The Cyclades Islands, Greece. Our Best Vacation Ever!
If you’re familiar with our story and read many of our blog posts, you know that we travel extensively. This is our best vacation ever!!! We are looking for a special trip to celebrate a big birthday and this trip exceeds our expectations, which can be a high bar.
Festiva Sailing Vacations operates catamaran sailings in the Caribbean. We book our Greek Island vacation through Festiva. The company and their representative are very responsive and provide excellent service. In Greece, Festiva partners with Brama Yachts & Catamarans.
Prior to the cruise, Festiva & Brama reach out to survey our food and drink preferences, along with any specific allergies. They also inquire about any types of water sports and activities we like, so that the vacation will be perfect for us!!
If you are really looking to have an exclusive experience, you can rent the entire catamaran for yourself. We choose to sail on a group voyage with two other couples who share similar interests. Our fee includes a night in Athens prior to departure, transfers to and from the port, all breakfasts, snacks, lunches, drinks, and some water sports.
And It Begins…
After spending a night in Athens, we are met at our hotel by a driver with Brama. He takes us to the port where we meet out captain, chef (you read that correctly, a private chef for 6 passengers), and fellow passengers. We share our vacation with travelers at different stages of life. There is an older couple from Northern England and newlyweds from New York City.
We have time to settle into our cabin and familiarize ourselves with the amenities. Each berth has its own queen bed, shower, and marine toilet. Both the Catamaran and cabin are much larger than they appear in the picture below.
Our Days…
Upon we leaving the port outside Athens, we sail the Cyclades chain of islands. Each day we moor in a quiet cove or small bay among mega yachts, where we either spend time on the beach or playing in the Aegean Sea until lunch. The service is unbelievable and the food that emerges from the smallest of kitchens is incredible. We are treated like kings and queens…
Each day after lunch, we sail to a different island. We visit; Kea, Kythnos, Siros, Serifos, Mykonos, Paros, Kythnos, and the ruins of Delos. As we cruise, we generally enjoy ourselves with drinks and snacks while relaxing at the front of the catamaran.
After hanging out with our awesome new friends, we will retire to our cabin for showers and preparing to explore our next island. We really enjoy our time exploring the each island. Interacting with the people of Greece and exploring each island were highlights…
We go out for dinner after exploring our next city for a few hours.
Our Evenings
Most evenings, we return to the catamaran within an hour or so of dinner. We play cards, have a few drinks, and enjoy the company of our peers. There were two times when we stay out later.
All six of us visit Rock Castle on Kythnos. This bar was built by the owner, whom we meet, on top of a hill. I can imagine that the views during the day are great. We have a few drinks and listen to some great music. The climb up the stairs not easy and the return down is a little tougher, but we feel as though this is a must for anyone in Kythnos after dark.
Our second evening out is in Mykonos. After shopping, eating dinner, and bar hopping for a while, we end up in the VIP area of Scandinavian Bar – Mykonos. After more drinks, the English couple take our shopping bags back to the boat as we dance the night away.
After dancing until the early morning hours, the newlywed couple and us, share a taxi back to the dock and our catamaran. As we approach, we are startled by our English friend sitting on the back of the boat awaiting our return. He is looking out for us to make sure that we return safely. We made lifelong friends with the other couples and keep in touch regularly.
If sailing the Greek Isles (or Caribbean) in chartered catamaran sounds fun, don’t hesitate…. give Festiva Sailing Vacation a call or look them up online at http://www.festivasailingvacations.com
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