This site's pickGuides
Language
EnglishCurrency
US dollar · $Your currency applies on GetYourGuide too.
Guide · Under sail
Sailing from Skiathos: a day on a yacht with lunch
Sailing from Skiathos means a smaller boat, swim stops chosen by the wind and a meal served on deck. Here is how the day yachts differ in route, food, group size and price.
Check availabilityfrom $72 · cancel for free
Editorial team, skiathosboattrip.comUpdated October 20, 2026about 8 min to read7 sources
The short version
- 01This site's pick
- Aeolus Sailing, rated 4.93 from 367 reviews, lunch cooked on board, from $162.
- 02Small group
- A 55-foot yacht for a maximum of 12-13 people.
- 03Breakfast too
- Sporades Sailing serves breakfast and a grilled lunch, from $146.
- 04Wooden boat
- A sailboat built in 1958, with swim stops of about an hour.
- 05Typical stops
- Tsougria, Kastani on Skopelos and the Dasia sea caves.
What a day under sail adds to a Skiathos holiday
Sailing from Skiathos is a slower, quieter version of the island boat day. A big excursion boat follows a fixed timetable; a sailing yacht carries a small group, lets the captain pick the bays by the wind and gives you long swims with snorkel gear, a paddleboard and a meal on deck. The pace is set by the sea and the sails rather than by a ferry schedule, and the boat itself becomes part of the reason you went out.
The Municipality of Skiathos presents the island as a base for boat holidays: from its harbor you can reach Skopelos, Alonissos and Skyros, and about 20 rocky islets or small islands such as Arkos, Peristera and Tsougrias.1 A day yacht covers only the nearer part of that list, but it shows you why the idea works. The water between Skiathos and Skopelos is a string of coves, islets and pine-covered capes.
The trade-off is price. The sailing days compared on this page start from $146 and go up to $182, against from $72 for this site's own boat to Skopelos and Alonissos. For that difference you get food, drinks and swim gear included, and a smaller group around you on deck. Whether that is worth it depends on how you like a day at sea: as a ride between sights, or as the sight itself, with the swimming and the meal at its center.
One sailing day
Sailing Nireas from meeting to mooring
-
09:30
Meet at the New Port
The boat waits across the street from the bus terminal park.
-
10:00
Sail out
The boat leaves the quay and the day on the water starts.
-
Through the day
Swim stops
3-4 swims in Skiathos and/or Skopelos, by the weather.
-
On deck
Food and drinks
Snacks, a main meal, fruit, coffee and juice are included.
-
17:00
Back in port
The boat returns to the New Port.
Aeolus Sailing: the pick for a full day
This page recommends the Aeolus Sailing day, rated 4.93 from 367 reviews. The listing gives a departure from Skiathos at 10:15 and a lunch cooked on board at around 14:00, with stops at Tsougria, Skopelos, Kastani Beach, Argos Beach and the Dasia sea caves when the weather allows. The trip lasts 7 hours and starts from $162. The listing does not give the order of the stops; expect the captain to set it in the morning.
The list of what comes with the ticket is long: snacks, dessert, wine and beer, water and soft drinks, a paddleboard, snorkeling gear, flippers and even fishing gear, plus Wi-Fi and a toilet on board. Two things are not included: a hotel transfer and towels. Pack your own towel and plan how you reach the harbor in the morning. A small dry bag for your phone is worth bringing as well.
Two lines in the small print matter. The trip runs with a minimum of 4 participants, and the captain may change or reschedule the route in bad weather. Cancellation is free until 24 hours before the start, and you can reserve now and pay later. Booking early costs nothing as long as you cancel in time if the forecast turns. Check your confirmation for the meeting point, as the listing does not name one.
Length of the day
Hours on board, by sailing listing
h
The listings
Sailing days from Skiathos side by side
| Boat | Group | Food | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aeolus Sailing | Private or small | Lunch cooked on board | 4.93 |
| Waterandsnow, 55 ft | Max 12-13 | Lunch on board | 5.00 |
| Sporades Sailing | Shared or private | Breakfast and grill | 4.98 |
| Katerina, wooden | Min 6 | Meal at Panormos | 4.94 |
| Perfect Sailing | Shared | Taverna lunch | 4.80 |
| Sailing Nireas | About 15 | Main meal | 4.91 |
Group size, meal and score taken from each sailing listing; the score averages every review it has.
