Saronic Gulf Cruise: Explore Hydra, Poros & Aegina
Description
Spoil yourself for a day with a luxury cruise from Athens to the islands of Hydra, Poros, and Aegina in the Saronic Gulf. Swim in crystal-clear waters off Hydra, admire neoclassical beach houses on Poros, and explore the pine-covered landscape of Aegina.
Tour Options
Itinerary
On the way to Poros island the Buffet will be set, giving you an opportunity to taste the gastronomic creations of our Chef. Arriving to the island of Poros Island, the smallest of the three islands. Separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strait and offering a most enchanting view of Poros Town. Poros Island is the yachts favorite destination. You’ll have time at leisure in Poros to stroll around the small picturesque streets of the island’s town.
Aegina Island – the former first capital of Greece after the its Independence was declared. The Island is also famous for its pistachio produce. Aegina Island is the largest of the three islands. Apart from its harbor there are numerous interesting sites to discover on the island and therefore we propose 2 optional tours…. 1.On this optional Guided Bus Tour of the island, we start with a visit to the Temple of Afea which is the best preserved temple in Greece. It is also one of the 3 temples forming the famous “Sacred Triangle” of Greek antiquity. Built on top of a wooded hill. It offers the most magnificent view over the island, the Saronic Gulf, Piraeus and Salamina Island. Our guide will tell you the fascinating story of the intriguing history of this beautiful site. Continuing for a short visit to the Church of Saint Nektarios. Enjoy quiet moments contemplation and admiration of its beautiful Byzantine architecture. The drive back to Aegina Port will give you time relax and appreciate the exquisite peaceful nature of the island 2. On this optional Panoramic Bus Tour, you have the opportunity to drive across the entire island (without visiting the archaeological site). Furthermore you will admire the beauty of its nature. Also, the islands medieval capital of Paleohora, the Church of Saint Nektarios, the pistachio groves. The tour ends with a stop by the seaside. There you can relax and enjoy a glass of Ouzo along with a choice of irresistible Greek “Mezedes” (appetizers)! The tickets for the above recommended optional excursions can be purchased on board. Your other choice is to stay in Aegina and enjoy a walk or horse-carriage ride around the town, or relax in one of the harbor’s charming waterfront coffee shops.
Arriving to the beautiful Hydra Island, which has inspired many artists such as Picasso and Sagale. In addition it is the home of many artists like P.Tetsis, N.Gkikas, L.Cohen. Many movies have been filmed on the island like Sophia Loren’s hit movie “Boy on a Dolphin” and Melina Merkouri’s “Phaedra”. As soon as you disembark, it’s all there. The small narrow stone-paved streets waiting to be explored on foot or by the island’s traditional “vehicle” – the saddled donkey. Also, captivating walks along the old seaside promenade with both amazing crystal clear waters and radiant traditional fine-craft shops. The beauty of Hydra Island will conquer you forever! Take your time to enjoy the unique charms of Hydra Island and while returning back on board you will receive a homecoming welcome.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- - Indispensable to provide at the time booking : 1. Date of birth of each passenger 2. Nationality Requested from Port Authorities.
- From the 1st of April the departure point is Marina Delta Kalitheas and the name of the boat 'COSMOS' Departure time: 08:00 am Embarkation as of 07:00 a.m.
- Winter period the boat assigned is 'Platytera'
Reviews(12)
This cruise was the highlight of our 2-week Mediterranean trip. The ship was excellent with a superb captain at the helm. The crew were beyond first-rate, they went out of their way to help us with drinks, extra ice, and even finding the best place to stand to be first off the ship. To see the three islands is to experience the beauty of Greece, all in one day. The small excursions on the islands were magnificent in terms of scenery, history, culture, people, etc. Great memories of these islands will be with me forever. The entertainment was extremely fun and contagious. Most of the passengers joined in clapping, singing and dancing up until the very end of the cruise. I highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting Athens. I didn’t want to leave.
Thank you so much for your amazing review! We’re thrilled to hear that our Saronic Gulf Cruise was the highlight of your Mediterranean trip. It’s wonderful that you enjoyed the crew’s attentiveness, the superb captain, and the fun, contagious entertainment on board. We’re delighted that the beauty, history, and culture of Hydra, Poros, and Aegina left such lasting memories. Your kind recommendation means a lot, and we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable experience in the future! MTM Customer Support
Be prepared for a long hot day. Unfortunately we missed Hydra because of the very high winds on the day. Staff are very friendly and accommodating. Lunch on the ship was mediocre and drinks and snacks are very expensive. Best to eat on the islands you visit. Recommend trying the pistachio gelato in Aegina. It was delicious!
