ENCHANTING GREECE

After arriving in Paros, make your way to the port of Parikia – it’s here you’ll board your boat, home for the next seven nights, and meet your fellow boatmates and crew. Settle in for a welcome dinner on board, then take some free time afterwards to explore Paros at your own pace.

After breakfast on board this morning, we’ll be setting sail for Despotiko. Not to be confused with the chart-topping club song, this tiny uninhabited island is home to crumbling temple ruins and pristine phrygana (ancient, herby scrubland). You’ll have some time to explore on foot, before hopping over to Sifnos – where you’ll tuck into a traditional Sunday lunch, and learn all about the idiosyncratic food culture on the island. After lunch, we’ll sail around to the port so you can hop ashore to explore. Return to the boat for dinner.

You came to the Cyclades for that laid-back Greek island life, and that’s exactly what today is all about. After breakfast, we’ll sail to Serifos – a sleepy off-the-beaten-path island that’s known for its blinding beaches, clear waters and towering hilltop towns. After some time to hit the sand, and swim, snorkel and stand-up paddle board in the crystalline waters, we’ll circle around to the harbour at Livadi where you can disembark for a wander. We’d recommend taking the local bus to the top of Serifos Chora, a mountainside town with absurdly beautiful views. Dinner will be served back on the boat. 

Long, jagged and pocked with dozens of secluded bays, Kythnos is an off-the-radar gem. We’ll hop around its coast, dropping anchor at its prettiest spots, where you’ll have time for a dip or to explore the shoreline in a kayak. We’ll also hit its stand-out Kolona Beach, a sandy isthmus that connects Kithnos to the tiny islet of Agios Loukas, with calm blue waters either side. We’ll dock in the port of Merihas later in the afternoon, giving you time to check out this laid-back town, before having dinner back on board in the evening. 

If you cross Venice with Santorini you get Syros – this tiny island stands out among the Cyclades for its unusual architecture. An important trading hub since early times, Syros' capital, Ermoupoli, was rebuilt in the 1800s in Neoclassical Venetian style. You'll see clolourful mansions teetering over glassy water, blue-domed churches perched on hill tops, marble staircases snaking between buildings.Hop ashore and learn all about it on a guided cultural and tasting tour, followed by dinner back on board.  

Today we set sail to the myth-shrouded island of Delos, one of the most sacred places in Greece. The island was considered a holy sanctuary as far back as a thousand years before the emergence of Olympian Greek mythology, which designated it as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. It’s scattered with beautifully preserved ruins, which you’ll be able to get a closer look at on a guided walk. From here it’s on to the fun-loving island of Mykonos, where you’ll have the rest of the afternoon free to wander the bougainvillea-lined streets of the Old Town, or take a dip in the sea. 

It’s our last full day of sailing today, and we’re heading south – back to Paros, in the heart of the Cyclades. The island is a hive of pretty little villages, and this afternoon you’ll get to explore some of the island, accompanied by a local expert. If you haven’t yet picked up a gift for friends and family back home, now’s the time. We’ll reboard the boat later for a final farewell dinner – and toast to an unforgettable adventure. 

After a final breakfast on board, this trip comes to an end as you disembark in Paros for the final time. Make your own way back to the airport to catch your flight home – or onwards, to other adventures.