Pick a style
Full day, small yacht or wooden boat
This site's pick
Small group
Classic boatWooden sailboat
Katerina, built 1958
- Swims
- About 1 hour each
- Wine
- 1 bottle per 4
- Price
- from $156
Decision helper
Which sailing day suits you?
Start from the thing you care about most
Aeolus Sailing
Lunch cooked on board, rated 4.93 from 367 reviews.
Waterandsnow
A 55-foot yacht for a maximum of 12-13 people.
Sporades Sailing
Breakfast with coffee and tea, then a grilled lunch.
Katerina
A wooden sailboat built in 1958 by Georgios Psarros.
Perfect Sailing
The skipper moors in a small harbor for lunch.
With daily breaks or weekly holidays, you can visit Skopelos, Alonissos, Skyros but also about 20 rocky islets or small spectacular islands like Arkos, Peristera and Tsougrias.
Smaller groups and a bigger yacht
If the size of the group matters most, look at Waterandsnow's day on a 55-foot yacht, which takes a small group of maximum 12-13 people. Masks, fins and a stand-up paddleboard are included, and lunch is served on board with a drinks package that is not unlimited. It is rated 5.00 from 222 reviews and starts from $162. A paddleboard on a still bay is one of the quiet pleasures of a day like this.
Sailing Nireas works on a similar scale: about 15 guests on its mixed group trips and up to 22 on a private booking. Its day runs from 10:00 to 17:00 with 3-4 swim stops in Skiathos and/or Skopelos, and wine and beer are limited to 3-4 servings each. Towels, hats, sunscreen and hotel transfers are on you. Bring your own towel and something to cover your shoulders when the boat swings at anchor and the shade moves.
Captain Cook's Soft Machine 2 caps its semi-private trips at 16 guests and serves lunch around 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM. For anyone who wants a yacht in Skiathos without sharing it, several of these boats can be booked whole: Aeolus, Kallisti and Sporades Sailing all list a private option. If you are a family or a group of friends, ask for a quote for the whole boat before you book seats one by one.
Checklist
Before you step on deck
01
Check in the listing
- Group size, shared or private
- What lunch is and where it is served
- Whether towels are included
- Whether a transfer is offered
02
Pack for the day
- Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses
- Swimwear and your own towel
- Passport details if the boat asks for them
- Time to find the right quay
Cost calculator
Price a sailing day for your group
Pick a boat and the number of guests.
People
Total from$323
each from $162
Check availabilityfree cancellationEach total multiplies the lowest per-person fare a boat lists on GetYourGuide by your group size, converted at the European Central Bank rate; checkout shows the final sum.
Video
Sailing Greece: all about Sporades Islands: Skiathos & Skopelos, Alonissos & Peristera, Marine Park
Nothing from YouTube loads on this page until you press play.
Breakfast, a wooden hull or lunch ashore
Sporades Sailing starts earlier than most: it leaves Skiathos Port at 09:00 with breakfast, coffee and tea on board and comes back at 17:00. Lunch is grilled meats, vegetables, Greek salad and tzatziki, with soft drinks, water, white wine and beer through the day and fresh fruit on the way back. It is rated 4.98 from 50 reviews. If you like an early start, this is the one for you.
Katerina Traditional Sailing runs a wooden sailboat built in 1958 by Georgios Psarros. Its route goes from Lalaria Beach to Kastani, Panormos, Tsougria and Arkos, with the meal served on board at Panormos and swim stops of about an hour each. It needs at least 6 guests, otherwise the day is rescheduled or refunded, and it is not suitable for non-swimmers. The boat is a piece of island history as much as a way to reach the beaches.
Perfect Sailing does it differently: the skipper moors in a small harbor and lunch is eaten at a taverna, with drinks, fruit salad, coffee, snorkel and fishing gear, a paddleboard and towels included. Its boat Marina waits at the New Port in front of Sol Levante Cafe, and the listing asks you to be there 10 minutes before departure. Lunch ashore splits the day in two and gives you a walk on dry land before the afternoon swims.
Where the sailing boats go
The names repeat from listing to listing. Tsougria, the pine-covered islet off the harbor, turns up on the Aeolus, Sporades, Katerina and Diamanti routes, and Kastani on Skopelos and the Dasia sea caves are named by Aeolus and Diamanti. Tsougrias lies less than 2 nautical miles from the port of Skiathos and has two small lakes and an abandoned oil press among its pines and olive trees.2
Kastani is one of the beaches where Mamma Mia! was filmed, and Milia, further along the same coast, looks across to the islet of Dasia.34 Arkos, one of the small islands near Skiathos, closes the day on the Katerina and Diamanti routes. Lalaria, on the north coast of Skiathos, is on the list of Sporades Sailing when the weather allows. Each of these names makes a fine swim stop in its own way.
