Saronic & Argolic

Typical afternoon wind

3–4 Beaufort · Thermal

Passage lengths

2–4 hours

Suits

First charter

Season

April–November

Athens on the doorstep, short passages and a string of harbour towns. Easy sailing with real history ashore.

Sheltered from the northerlies that dominate the open Aegean, the Saronic and Argolic gulfs stay comparatively calm through the summer. Early season can be almost windless; by July a light afternoon thermal makes for pleasant reaching. Distances are modest and the towns are the draw, which suits crews who want the boat to be transport rather than the whole point.

A typical week

1. Day 1 Alimos to Aegina
2. Day 2 Poros and the Russian Bay
3. Day 3 Hydra town
4. Day 4 Spetses
5. Day 5 Ermioni or Porto Cheli
6. Day 6 Poros or Epidaurus
7. Day 7 Back to Alimos

Roughly 100 to 120 nautical miles over the week

Worth the detour

• Hydra's car-free waterfront
• Poros and the Russian Bay
• The theatre at Epidaurus from a nearby anchorage
• Spetses old harbour

Watch out for

• Hydra has few berths and they are charged for
• Shipping lanes across the Saronic need a proper watch
• Meltemi spillover can make the Athens leg lively in August

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