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The Santorini Sailing Route, Stop by Stop
Every stop of every cruise, drawn on one chart. Vlychada to Vlychada: the six-stop caldera loop of the day and sunset cruises, and the eight-stop full-day route around the whole island.
Our catamaran cruises leave from Vlychada Marina on Santorini’s south coast and follow a proven course: the beaches below Akrotiri first, then the volcano, the Hot Springs and the cliffs of the caldera. The three charts below draw each route as you scroll, stop by stop, with a photo and a few lines on what happens there. Tap any stop in the lists to read its full story. Routes depend on the weather and the sea, and the private charters can be reshaped around your group.
Day cruises: the caldera loop, six stops
Sailed by the Semi-Private Day Cruise (€80 per person, 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM) and the Private Day Charter (€1,200 covers up to 6 guests, +€100 per extra guest, 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM). Red Beach, White Beach and Mesa Pigadia first, then around the lighthouse cape into the caldera for the volcano and the Hot Springs, across to the foot of Fira, and home around the volcano.
Day cruises · semi-private and private
The route: six stops around the caldera
Vlychada to Vlychada, drawn on the chart of the caldera. Scroll, and the course draws itself one leg at a time.
START — CAST OFF
Vlychada Marina
Every cruise begins on Santorini's quiet south coast, in the small fishing harbor our boats call home. Hotel pickup is included, so you simply step aboard, meet the crew and settle in while the wind-carved white cliffs slide past.
01 — SWIM STOP
Red Beach
The first stop is the island's most photographed shore: rust-red lava cliffs falling to dark sand. We anchor in the clear water nearby for the first swim, with the cliffs filling the whole view.
02 — SAIL-PAST
White Beach
A short hop west the cliffs turn pale. White Beach is a pumice cove with no road down to it, so boats have it almost to themselves; we slow for photos before moving on.
03 — SWIM & SNORKEL
Mesa Pigadia & Akrotiri
Below the ancient Akrotiri coastline the water is calm and glassy. This is the quiet stop: snorkel over the rocks with the gear from the boat, or just float while the crew starts cooking.
04 — THE CALDERA
Volcano & Hot Springs
Rounding the lighthouse cape, we enter the caldera and head for its dark heart, the volcanic islets of Nea and Palea Kameni. At the hot springs the sea turns warm and rust-colored, so wear darker swimwear.
05 — FROM THE WATER
Fira Old Port
We cross to the foot of Fira, where the old port sits beneath the capital's white rim and the cliffs tower overhead. The view back across the caldera is the one from the postcards.
HOME · 06 — HOME PORT
Back to Vlychada
Out through the caldera entrance and back along the south coast. Your driver is waiting at the harbor for the ride to your hotel.
The stops in order
- Red Beach Swim stop
- White Beach Sail-past
- Mesa Pigadia & Akrotiri Swim & snorkel
- Volcano & Hot Springs The caldera
- Fira Old Port From the water
- Back to Vlychada Home port
Semi-private · €80 per person
Semi-Private Day Cruise
5 hours, 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM. Meal, drinks, snorkeling gear and hotel transfers included.
Private · €1,200 covers up to 6 guests
Private Day Charter
5 hours, 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM, your group only. +€100 per extra guest.
Sunset cruises: the same loop, then the sunset
Sailed by the Semi-Private Sunset Cruise (€95 per person, 3:00 PM to sunset) and the Private Sunset Charter (€1,200 covers up to 6 guests, +€100 per extra guest, 2:30 – 7:30 PM). The six stops are the same; the difference is the light. The swims come first while the sun is high, dinner is served on deck on the way back, and the last leg is timed for the sunset over the caldera.
Sunset cruises · semi-private and private
The route: six stops, then the sunset
Vlychada to Vlychada, drawn on the chart of the caldera. Scroll, and the course draws itself one leg at a time.
START — CAST OFF
Vlychada Marina
Every cruise begins on Santorini's quiet south coast, in the small fishing harbor our boats call home. Hotel pickup is included, so you simply step aboard, meet the crew and settle in while the wind-carved white cliffs slide past.
01 — SWIM STOP
Red Beach
The first stop is the island's most photographed shore: rust-red lava cliffs falling to dark sand. We anchor in the clear water nearby for the first swim, with the cliffs filling the whole view.
02 — SAIL-PAST
White Beach
A short hop west the cliffs turn pale. White Beach is a pumice cove with no road down to it, so boats have it almost to themselves; we slow for photos before moving on.
03 — SWIM & SNORKEL
Mesa Pigadia & Akrotiri
Below the ancient Akrotiri coastline the water is calm and glassy. This is the quiet stop: snorkel over the rocks with the gear from the boat, or just float while the crew starts cooking.
04 — THE CALDERA
Volcano & Hot Springs
Rounding the lighthouse cape, we enter the caldera and head for its dark heart, the volcanic islets of Nea and Palea Kameni. At the hot springs the sea turns warm and rust-colored, so wear darker swimwear.
05 — FROM THE WATER
Fira Old Port
We cross to the foot of Fira, where the old port sits beneath the capital's white rim and the cliffs tower overhead. The view back across the caldera is the one from the postcards.
06 — GOLDEN HOUR
Sunset over the caldera
On the sunset cruises the last leg slows right down. Dinner is served on deck as the light softens, and the sun drops behind the caldera's western rim while you are still on the water, far from the crowds on the Oia wall.
HOME · 07 — HOME PORT
Back to Vlychada
Out through the caldera entrance and back along the south coast. Your driver is waiting at the harbor for the ride to your hotel.
