ONE DAY CRUISE FROM ATHENS TO 3 ISLANDS – AEGINA – POROS – HYDRA

One day cruise to three Saronic Islands

A full day of fun, culture and culinary discovery

One of the beauties of traveling to Athens is a captivating cruise to the magical islands of the Saronic Gulf. Athens Day Cruises offers you the beauty of a day cruise to three islands, Hydra, Poros and Aegina with the promise of a world of pleasures on board.

Your Greek island cruise from Athens begins with the colors of the sea, fresh salt air and the gentle breeze of the Saronic Gulf to heighten your senses.

Imagine a day filled with golden moments on a day cruise from Athens, island hopping from Hydra, Poros and Aegina, aboard Athens Day Cruises, spacious, 3-deck cruise ships with every comfort and convenience to meet your expectations.

Our live orchestra welcomes you on board with traditional Greek music and international favourites. You’ll enjoy an optional breakfast on deck and delight in our well-balanced menu with Greek local products, including fresh fruit, yogurt and local honey. Lounging on our decks is an exceptional experience surrounded by the legendary blue waters of the Saronic Gulf. You’ll appreciate many activities on board, such as listening to music while sipping your special cocktail, dancing and the fun of taking a Greek dance lesson. Our lunch buffet offers you an exceptional culinary experience featuring a variety of authentic Greek and Mediterranean cuisine accompanied by local wines (optional).

You can shop in our Tax Free store with a wide selection of prestigious Greek and international brands.

If a day trip from Athens to the Greek islands is top on your wishlist, Athens Day Cruises 3 island tour is the perfect match for your cruising enjoyment.

Our special interest tours led by multilingual guides introduce you to the history and culture of Hydra and Aegina, with all the fun to suit your mood. We welcome you to join us for a unique journey of the senses on Athens Day Cruises one day cruise to three Saronic Islands for a full day of fun, culture and culinary discovery.

More to see, more to enjoy on your

Greek island hopping cruise

Athens Day Cruise one day Saronic Islands cruise from Athens offers you the beauty of a Greek island hopping cruise to three magnificent islands of the historical Saronic Gulf, Hydra, Poros and Aegina. With Athens Day Cruise’ Saronic Islands cruise, you’ll discover the rich history, nature, traditions, authentic local cuisine and cosmopolitan lifestyle of these sparkling gems of the Saronic Gulf. With an exceptional choice of special interest tours at all island destinations, our knowledgeable, multilingual guides bring to life each island through compelling stories, legends, customs and the rich history of three, famed islands close to Athens. Relaxation, fun, authentic Greek cuisine, Tax free shopping and

entertainment offer all possibilities for enjoyment. You’ll have fun learning the steps of Greek dance from our professional instructors on deck during your Greek island cruise from Athens. For the food aficionado, the complimentary lunch buffet is an exceptional experience with an array of tempting authentic Greek and International specialties. There are many optional menu choices, on request, such as vegan and vegetarian. And, of course, each glorious island destination opens your appetite for a taste of local cuisine and delicacies. A live orchestra sets the stage for celebration with mood and dance music highlighted by a Greek Folk Dance Show as the sun sets over the sea and your cruise ship enters the harbour.

Our Sun Deck with an all-day bar is ideal for lounging with your favorite drink caught in the magical spell of the Aegean atmosphere. The gentle sea breeze, fresh, salty air, sights, sounds and sensations of your Saronic Islands cruise meet all your expectations for a sea escape travelling the waters of the ancient Athenian mariners.

If your cruise personality demands the utmost in elegant yachting Athens Day Cruise’ luxury one day cruise to the Saronic islands is your cruise match for an amazing yacht cruise with every comfort, convenience and VIP services.

Lunch

On board Platinum Cruises’ one day cruise from Athens you will enjoy the authentic taste of Greek cuisine in the complimentary lunch buffet. The Aegean diet is internationally – acclaimed for its health benefits and the fabulous cuisine made from local vegetables, seafood, meat, dairy products and herbs. There is also the option of A La Carte Menu.

