Island Hopping in Greece: Saronic Islands Day Trip

The Saronic Islands, near Athens, are an archipelago in the Saronic Gulf. This is the closest island group to Athens with the closest islands within an hour's boat ride. These islands can be visited on the One-Day Saronic Cruise that runs daily throughout the year. The three-island tour includes an entertaining ferry ride and visits to Hydra, Poros, and Aegina. The Saronic islands have a rich history of being the home of wealthy ships' captains. They brought neoclassical architecture and cosmopolitan character to the communities. These islands played an important role during the Revolution against the Ottoman Empire in 1821. It was boasted that several Greek national heroes come from these islands.

ATB#1 and I were into the second week of a long trip through Greece and Italy and the heat had been really intense. We decided to take the three island One-Day Saronic Cruise tour planning to enjoy the cool breezes and get a taste for the island hopping we had planned for the next 4 weeks.

As we boarded, we were enthusiastically greeted by performers in traditional dress and commercial photos were taken (available for sale onboard). We grabbed a coffee from the concession and found a nice spot on the deck to enjoy the breeze while it was still cool. The private ferry was large and beautifully appointed with generous seating inside and some outside seating on the expansive decks.

Hydra

The first stop was Hydra (pronounced Hee-dra). We enjoyed a very comfortable ride.