Greece Family Adventure

Day 1 Athens/Piraeus/Embark/Cape Sounion

We arrive in Athens, and make our way to the Electra Palace Hotel located in the shadow of the Acropolis. In the afternoon in Piraeus, we embark Panorama and sail toward Cape Sounion where we anchor under the headland. Take a late afternoon swim before dinner, and don’t miss the sunset on the unparalleled Temple of Poseidon above!

Day 2 At Sea/Sifnos

Our first morning on board is spent at sea, cruising through the Cyclades with hopes for some northerly winds to fill the sails. We’ll stop for a late morning swim before coming in to dock at the delightful island of Sifnos. Distinguished for its pottery and its Venetian dovecotes, Sifnos is a rugged island with a genuine Cycladian harbor village and upper chora (village), waterfront tavernas and convenient beaches. It’s a great island for walkers or loungers alike, and perfect to set the island mood for the week.

Family Focus: We’ll stop at a pottery factory to cast our own pottery. In the early evening we’ll have a demonstration and lesson in traditional Greek dance.

Day 3 Santoríni

Incomparable Santoríni is an island archipelago that was once a single volcanic cone. It erupted in the second millennium BC and buried what some say might have been the civilization of Atlantis. Stand on deck as we sail into the caldera (the center of the old volcano) to observe the cliffs from the sea. On shore we drive through some of the windswept vineyards characteristic of Santoríni to the archaeological museum on the road to Thira, where we visit the Nomikos Foundation. After an introduction to some of the artwork at the Foundation, we’ll have lunch in a restaurant with unrivaled views of the caldera below. It’s a short walk to the cable car or donkey path down to the dock. We’ll sail out of the crater in mid-afternoon to find an afternoon swim stop.

Family Focus: Volcano activity and tracking of depth sounder as we sail into the caldera.

Day 4 Kos

This morning we dock under the Castle of the Knights of St. John in the busy harbor of Kos. Kos is a relatively flat island with fragrant vegetation, and is the perfect place for a morning bicycle ride to the impressive Hellenic and Roman ruins, featuring a superb Odeon and impressive mosaics. Afterward, we visit the Castle of the Knights to learn about the Crusaders. In the afternoon we’ll gauge the wind and search for a sheltered swim stop and a lively evening ashore.

Family Focus: Crusaders and Knights of St. John. At visit to the Odeon will introduce Greek drama and theater.

Day 5 Morning exploring/Patmos

We’ll take the morning to explore the northern reaches of the Dodecanese Islands, looking for a morning sail and an isolated swim. The rest of the day is devoted to one of the most important Christian sites in the world Patmos. It is here that St. John had his vision and wrote the Bible’s Book of Revelation. We’ll take the afternoon to visit Monastery of St. John, the adjacent Holy Cave of the Apocalypse and the catacombs, with some free time to explore the attractive town itself.

Family Focus: Continue our examination of Knights and Crusaders. Also, “Why were the early Christian sites all in caves?”

Day 6 Morning sail and swim/Naxos

Fertile Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades, and renowned in mythology as the island where Theseus abandoned Ariadne after she told him the secrets of the Kretan labyrinth. Naxos was one of the centers of the alluring Cycladic art style of 5000 years ago. Anchoring during lunch, we’ll drive into the heart of the island up to the oldest village of Apeiranthos. This is a village that has retained its traditional appearance with narrow streets of paved marble, two-story houses built of local stone, sloping alleys and charming cafes. We will also explore an intriguing Venetian Castle with narrow, twisting alleyways and secret passages. We’ll re main in port this evening, where you can have dinner on board or in town.

Family Focus: Medieval castles, and review for theater visit at Delos.

Day 7 Delos/At Sea

This morning we land at the tiny archaeological highlight of Delos, where the twin gods Artemis, goddess of animals and the hunt, and Apollo, god of healing, reason, and light were born. Today it is a magnificent archaeological site, where we explore, among other places, the Street of the Lions and the marble temple of Apollo. We also visit the dramatic theater, setting the stage for our afternoon onboard presentation by participating kids on our voyage. There will also be time for a midday swim on Delos before we set sail for our final afternoon at sea, leaving the Cyclades behind us and bound for Cape Sounion.

Family Focus: Final “theater” presentation of Greek gods and mythology, which kids have been developing all week.

Day 8 Piraeus/Disembark/Athens

Disembark Panorama this morning for transfers to Athens airport, or take the optional 3-night extension to Crete.