DAY 1 Athens – Kea (45 miles)

KEA is mostly barren, with patches of cultivated and wooded ground near the coast. The lyric poets Simonides and Bacchlides come from this island. The picturesque hamlet of Vourkari is popular, and has excellent restaurants. Just across from the Vourkari town quay is a Late Stone Age village. Alternatively, the more easily accessible harbour of St. Nicholas is equally attractive, with distinctive and beautiful Italian-influenced architecture and buildings painted in a palate of pastel colors. The beautiful "chora" on the hill, a short taxi ride from either port, is a must-see: a huddle of gleaming white houses, stupendous views, and a large lion carved from natural stone on a hillside, attributed to an Ionian sculptor from around 600 B.C.

DAY 2  Kea – Kynthnos (Loutra Bay) (22 miles)

The KYTHNOS village of Loutra on this lovely, sleepy little island, is quintessentially Greek. Here, you can see the home of Greece’s first king – Otto – and the Bavarian-style mini-castle he had built here. Otto suffered from gout, and he had a natural mountain hot spring channeled down to this harbor by aqueduct. Today’s visitors can still soak in the natural hot springs – said to be good for whatever ails you - and swim in water warmed by them. At night, you can dine under the moonlight at a taverna only feet from the sea.

DAY 3   Kythnos (Loutra Bay) – Serifos (25 miles)

This stunning, sleepy island is one of the most picturesque in the Cyclades. The small village of Levadhi has a string of seaside tavernas with Mt. Troullos towering above. A walk or bus ride to the summit and the high village (or chora, pronounced “hora”), is a must; it is one of the loveliest little towns in the islands, complete with windmills and white buildings clustered at the top. From here, there are spectacular vistas of the surrounding sea and islands that rival those from the top of the more well-known Santorini.

DAY 4   Serifos – Milos (25 miles)

MILOS, the island where the Venus de Milo (now in the Louvre in Paris) was discovered, is known for its spectacular geographic formations where the land meets the turquoise sea. It is also known the semi-precious stones found there – particularly obsidian. The main harbor, in the town of where we’ll dock, fronts the clean, attractive, fairly large town of Adamas, with a nearby beach, museums, and lots to see and do.

DAY 5   Milos – Sifnos (20 miles)

SIFNOS is a high, bold island known for its pottery, especially earthenware cooking pots, which sit drying in the sun. It’s one of the greenest Cyclades islands, with a white sandy beach and good swimming in the pretty, low-key harbor of Plati Yialos, where we’ll dock. The alternative harbor, in strong southerly winds, is scenic Kamares, the island’s main port.

DAY 6   Sifnos – Kythnos (Kolona Bay or Merikhas) (40 miles)

On Kythnos, we will either anchor out in beautiful Kolona bay for a last night under the stars, and barbecue onboard, or visit Kythnos’s westernmost port, the small fishing village of Merikhas, with a lovely, small village, and tavernas along the beach and waterfront where excellent, fresh-from-the-boats seafood is plentiful.

DAY 7  Kythnos – Athens

Enjoy the last day of sailing. Return to our base at Marina Alimos, just south of Athens, by 7 p.m. Spend the last night aboard the yacht for a complimentary sleep-aboard, and disembark the following morning by 9 a.m.

Note: All itineraries are subject to minor changes if weather presents a safety hazard.