Family Greek Coast Caique Cruise

Our family adventure begins today at 6pm at Athens International Airport (ATH). The latest your flight can arrive is 5.30pm, giving you time to clear the airport. We'll meet and travel as a group by bus to the port of Rafina or Marathon where we'll catch a ferry to the island of Evia. On arrival, it's a short taxi or minibus ride to Karystos where our caique will be waiting for us. Before settling into our cabins, we'll meet our friendly boat crew and enjoy a welcome drink. If your flight arrives earlier in the day and you have time to spare, Athens is easily accessible by metro from the airport. The airport is well signposted (in English) and it's a direct train. There are also luggage storage facilities at the airport. Our home for the week is the MV Isidoros II, a traditional wooden caique, owned by our captain and tour leader, Thanos and his family. Thanos has been a part of the Explore family for 20 years - there's nobody better to give you a warm welcome both aboard and to Evia. The vessel is exclusively chartered by Explore and has just eight cabins. Listed as a historic caique, there are fewer than 80 of the iconic Greek-designed boats left in existence, so being able to stay aboard is a real treat. Ours was built in 1962 and was originally used as a cargo ferry before being converted in 1974 to the comfortable passenger cruiser it is today. The boat has a large sundeck and a comfortable galley for meals. There is a bar where you can purchase a range of local wine and beer, spirits, and soft drinks. There's also a boat ladder and snorkelling equipment available on board to make the most of the many swimming opportunities. All of the cosy cabins are en-suite with windows and large fans and there is complimentary Wi-Fi on board. Our boat has a real home-from-home feel and you're free to move around as you please. If you'd like to enjoy the clear night sky and cool breeze, you can even choose to sleep on deck. Evia is one of the largest Greek islands but remains off of the main tourist trail. In summer and on the weekends, you'll find the main visitors are the Greeks leaving the city of Athens to enjoy the waterfront tavernas and uncrowded beaches. This makes visiting Evia an authentic local experience. The rugged coastline is dotted with market towns, fishing villages, secluded coves, and wide sandy beaches. The sea is clear and warm, making it a wonderful spot to swim and snorkel, while the pine-covered hills provide the perfect backdrop and help to keep the evening temperatures cooler. Please note, the order of the itinerary and inclusions may vary due to weather and cruising conditions.

Each morning, the crew will prepare you a hearty breakfast consisting of fresh bread, cheese, ham, eggs, cereals, Greek yoghurt, honey, marmalades, fresh seasonal fruits, and orange juice with coffee or English tea. Our captain also serves tea and coffee with biscuits or cakes at eleven o'clock on deck. After breakfast, we'll set sail for our first destination, the bay of Panagia, a small fishing village lying in the shelter of a fjord. En route we'll stop to swim in the waters off the rugged and undeveloped coastline. Once in Panagia there'll be the opportunity to see terrapin turtles in the streams behind the picturesque church of St Mary or swim and snorkel in the fjord waters of the bay. Lunch is generally a hot regional speciality with a vegetarian option served with seasonal salad and a traditional appetiser. Dinner will be in one of the small, characterful seaside waterfront taverns offering barbecue seafood and traditional dishes with local wine, beer, and soft drinks.

Today we'll cruise to the Gulf of Evia, where the island splits from the mainland. Greek legends romantically claim that the divide was caused by Poseidon piercing the earth with his trident. We'll travel to Porto Buffalo, a small fishing village port in southern Evia renowned for its fresh fish, the port hosts a beautiful and private lagoon where we'll spend time at the sandy beach or if you're feeling energetic, you can practice jumping off the boat from the top deck into the turquoise Aegean Sea. We'll continue at a leisurely pace cruising to back to Panagia where we can walk along the coast to a beautiful golden beach in the Bay of Almiropotamos. Please note that during times of adverse weather, usually when there are high winds, it might not be possible to sail to Eretria. Our captain will monitor the weather daily and make a final decision on the planned route.

After breakfast we cruise towards Nea Styra. This area has several stunning beaches and boasts a beautiful coastline with clear waters inviting you to swim and snorkel. The rolling hills above Nea Styra lead to a silver-green valley of olive trees where we'll have the opportunity to explore in the afternoon. As the sun sets in the historic bay of Marathon, the promenade comes to life with locals and visitors taking in a typical Mediterranean stroll before dining alfresco.

After a leisurely start to the day, we'll set sail and cruise towards Figias and onto Marmari, a typical Aegean fishing village with numerous tavernas and cafes dotted along the promenade. There'll be ample opportunity to swim and snorkel off the boat close to the rocky shores.

This morning we'll cruise towards the archipelagos of Petali, where seven private and exclusive islands offer the best of a 'jet set' life in the Aegean. Once the summer residence of the Greek royal family, today it's the playground of the Picasso family, the Embiricos ship owners, and other such tycoons. Maria Calas, one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century, spent many summers here and we'll drop anchor to enjoy the good life ourselves with opportunities to swim, snorkel or just relax on the deck amongst the rich and famous. In the late afternoon, we'll set sail for Karystos.

This morning we can visit the Venetian mountain castle of Castello Rosso in Gourna which is a well-preserved fourth-crusade fortress that commands the sea corridor between Asia and Europe, the entry to the Black Sea. Our final stop on our cruise is Bouros in Karystos bay where we'll drop anchor for the last time to swim and snorkel in the amazing clear waters of the Aegean. After docking at the harbour, we'll bid farewell to our friendly crew. Tonight, we'll stay in a waterfront hotel in Karystos. We can visit the famous Montofoli winery estate or enjoy an afternoon in Kohyli Coves which is walking distance from our hotel.

Departing Karystos this morning, we'll take a short taxi or minibus ride back to Marmari or Styra to board the ferry for the journey back to Rafina or Marathon on mainland Greece. Our ferry will depart at approximately 9.50am. From Rafina we'll transfer to Athens International Airport (ATH), where we'll arrive at around 11.30am and this is where our trip ends. The earliest your flight can depart is 1.30pm.