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Day 1: Athens - Cape Sounion - Kea

Route to the Saronic Gulf and the Cycladic Islands

After renting a vessel and safely accommodating on board, spend some time talking to the manager of the charter company. Before sailing from marina Alimos, you’ll have enough time to see Athens and enjoy dinner in one of the restaurants.

Athens

Athens is consistently ranked as one of the top must-see cities of the world. Capital of Greece, birthplace of democracy, open-air museum, cradle of ancient culture – the city has no shortage of titles and admiring epithets. Thousands of years of history have made their mark on the architectural look of the city, making it a place of truly unique beauty.

While all of Athens’ districts are inviting, visitors head straight for the Acropolis to see with their own eyes the Parthenon, the Erechtheion with its famous Caryatid sculptures, the temple of Athena Nike, and the Theater of Dionysus. An exhaustive exposition is offered by the city’s many museums: the National Archeological, the Byzantine, the Theatrical, the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora, the Cycladic Art, and others. The second-most popular tourist draw is the colourful district of Plaka. Its ancient buildings have been transformed into souvenir stalls, cafes, bars and restaurants. Getting lost in the maze of Plaka’s streets is easy to do, so it’s best to regain your bearings by looking at the Wind Tower, and to stop by the ruins of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Gate.

Arriving in Athens, yachtsmen can’t help but visit Piraeus – the third-largest city in Greece and the country’s biggest port. Although the locals don’t consider themselves Athenians, Piraeus is actually part of the capital, since it’s impossible to precisely delineate the boundary separating the two cities. Here, the bustle of harbour life blends seamlessly with official museums, archaeological landmarks, and even international film festivals.

Cape Sounion

To the southeast of Athens lies one of the most poetic, most visited, and most popularized places in all of Greece – Cape Sounion. Legend has it that it was from this place King Aegeus gazed into the distance, awaiting the return of his son Theseus. The hero, much celebrated in ancient myths, developed a signal with his father before departing for Crete to battle a Minotaur. If he emerged from the fight victorious, his ship would return flying white sails, if not, it would fly black ones. On the way back, however, the exuberant Theseus forgot about their arrangement. Aegeus had not forgotten, and upon spotting black sails on the horizon, Aegeus flung himself into the abyss of the sea waves.

Aside from its mention in myths, Cape Sounion is also famed for the two temples found here – Poseidon and Athena. And though the only thing left of the majestic structures today are foundations and columns, they still dazzle with their architectural perfection.

Kea

Kea