It was a fun trip. We did best that can be done to cover three islands in one day. A bit too crowded, may be. Other than that it was very well organized. If you cannot afford more time to spend in the islands - this becomes a must tour.
Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad you enjoyed the trip and that the tour allowed you to see three islands in one day. We appreciate your note about the crowding and are happy to hear you found the tour well organized. — MTM Travel and Tourism
Hydra was an absolutely amazing island!! Poros was very nice!! Aegina was a big city feel. Would definitely go back to Hydra!!
Great trip to the three islands starting with Hydra then Poros followed by Aegina. Once on board you are called to an area where information is given on timings and tours available which is helpful. The company are very organised. Set off at 8am and docked at Hydra approx 11.20am. Got 1 hour and 15 mins there to look around. Beautiful place and would recommend the tour that is offered by the company that tells you about the place. Lunch was served as soon as we boarded for the next stop and it was a good buffet style help yourself lunch of fish/chicken legs and pasta , slaw and potatoes etc. Poros was the next stop and also pretty with a bell tower that you can walk up to. You don’t get long here though which is a shame so might not have enough time do do this unless you rush. We literally got an icecream then it was time to be boarding again. Last stop was Aegina where you can wander around or do either a cultural tour of a monastery and church or panoramic tour of the island. We did the latter which also takes you to the church and tells you about the island. Really enjoyed the trip. Would recommend. Only negative I would say is that there is not much time in the places and timings are strict. If you aren’t back on they go without you. 1 hr 15 in Hydra, 45 mins in Poros and 2 hours in Aegina. Aegina has little streets and pistachio stalls and cafes which you don’t really get time to see if doing either bus tour so would recommend to take this into account when planning your time there.
It was a memorable experience from beginning to end. Georgia was a wonderful guide and very charming. Very good evermore cruise. Staff very well too.
The cruise was good. It was not clear when booking regarding how long at each stop and this was only communicated once onboard. 1.5hrs at first (Hydro), 40mins at Poros and 1.5hrs at last stop (Aegina). Timing for stops was good and decent. Evening entertainment was great with the dancers but host was in and out having a smoke so not really paying full attention. The additional tour (Panaramic View) in Aegina was great but did not get to taste pistachios as advertised. Also didn't like the "attend all" compulsory "safety drill" at the start which ended up being a sales pitch. Other than this lovely and recommended.
Thank you Jonathan! We value the positive review and are happy to hear that you enjoyed our activity. We always strive to provide superior client service and this reviews is helping us to improve to the exact point mentioned and to make us better! We hope to see you again in one of our experiences. MTM DMC Team.
Overall we had a fun time, but I wouldn't go again or recommend the tour. To start, we took the metro and a tram to arrive at the pier (easy). Boarding was easy, and we found a shady spot to sit. Once the trip was started we were asked to go downstairs to hear about the extra tour options. Based on the description of the tours on Viator we were interested in the prices. The prices were somewhat high for what you were receiving and the options did not match the description on Viator. They gave a significant discount to do 2 tours (almost 50% off), and we signed up for a walking your on Hydra and a visit to the Beach on Aegina Island. Neither tour were provided as explained. There wasn't anything special about the walking tour. We visited a monistary and a museum (total cost would have been less than 5€ on our own). We also had a quarter of a cookie at a local bakery. The second tour was to a beach with the promise of 30 minutes to walk around in town afterwards. We ended up with only 10 minutes to walk around. The beach was not a nice as the pictures shown by the tour guides nor what was seen on Google. We had an okay time, but were not given the time in town we wanted and were promised. Lastly, lunch was provided after the first island. The food was bland and not filling. There was rice, chicken, fish, salad, chickpeas, bread, and potatoes. There were no drinks included during the cruise, except water if you paid for an additional tour. Drink and snacks on board were over priced.
Very well organized excursion from start to finish. The extra cost for informative tours of Hydra and Poros are worth it!
Hydra and Aegina were fantastic. You do spend most of your day on the boat (like 6-7 hrs) so if youbwanted more island time, maybe just pick one island to visit.
