Exploring Paradise With Santorini Sailing

Santorini is the most photogenic place I’ve ever visited. But to truly appreciate and capture the magnificence of the Cycladic jewel you need to take a few steps back. A bit of distance allows the individual elements of the dramatic landscape to come together to form one, breathtaking image; the skies look more brilliant, the cliffs look steeper and the iconic whitewashed buildings sparkle like tiny sugar cubes when you admire the volcanic coast from the Aegean. In my opinion, this should be reason alone to book a sailing trip around the island. And while there are plenty of charter companies to choose from, there’s one with an unparalleled reputation: Santorini Sailing. I had the privilege of spending a day on board one of their luxury catamarans on my latest trip to Greece…

The family owned and operated company was established by husband-and-wife team, Ted and Dina Stathis, as a passion project. With a profound love for Santorini and sailing, they began offering tours in 1998 so they could share the hard-to-access beaches and bays with visitors. Their tours quickly gained popularity and their fleet and services have grown ever since. Their success is perhaps due to their genuineness, hospitality and unwavering commitment to give guests an unforgettable experience. The way Ted sees it, many people only visit the island once and select his tour as their sole excursion; his duty is to do everything in his power to make the experience memorable. Even if it means rescheduling a tour when sailing conditions aren’t optimal (which happened the day before we headed out to sea).

Fortunately, we had clear skies and calm waters on the day of our journey. Ted picked us up at our hotel and whisked us to Vlihada Marina to board his 43′ luxury power catamaran (Triton is the largest private charter catamaran in Santorini). With 800 sq feet of deck space, a beautiful interior and an extremely quiet engine, we knew we were in for a dreamy ride. I was also thrilled to see that we were only sharing the boat with two other couples (they never take more than 10 guests on Triton so the experience is always intimate and personalized). As we stepped on board the catamaran, we were greeted by Captain Theo Karakiklas…

The crew on Triton were incredible: professional, friendly and extremely knowledgeable! They told us about the history of the island as we relaxed on the deck…

Santorini is known for its colourful beaches so Captain Theo swung by the red and white sand beaches before we headed out to the secluded bay for a swim. Check out the landslide on the red sand beach – glad I wasn’t sunbathing there!

We were really fortunate to have the Hot Springs to ourselves when we arrived at the tiny island of Palia Kameni. Perfect timing by Captain Theo: the popular destination usually attracts many tourists to its orange bay. Rich in sulfur and iron, the volcanic water is said to have therapeutic properties. But it’s not as warm as you’d expect: a plunge off the boat is sure to wake you up!

Next we headed towards Oia and stopped at the nearby Ekklesia Agios Nikolaos. Accessible only by boat, it’s one of the many churches dedicated to the patron Saint of sailors. It’s also the cutest little church I’ve ever seen: the perfect backdrop for our feast on board! The food served on Triton is some of the tastiest you’ll have on the island. Freshly prepared by the crew, there’s a delectable spread of local cuisine to devour – from Captain Ted’s famous Shrimp Saganaki and grilled calamari to tzatziki and greek salad…

After stuffing my face, I headed straight to the deck to soak up some sun and enjoy a glass (or two) of wine. I was in heaven…

In my opinion, there really is no better way to spend a day in Santorini than on board one of Santorini Sailing’s catamarans. Whether you go on a sunset sail on Dreamcatcher ($131/person) or reserve Triton for a private, half-day tour ($1416 for up to 6 passengers), you’ll get a unique perspective of the island, eat some tasty Greek food, swim in the deep blue waters of the Aegean and learn about Santorini’s history. It’s an unforgettable way to experience one of Greece’s most beautiful islands!

Huge thanks to Santorini Sailing for hosting us. As always, all reviews and opinions are our own.