Every island has its own unique culinary tradition based on local products and the local culinary arts. On all the Saronic islands, you’ll find fresh fish cooked in a variety of ways, fried, baked in a delicious variety of sauces, meat and vegetable specialities, glorious Greek salads and delightful shrimp specialty baked in tomato sauce with feta cheese.

If you’re in the mood for just a taste of island fare, there is always a table for Greek ‘mezes,’ a tempting array of hors d’oeuvres (Greek style) with a glass of ouzo. The Saronic Islands are renowned for their special almond biscuits, not to be missed. And, of course, Aegina, with its world famous pistachios, surprises the most cosmopolitan food lover with a variety of pistachio temptations unique to the island.

Destinations

Aegina is the largest of the Saronic Islands with a glorious history dating from antiquity. Today, Aegina is popular island sea escape known for its golden beaches, spectacular countryside and fishing villages where authentic taverns specialize in an array of fresh grilled fish and local wines. The island is also internationally acclaimed as home of the world famous Aegina Pistachio. Just a short distance from Athens, Aegina is the preferred Saronic island for the summer home of cosmopolitan Athenians. According to myth, Aegina takes its name from the beautiful nymph kidnapped by Zeus. One of the fascinating highlights of Aegina is the Temple of Aphaia situated on a pine clad hilltop.

The Temple dates back 2,500 years to the 6th Century BC and is a tribute to the monumental art of ancient Greece. In modern Greek history, Aegina was actually the first capital of Greece after the War of Independence and not Nafplio, as most assume. Aegina’s history and traditions are born from the countryside. Just north of Aegina town, one single column (Kolona) on a hill is the only remnant of the ancient Temple of Apollo. Built in 520 BC, the Temple was situated on the site of previous temples on the prehistoric acropolis. Another temple was dedicated to Delphinian Apollo, protector of sailors. The Aeginetans honored the god to such a degree that they replaced the image on their coin from the sea turtle to a dolphin.

A visit to the magnificent church of St. Nektarios and Monastery is one of the most spiritually rewarding experiences on Aegina. Located on a hillside among pistachio, fig and pine trees, the church was erected to honor the saint described as a man of deep prayer and a hard worker. His memory is celebrated on the nameday of Nektarios with a procession in Aegina town. On a steep hill next to the church, all that remains of Paleochora, the island’s old capital, are 33 churches linked by winding stone paths, which represent a fraction of the rumored 365, one for every day of the year. The castle at the top and town were well-camouflaged to blend with the landscape against pirate attacks. The island’s long tradition of fine ceramics also springs from the countryside. The art, passed down from generation to generation, utilizes the local clay called, argilomaza, and is found 3 to 10 meters below the surface.The beautiful pottery is made from the same clay which has existed on the island since antiquity.

Among the highlights of Aegina are the many beautiful beaches including Marathon a picturesque, sandy stretch of beach closest to Aegina town; Agia Marina, a well-organized, sandy beach with all facilities and Perdika beach known for its quality seafood taverns. Here, the gastronome can enjoy the true taste of local cuisine. In addition to such delicacies, as octopus and sardines on the grill, a unique local fish, katsoula, found only in the waters around Aegina, and acclaimed as the most delicious in Greece can also be enjoyed. And, of course, the taste of the local wine is unforgettable. One of the recent annual events of the island is ‘The Aegina Fistiki Fest,’ a three-day festival of music, art and culinary events celebrating the island’s famous pistachio (in Greece, ‘fistiki.’). The delicious taste of Aegina’s high-quality pistachios is attributed to the island’s unique climatic conditions and the volcanic element of the soil. Don’t miss the island’s pistachio sweets, including the local ‘pasteli,’ with Greek honey and Aegina pistachios. Athens to Aegina day trip is full of discovery with a 2-hour stay on the island for exploring its rich history, archaeological and architectural landmarks – and allowing plenty of time to enjoy the island’s famous pistachio sweets in a cafe along the beautiful port.

