The Saronic Gulf by boat
Two different harbours, two different days. The cruise is skippered, from the small Anavyssos marina, with no paperwork. Olympic Marine at Lavrion is the charter base; take the helm and they will want a certificate.
A private sunset cruise is a half-day from the small Marina of Anavyssos, on the southern Athenian Riviera about 31–32 km / 30–35 minutes from Athens Airport. Turn up; a skipper does the rest. A sailing charter (bareboat, skippered or fully crewed) runs from Olympic Marine at Lavrion on the east coast of the Attica peninsula (≈ 40 min from the airport). Bareboat needs sailing certificates aboard. One is an evening; the other can be a week into the Cyclades. A charter means you hire the boat; for ordinary island-hopping on a timetable you want the Lavrio ferries, not a charter at all.
Sunset cruises from Anavyssos
- Azure Day Cruises: private sunset to Cape Sounio
Roughly half a day, fully private, from the Marina of Anavyssos. The boat runs the Riviera to the Arsida sea cave, anchors off Patroklos Island for a swim, then on to the Temple of Poseidon at sunset, and home. English-speaking skipper; welcome snacks, soft and alcoholic drinks, snorkelling gear and beach towels aboard. Priced by private quote rather than per head.
- Athenian Riviera Escapes: “Sounio Sun & Sea”
Group boat, full day, roughly mid-morning until after sunset. Departs Varkiza Fishing Port, ≈ 20–25 min north of Anavyssos rather than the local marina, so a longer day with more people aboard. Same coast past Lagonisi, Saronida and Anavyssos, anchoring at Arsida and Patroklos before the temple at Sounio Bay, sunset included. Reckon on roughly €150–200 per person with meals and drinks; treat that as season-dependent and confirm the current rate when you book.
Patroklos and Arsida
Patroklos, also called Gaidouronisi, “donkey island”, is uninhabited, about 850 m off the coast almost opposite Cape Sounion, and rises to a steep ≈ 240 m. Clear water makes it the natural swim-and-snorkel stop. Nearby Arsida is a small islet known for its sea cave and the same clear water. Neither is reachable by road; the only way to swim off them is from a boat.
The temple, from the sea
On land, the cape at sunset is coach parties, a wall of phones, a scramble for the same photograph. From the water it’s a different evening — the temple turning gold on the headland, and room to watch. From the Anavyssos marina the round trip is short enough that you’re back ashore before the light has fully gone. The Cape Sounion sunset guide has the timing if you’d rather take it in from the headland itself, and how to reach the cape without a boat.
Do you need a licence?
You don’t always need a skipper or a licence. Greece lets you hire and drive a small motorboat with no boating licence at all when the engine is 30 hp or less. You must be over 18, carry ID, and stay within about three nautical miles of shore. Anything more powerful needs a valid licence. That covers the sheltered Saronic coast and the islets just off it, not a long open crossing. Sun Sea Deck at Palaia Fokaia keeps a handful of small boats and RIBs, some licence-free; license-free self-drive boats can also be hired in Anavyssos. Confirm the exact terms, engine size and area limits with the operator before you pay.
Greek port authorities typically want at least one certified skipper aboard a full bareboat yacht: over 18, holding an ICC or a recognised national equivalent, plus a second competent crew member. Certificate paperwork usually has to reach the charter base a few weeks ahead. Without those papers you are not shut out; the same yachts go out skippered or fully crewed. Requirements shift, so check the charter company’s current list before you commit rather than assuming your home licence will be accepted.
When to go, and when to stay ashore
Late spring into early autumn is when the water is warmest. Plan around the meltemi, the dry north wind that builds across the Aegean in July and August and is usually strongest by mid-afternoon. Mornings tend to be calmer; shoulder-season days are gentler all round. The best-time-to-visit guide has the season-by-season detail. Book ahead in peak summer: the good skippered boats go early. Anyone prone to seasickness is better on a short Riviera sunset cruise than a long open crossing. An afternoon with the meltemi up is the one to swap for a morning slot.
