Discontinued 2021 - Cruising from the Ionian to the Aegean (one way cruise)

The highlights of this cruise are crossing the Corinthian Canal and stopping at Galaxidi which is the ideal place for a visit to the ancient site of Delphi on the mainland. There will be two longish sails, the first from Ithaca to Trizonia and the second from Galaxidi to Vathi in the Saronic.


Sunday (Lefkas - Meganisi)
Once all our guests have arrived onboard, we will set sail for the olive covered island of Meganisi.

Monday (Meganisi - Ithaca)
On Monday we will leave Meganisi in the morning and sail to Arkoudi, the uninhabited island with its amazing turquoise waters. After lunch and while we are approaching beautiful Ithaca under sail, you may wonder what Odysseus was feeling a few thousand years ago, as he was returning to his island! We will arrive there in the early evening.

Tuesday (Ithaca - Trizonia)
This is the one of the two longer days of this cruise, making an early start in the morning. We will sail from the Ionian through the Gulf of Patra, then under the longest suspended bridge in Europe which connects the Greek mainland with the Peloponnese and we will end our day in the evening at the tiny island of Trizonia in the Gulf of Corinth.

Wednesday (Trizonia - Galaxidi)
After we leave Trizonia we will stop in a bay for a few hours for our swim and lunch, before we set sail again along the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth for the small picturesque village of Galaxidi. The views along the route are magnificent, as we are surrounded by high mountains. Before our arrival to Galaxidi we will have booked a taxi for those interested to visit the site of Ancient Delphi (only 60 Km away), so when we dock you can make the most of your evening by visiting the ancient site and then returning to enjoy the atmosphere of this pretty little town.

Thursday (Galaxidi - Corinthian Canal - Vathi)
Today is our second longish sail so we will make an early start in the morning from Galaxidi towards the Corinthian Canal, which is 35 miles away. At the entrance to the canal we may have to wait a little bit until we are instructed to go through, and the crossing will take us about one hour. The canal is the gateway to the Aegean and once we are out at the other side, we will head for the tiny village of Vathi on the Methana Peninsula, where we will arrive after sunset. The village is actually situated on the side of a volcano which is not active any more, however it is still dormant.

Friday (Vathi - Aegina)
After leaving Vathi in the morning we will stop at one of the numerous bays in the area, where we will spend a few hours, before taking the sails up and heading for the island of Aegina. It is famous for its pistachios and the best preserved ancient temple (the Temple of Afea).

Saturday (Aegina - Lavrio)
On the last leg of our cruise we will stop at the bay of Sounio for a swim and lunch under the famous Temple of Poseidon, before setting sail again for Lavrio (the port just to the east of Athens), which is our final destination.

Sunday
Disembarkation at 9 a.m. after breakfast

About Ancient Delphi
The site of ancient Delphi is situated at the foot of the spectacular mount Parnasos and it was the most important oracle of ancient Greece. Its existence goes back to the prehistoric times and whole cities, kings as well as individuals would consult the priestesses, expressing their gratitude with great gifts and spreading its fame around the world.

Archaeological excavations began in 1860 (after having to move a whole village which was situated over the site!!!) and brought to the surface spectacular remains which can be seen there.

It is a unique experience walking through the ancient structures and buildings which are surrounded by imposing mountains, as the views are really breathtaking. The museum is definitely worth a visit as well, because that is where all those thousands of objects and gifts to the oracle which were brought up by the excavation, are kept for safety.

The temple of Delphi was dedicated to god Apollo and it should be mentioned here that according to myth, every ship sailing past this area had to stop to pay their tribute.

The ones who didn't, met a horrible death as Apollo launched his arrows against them from high up in the mountains! Just in case, we have included in our itinerary a stop at the village of Galaxidi which is not far from Delphi, as you can never know with those ancient gods....!!!

About the Corinthian Canal
To get from the Aegean to the Ionian Sea in the old days, you had to sail all the way around the south of the Peloponnese which meant covering very big distances as well as negotiating the notorious cape Maleas which is famous for its violent gales.

Another option was to have your ship carried over the 6 kilometer wide strip of land at Corinth, which connected the mainland with the Peloponnese.
This second option involved the use of cylindrical tree trunks placed under the ship, while dozens of men or horses were pulling with ropes, and this option was obviously quite costly.

The ancient stone path used for that purpose was called diolkos and can still be seen alongside the canal.



Last century the construction of the Corinthian Canal was completed (the first attempt was actually nearly three thousand years ago, in the 7th century BC), and although it is still costly with fees as high as 25000 Euro for a cruise liner, things are made a lot easier for shipping this way.
It's a breathtaking experience going with a yacht through this narrow 'slit' of rock which is only 21 meters wide, 80 meters high above sea level and 6300 meters long!

Useful Tips

Flights
It is not cost effective to buy a one way flight from your country to Preveza airport (the one serving Lefkas) and another one from Athens back to your country. It's better to get a return flight to Athens because at the beginning of your cruise you can easily get from Athens to Lefkas by bus (the journey is just over 5 hours) or domestic flight (1 hour).

Transfers

• At the beginning of your cruise, you can get from Athens central bus station to Lefkas by national bus, the journey is just over 5 hours and the fare is around 34 Euro. From Athens airport you can get to the central bus station in Athens by express bus (departs every 20 minutes, journey duration is 40-60 minutes, the fare is around 8 euro). Similarly, from your hotel in the city center you can get to the central bus station by taxi for an average of 15-20 euros.
• Transfers at the beginning of your cruise from Preveza airport or Lefkas bus station to the yacht in Lefkas harbor, are easily done using the local transfer service or a taxi.
• For the transfers at the end of your cruise between the yacht and Athens airport you can use the public transport system (bus/metro or taxi).