The municipality adds the wildlife: dolphins, a dip in the Blue Cave and, with luck, loggerhead turtles off Skopelos.5 Alonissos and the east of Skopelos lie inside the National Marine Park.6 Treat a dolphin as a bonus, never a promise. Keep your camera within reach on the crossings all the same, and watch the water near the bow.
Weather and the captain's route
On a sailing day the route is a plan, not a contract. Aeolus Sailing writes that the captain may change or reschedule the cruise in bad weather, and Kallisti Sailing reserves the right to cancel or reschedule for the same reason. The municipality notes that the north coast of Skiathos is wilder, with waves, while the south side is more organised with calm water.7 A good captain reads that difference every morning before choosing where to drop anchor.
That flexibility is part of the appeal. A captain who knows the coves will find calm water somewhere, and a day spent in two sheltered bays can be better than a rough crossing to a famous beach. Ask on board which stops are planned, and do not be disappointed if the list changes after breakfast. What makes a sailing day work is clear water, shelter from the wind and an unhurried lunch.
Kallisti Sailing is not suitable for babies under 1 year or people over 95, and pets are not allowed. Some listings also ask for passenger details: Katerina Traditional Sailing sends a passenger list with name, nationality, date of birth, passport number and phone to the port authorities. Have those details ready when you book. Sending them in advance saves time on the quay and gets you on board sooner.
Choosing your sailing day
Start with the group. For a small crowd, the 55-foot yacht with a maximum of 12-13 people fits well; for a more sociable day, Sailing Nireas keeps about 15 guests and Captain Cook takes up to 16. Then look at the food: breakfast and a grill on Sporades Sailing, a taverna lunch with Perfect Sailing, a cooked meal on deck everywhere else. Group size shapes the mood of the whole day. Decide on it first, then compare the menus.
Then check the logistics. Aeolus, Nireas and Captain Cook do not include a hotel transfer, while Diamanti lists pickup as available. Meeting points differ too: the Old Port for Soft Machine 2, the New Port for Marina and Nireas. Read the confirmation for the exact quay. Leave a little time in the morning to walk between the two harbors if you are unsure which one you need, and keep the operator's number in your phone.
Finally, keep the plan loose. Each yacht in this comparison can be cancelled without charge until a day before it sails. Book the day you want, watch the wind forecast, and pack a towel, a hat and sunscreen whatever the listing says. The yacht will still be there; the right day for it is one with a light wind and nothing else planned. Take it slowly, bring a book, and let the sea decide the rest.
Book your seats
Skopelos, Alonissos and a swim in one day
Pick a date, reserve now and pay later, and cancel free up to 24 hours before.
You ask,we answer.
Is lunch included on the sailing days?
Yes, on the boats compared here. Aeolus cooks lunch on board; Perfect Sailing eats at a taverna in a small harbor.
How many people are on board?
From 12-13 up to about 15 or 16. Waterandsnow sets a maximum of 12-13; Nireas keeps around 15; Soft Machine 2 caps at 16.
Are drinks unlimited?
Not always. Nireas limits wine and beer to 3-4 servings each; Waterandsnow's package is not unlimited.
Do I need to bring a towel?
On several boats, yes. Aeolus and Nireas list towels as not included; Perfect Sailing includes them.
Can I book the boat privately?
On some listings. Aeolus, Kallisti and Sporades Sailing list a private option.
What if the wind is too strong?
The captain changes the plan. Aeolus and Kallisti may change, cancel or reschedule for bad weather.
Can children come?
Yes, with limits on some boats. Kallisti is not suitable for babies under 1 year; check the age notes on any other listing too.
Sources
Sources and evidence
- 1Municipality of SkiathosSailing↩
- 2Municipality of SkiathosTsougkrias↩
- 3Greek National Tourism Organisation (Visit Greece)The Beaches of Skopelos↩
- 4Greek National Tourism Organisation (Visit Greece)The Beaches of Skopelos↩
- 5Municipality of SkiathosSailing↩
- 6Municipality of SkiathosSailing↩
- 7Municipality of SkiathosWater sports↩
Keep reading