Olympic Marine, Lavrion
Olympic Marine at Lavrion, on the east coast of the Attica peninsula, is the area’s primary charter marina, distinct from the public ferry port nearby. A full-service yard: 680 berths, hard-standing for hundreds of boats, three travel lifts (the largest rated 350 tonnes), a fuel station, repair facilities and 24/7 security. It has flown the Blue Flag every year since 2000. Kéa, the first Cyclades island, is only about 16 nautical miles out. Operators call Lavrion the gateway to the islands: Kéa, Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos one way, the Saronic Gulf the other. The stated run from Athens Airport is ≈ 25–30 min.
Bareboat means you take the helm; skippered means someone sails for you; fully crewed is the third option.
- Istion Yachting
Own Lavrion base: bareboat, skippered and crewed yachts, framed as the gateway to Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos. Hermes, ARCHON, Olympic and Dream Yacht Charter work the same marina with sailing yachts and catamarans, bareboat through fully crewed. Compare dates and boat size; operators come and go, so check current availability.
With the right papers you can take a bareboat and string a week through the western Cyclades: Kéa first, then Kythnos and Serifos, sleeping aboard. The Lavrio ferries do the same islands on a timetable for a fraction of the cost, with a day on Kéa the gentlest version. Charter the boat when the boat is the holiday; take the ferry when the island is.
What a day aboard is like
A skippered day usually starts mid-morning and runs to early evening. The usual shape is an hour or so under sail to a bay, a long anchor for swimming and lunch, then the run home with the wind behind you. Bring swimwear, a hat, sunscreen, and a layer for the breeze. Most boats carry water, shade and a swim ladder; a skippered charter often includes a simple lunch aboard or a stop at a harbour taverna. Children and non-sailors are usually at home on it.
Operators, sailings and prices shift season to season. Treat the specifics as a starting point and confirm when you plan. Last checked June 2026.
Good to know
Do you need a licence to take a boat out yourself?
Not always. Greece lets you hire and drive a small motorboat with no boating licence if its engine is 30 hp or less. You must be over 18, carry ID, and stay within about three nautical miles of shore. Anything more powerful needs a valid licence. Sun Sea Deck at Palaia Fokaia keeps some of these licence-free boats, and licence-free self-drive boats can also be hired in Anavyssos. Confirm the exact terms and area limits with the operator before you pay.
Where do boat trips and charters leave from near Anavyssos?
The closest sunset departure is the Marina of Anavyssos on the southern Athenian Riviera, where Azure Day Cruises runs its private trip. Serious sailing charters leave Olympic Marine at Lavrion on the east coast of the Attica peninsula (about 40 minutes from Athens Airport): the region’s main yacht-charter marina, with bareboat, skippered and crewed fleets. A full-day group cruise also leaves Varkiza Fishing Port, ≈ 20–25 minutes north of Anavyssos.
Is a charter the same as taking the ferry to an island?
No. A charter means you hire the boat: privately, by the day or by the week, with or without a skipper. The Lavrio ferries are scheduled, ticketed services to a Cyclades island and back on a timetable, for a small fraction of a charter’s cost. To reach Kéa, Kythnos or the western Cyclades and walk around, take the ferry. Charter only when sailing the boat is the point of the trip.
Can you see the Temple of Poseidon from the water?
Yes. It is the set-piece of the local cruises. Both the private Anavyssos sunset trip and the full-day Varkiza cruise time their route to reach Cape Sounio for sunset, with the Temple of Poseidon glowing gold above the headland. Lit from the sea, with a breeze and room to breathe, it is calmer than the crowded clifftop at the same hour.
What does a bareboat charter require?
For a self-skippered (bareboat) yacht, Greek port authorities typically require at least one certified skipper aboard: over 18, holding an ICC or recognised national equivalent. A second competent crew member is required too, with certificate copies usually sent to the base a few weeks ahead. Anyone without those papers can still take the same yachts skippered or fully crewed. Requirements shift, so check with the charter company.
Is it ever too windy to sail off this coast?
High summer is when the meltemi, the Aegean’s north wind, can blow hard, usually strongest in the afternoons of July and August. Mornings tend to be calmer, shoulder season gentler still, and any decent skipper plans the route around the wind.
More from the area
Sunset cruise, bareboat week, or just the ferry? If you’re staying at Kleos, we’re happy to point you to the right operator for your dates.