Hydra

Hydra is one of the most charming islands in the Saronic Gulf known for its beauty and light. The island has captured the imagination of international poets, painters and celebrities, inspired by the landscape, to create a haven of creativity. The tranquility of the port without cars provides the backdrop for lively activities. Magical things happen on Hydra. As Hydra is a car-free island, you can instead ride a donkey; there are more than 1000 on the island that provides a means of transportation, in addition to water taxis. You can also ride a horse through the town’s cobblestone alleyways, with the shortest excursion at 45 minutes. Hiking is popular on Hydra with many organized routes through the scenic countryside filled with wild flowers, cypress, pine and olive trees.

There’s also Hydra’s Trail Race, one of the most popular trail running activities in Greece. The island is famous for its many quality art galleries and exhibitions. The unique architecture of the port town, on the slopes of a hill, is distinguished by the old traditional stone houses and elegant mansions built by the island’s noble ship-owners; prominent figures in the Naval Heritage of Greece and the Greek War of Independence (1821). With 300 churches and six monasteries on the island, the Easter tradition on Hydra is celebrated with a unique in Greece ‘maritime Epiphany’ in the sea and spectacular Resurrection, with the sky filled with thousands of colored fireworks.

Visit the picturesque fishing village of Kamini, with the adjacent, beautiful pebble beach (Mikro Kamini) with a choice of traditional taverns to savor the taste of the freshest fish. A scenic walk back from Kamini to the harbor (about one kilometer), follows the coastal path with marvelous views. The sparkling beauty of Hydra town is unforgettable. The charm of the narrow streets, lined with handicraft and jewelry shops, galleries and lovely, colorful bougainvilleas in pink, deep purple, white and orange, capture the mood of Greek island life. A cultural highlight of the island is the Lazaros Koundouriotis Mansion (National Historic Museum), the restored mansion of Lazaros Koundouriotis, an important political figure before and during the Greek War of Independence with exhibits of family heirlooms and historical collections.

The lively port, filled with cafes, is the perfect setting to enjoy the spectacular sea view. The island’s local cuisine travels your senses with appetizers such as beetroot salad, fava beans and the famous tsatsiki (garlic dip) along with an array of local specialties including caper salad, beef stew with quince, fresh squid, ‘dolmades’ (stuffed vine leaves), as well as the famous grilled meatballs and sausages. Athens Day Cruise’ Athens to Hydra day trip, allows ample time for you to discover the unspoiled beauty of Hydra with its stark, rocky landscape dominated by blue and white. On Athens to Hydra one day cruise, our vessel remains in port for about 1 hour 55 minutes with time to leisurely explore the island. You can enjoy our Walking Tour of the island to discover its castles and forts, historic landmarks, quaint narrow streets and artistic shops.

Poros

Poros is simply delightful. Beautifully green and covered in thousands of pine trees, Poros is known for its famous ‘Lemon Forest,’ unique in Greece. Walking or biking through the lemon groves is a journey of the senses, with a surprise waterfall in the lush citrus forest. Poros is called the ‘Venice of the Saronic Gulf’ because of its geographical location, separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow channel of water. The highlights of Poros include the island’s famous Clock Tower, on the highest point in the town, with spectacular views; the Chapel of Panagitsa, small white and blue chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, situated at the end of Askeli beach; the Hatzopoulios Municipal Library housed in a neoclassical building in Poros town and the Archaeological Museum with finds of the great Mycenean Civilization, mainly pottery and figurines to Roman times.

Poros has many beaches and most are located close to the town. All the beaches have beach bars and two exceptional beaches, Askeli and Monastiri, offer amazing views, as well as water sports. The local cuisine pleases the food lover with a variety of Greek specialties, such as vegetable casseroles cooked in olive oil, spicy meatballs in tomato sauce, grilled meat on pita bread and fresh fish. An exceptional treat is the famous ‘Amygdalota’ Porou, almond sweets, made in the tradition of Poros. On Athens to Poros’ one day cruise, the stay on Poros is 50 minutes with enough time to discover the island’s beautiful sandy beaches and the town highlighted by the architecture of the city hall, Municipal Library, museum, cultural center and characteristic small, white-washed houses of the island. The highlight is the Clock Tower built on the island’s highest point.