One Day Cruise From Athens: Hydra, Poros, Aegina

One of the most popular day trips from Athens, not only for tourists but for locals as well, is a cruise to the 3 islands of the Saronic Gulf;  Hydra, Poros, and Aegina.

I have done that excursion in the past with another company when I was a child.  I remember having a good time but apart from that, I don’t remember much. Last weekend I decided to do this day cruise to the beautiful islands of Hydra, Poros, and Aegina with Evermore Cruises and my friends from Travel Bloggers Greece.

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One Day Cruise: Hydra, Poros and Aegina

My one day cruise from Athens

Our ship Cosmos departed from Marina Kalitheas at 8:00 am. There are a number of ways to get there.  You can take your car, take a taxi or public transport or use the transfer service that Evermore Cruises provides.

The brand new Cosmos ship is 70m long, 10m wide and 3m deep and is one of the fastest ships in its category. It has a capacity of more than 600 passengers and spacious indoor and outdoor space that includes 6 bars, 5 spacious luxurious lounges, and a VIP area that can accommodate up to 120 people.

During the cruise, I traveled in the VIP area but also spent some time in other parts of the ship.

The first three hours of our cruise, the time needed to get to our first stop the island of Hydra passed very quickly.  During the whole time, there was an experienced multilingual guide that gave us a lot of information about the islands we were visiting and the places we were passing by.

Moreover, the cafe was serving breakfast and refreshments and there was also a live orchestra playing Greek songs. At the VIP lounge, we were served a selection of finger food accompanied by soft drinks, tea, and coffee.

First Stop of the one day cruise from Athens – Hydra island

Hydra is a very picturesque island that looks like a painting. On the island, no cars are allowed and the only mean of transport are donkeys and horses. The island of Hydra was voted as one of the 12 most beautiful islands in the world. The boat stays on the island for approximately 2 hours and you have the opportunity to book a 45 min historical walking tour of the island.  Since I am a fan of historical tours and always want to learn something more about the destinations I visit, I decided to join.

Our tour guide took us through the little alleys of Hydra where we had the chance to taste some local sweet made of almonds from the oldest pastry shop on the island, view a traditional house, and visit a monastery and its museum among other things. We also learned a lot of things about everyday life in Hydra.

After the walking tour is over there is plenty of time to wander through the streets of the island, take many photos since the place is amazing, and have a coffee at the seafront.

You can also check:  My guide to Hydra island.

The complimentary buffet lunch that is offered was served twice. Once between the island of Hydra and Poros for half of the people and once between the island of  Poros and Aegina for the other half.

Lunch was served in the VIP lounge and there was a choice of meat, fish, or pasta accompanied by 2 types of salad. It was all delicious. On the VIP lounge, there is an additional menu on offer where you can order a wide range of starters, salads, main courses, and desserts at additional cost.

Second Stop of the one day cruise from Athens – Poros island

An hour after our departure from Hydra we arrived in Poros for a 50-minute visit. Poros is a beautiful island with white houses very close to the coast of Peloponnese. On my time there I climbed the steps to the historical clock and enjoyed the magnificent view of the island and Peloponnese. Once we were back onboard a selection of fresh fruit and desserts was waiting for us at the VIP lounge.

Third Stop of the one day cruise from Athens- Aegina island

An hour after Poros we arrived in Aegina. The ship stays there for 2 hours and 20 minutes and you can book one of the three tours available or spend some time in the town of Aegina on your own. The first tour takes you by speedboat to the beautiful island of Agistri for swimming at a sandy beach with sunbeds and umbrellas. The boat ride takes only 6 minutes.

The second tour takes you to the ancient temple of Aphaia.  Although I love swimming I decided to go to the ancient temple of Aphaia. The temple was built on the top of a hill full of pines and enjoys an incredible view of the island and the sea.  The third tour takes you to the church of Saint Nectarios which is the patron of the island.

The Church of St Nectarios is one of the biggest in the Balkans and people from around the world come to visit. Our lovely guide gave us a lot of information about the places we visited and the history of the island. After the tour, I spent some time at the port and bought a packet of my favorite pistachios that Aegina is famous for producing.

The last 1 and a half-hour of our cruise passed very quickly due to the live entertainment onboard that I really enjoyed. The live orchestra played traditional songs from around Greece while two members of the staff danced traditional dances from the different regions.

After that, the staff showed everyone the steps of the famous Syrtaki and other Greek dances.  The passengers kept dancing until we arrived back in Athens at around 7.00 pm.

I really enjoyed the one-day cruise with Evermore Cruises and it’s a day trip I would recommend to anyone. You get to see three different Greek islands in one day! In fact, I had a much better time than I was expecting. I knew the islands were very beautiful but I also enjoyed the extra excursions and the time on board with the live music and the Greek dances. I am happy to say that the crew was very organized, polite, and ready to help you.

Find more information and book this cruise

I traveled to Hydra, Poros, and Aegina in the VIP lounge that includes:

Lunch Buffet, finger food, welcome drinks & soft drinks, and a transfer service from/to your hotel.

Have you ever done a one-day cruise to the Saronic Gulf?

Did you like it?

 I was a guest of Evermore Cruises but as always all opinions are my own.

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