada Marina (Santorini), Ios, Naoussa (Paros), Ermoupoli (Syros), Vourkari (Kea). The longest leg is day 10, 38 nm.
How do I get to the marina for the Lavrion — Santorini route?
The route starts and finishes at Olympic Marine, Lavrion. The nearest airport is Athens (ATH), 40 km away. Fastest: taxi, 35–50 min, €55–75 per car. Cheapest: bus, 1–2 h, €4–7 per person.
When is the best time to sail the Lavrion — Santorini route?
Greece's season runs April to October. In July–August the meltemi blows 25–30 knots in the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, so beginners are better off in the Ionian or the Saronic Gulf in those months. June and September bring warm water, gentler wind and prices below the peak; April, May and October are the shoulder months and the cheapest weeks of the season. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is March: a median of ≈€237 per berth per week. The most expensive is December, at ≈€283. The most boats with 20% off or more are in October: 39%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Greece for a week starts from €945 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Greece”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