The stops in order
- Red Beach Swim stop
- White Beach Sail-past
- Mesa Pigadia & Akrotiri Swim & snorkel
- Volcano & Hot Springs The caldera
- Fira Old Port From the water
- Sunset over the caldera Golden hour
- Back to Vlychada Home port
Semi-private · €95 per person
Semi-Private Sunset Cruise
5 hours, 3:00 PM to sunset. Dinner on board, drinks and hotel transfers included.
Private · €1,200 covers up to 6 guests
Private Sunset Charter
5 hours, 2:30 – 7:30 PM, your group only. +€100 per extra guest.
Full-day cruise: around the whole island, eight stops
The Full-Day Private Cruise (€2,400 covers up to 6 guests, +€100 per extra guest, 10 hours from 10:30 AM) adds the corners the shorter cruises cannot reach: Thirasia’s untouched harbor across the caldera, the chapel islet of St. Nicholas and Ammoudi Bay beneath Oia, before the long way home past Fira and out through the caldera entrance. Because the charter is private, this order is a starting point rather than a timetable.
Full-Day Private Cruise · 10 hours · route flexible
The route: eight stops around the whole island
Vlychada to Vlychada, drawn on the chart of the caldera. Scroll, and the course draws itself one leg at a time.
START — CAST OFF
Vlychada Marina
Every cruise begins on Santorini's quiet south coast, in the small fishing harbor our boats call home. Hotel pickup is included, so you simply step aboard, meet the crew and settle in while the wind-carved white cliffs slide past.
01 — SWIM STOP
Red Beach
The first stop is the island's most photographed shore: rust-red lava cliffs falling to dark sand. We anchor in the clear water nearby for the first swim, with the cliffs filling the whole view.
02 — SAIL-PAST
White Beach
A short hop west the cliffs turn pale. White Beach is a pumice cove with no road down to it, so boats have it almost to themselves; we slow for photos before moving on.
03 — SWIM & SNORKEL
Mesa Pigadia & Akrotiri
Below the ancient Akrotiri coastline the water is calm and glassy. This is the quiet stop: snorkel over the rocks with the gear from the boat, or just float while the crew starts cooking.
04 — THE CALDERA
Volcano & Hot Springs
Rounding the lighthouse cape, we enter the caldera and head for its dark heart, the volcanic islets of Nea and Palea Kameni. At the hot springs the sea turns warm and rust-colored, so wear darker swimwear.
05 — THE OTHER ISLAND
Thirasia
Across the caldera from Fira lies Thirasia, the island most visitors only ever see from a distance. The full-day cruise brings you to its untouched little harbor, where life still moves at its own pace.
06 — CHAPEL ISLET
St. Nicholas Chapel
Near Oia a tiny white chapel stands on an islet of its own in the caldera. It can only be reached by boat, which is why this stop belongs to the full-day cruise alone.
07 — BELOW OIA
Ammoudi Bay & Oia
The red cliffs of Ammoudi rise straight out of the sea, fish tavernas at their foot and Oia's white houses stacked above. We take it in from the water, from an angle the crowds up top never get.
08 — FROM THE WATER
Fira Old Port
We cross to the foot of Fira, where the old port sits beneath the capital's white rim and the cliffs tower overhead. The view back across the caldera is the one from the postcards.
HOME · 09 — HOME PORT
Back to Vlychada
Out through the caldera entrance and back along the south coast. Your driver is waiting at the harbor for the ride to your hotel.
The stops in order
- Red Beach Swim stop
- White Beach Sail-past
- Mesa Pigadia & Akrotiri Swim & snorkel
- Volcano & Hot Springs The caldera
- Thirasia The other island
- St. Nicholas Chapel Chapel islet
- Ammoudi Bay & Oia Below Oia
- Fira Old Port From the water
- Back to Vlychada Home port
Private · €2,400 covers up to 6 guests
Full-Day Private Cruise
10 hours, 10:30 AM – 8:30 PM, around the whole island with the sunset as the finale. +€100 per extra guest.
How to read the charts
The charts are schematic and not for navigation: coastlines are simplified, the small numbers are indicative water depths in meters, the rose points north and the bar shows two nautical miles. The amber line is the course, the white rings are the stops in order, and the panel beside the chart tells you what happens at each one. A swim stop means the boat anchors and you go in; a sail-past means we slow down close to shore for the view and the photos.
Which route is yours?
Choosing between day and sunset is mostly about light and swimming, not places: the morning vs sunset guide explains the trade-off. Choosing between shared and private is about the boat, the start time and the freedom to reshape the course: see private vs semi-private. The full-day cruise is the only one that reaches Thirasia, St. Nicholas and Ammoudi. For the stories behind each stop, visit the ten sailing highlights; for the hour-by-hour rhythm of a cruise, the sailing itinerary; for every cruise side by side, all Santorini boat tours.
Do all cruises visit the same places?
The day and sunset cruises, shared or private, sail the same six-stop caldera loop. Only the full-day cruise continues to Thirasia, the St. Nicholas chapel islet and Ammoudi Bay below Oia.
Can we change the route on a private charter?
Yes. On the private day, private sunset and full-day charters the route above is a starting point; tell the captain what matters most to your group and the day is shaped around it, weather permitting.
What happens if the weather is bad?
Safety comes first: the captain can modify the route or cancel the cruise if conditions are not appropriate. If your cruise is canceled for weather, we contact you right away to rearrange.
