Saronic Gulf: Sailing in Athens Blue Lagoon

The sun has only just risen when the Athens marina, Marina Alimos, is already bustling with activity. Some sailors are still coming from their showers, others from their last purchases. Skippers and charter companies run excitedly across the pier. Dozens of boats are already setting sail, while breakfast is still being cleared on board other ships.

Bernd Junge wants to take it easy. “Let the others go first. We’ll finish breakfast in peace,” says the man from Bad Schwartau with his North German serenity. Not a breath of air moves on the deck of the “Fani”, a 14 meter long sailing yacht.

After all, the Mediterranean heat at the breakfast table is stronger than Bernd’s need for a calm sailing start. With the last sip from his coffee cup, he says that maybe it’s time to set sail after all.

So let’s go to the Saronic Gulf, the blue lagoon of Athens. Also on board: Bernd’s niece, her husband and their two daughters. “Let’s hoist the mainsail,” Bernd calls to the others shortly after leaving the harbor and puts the boat into the wind.

After the engine is switched off, it becomes very quiet. Only the waves and the wind in the sails can still be heard. The “Fani” picks up speed. The Acropolis slowly disappears on the horizon.

Ouzo for the god of wind

Bernd briefly climbs into his cabin and comes back on deck with a bottle of ouzo. After all, you have to toast to Rasmus, the god of the wind – for a good sailing trip.

After about 30 nautical miles and first swimming stops in front of smaller uninhabited islands, we reach the island of Poros in the afternoon. A few hundred meters from the town of the same name, we drop anchor in the picturesque bay. The setting sun bathes the whitewashed house facades, which meander up the slope from the harbor, in a warm, romantic light.

The white clock tower, built in 1927, towers high above the town. A Greek flag flies above the rock. On the quay wall, the lights of the fish restaurants slowly come on. On board there is spaghetti with salad, white wine – and for dessert the panoramic view of Poros.

Even Hollywood stars like Greta Garbo or the American writer Henry Miller, who spent almost nine months here, were enchanted by the island. Like most of the Saronic Islands, Poros is of volcanic origin. On the neighboring Methana peninsula you can visit an overgrown crater.

No insider tip, but not overcrowded

Poros is by no means a secret tourist tip. However, they and the other islands in the Saronic Gulf are not nearly as crowded as Crete, Rhodes, Santorini or Mykonos. The reason: they are difficult to reach without a boat.

The sailing area is well protected from strong winds by mainland Greece and the mountains of the Peloponnese peninsula. When the strong Meltemi wind gusts in the summer months in the Aegean, it is mostly still quiet around the Saronic Islands. So they became a popular spot for sailors.

“Off to the next island,” calls Bernd and starts the engine. After sailing through the strait at Poros, which separates the island from the mainland of the Peloponnese, most sailors head for the island of Hydra. Cars are taboo here. Goods and tourists are still picked up by donkey carts at the ferry port. Hydra is a Greek island like in a picture book, the marina is always quite full in summer.

Clear water and fragrant pine forests

But we are looking for peace and secluded bays. And the nice thing about sailing is that you can spontaneously decide where to go. So we don’t head for Hydra from Poros like the majority, but set course for the quieter Agistri. Dolphins accompany us a bit as Bernd navigates to the uninhabited southwest side of this island.

The charter company had recommended a bay near Aponissos beach for overnight stays, which is protected from wind and waves by the small offshore island of Dhoroussa. The emerald green water is crystal clear here. Schools of fish can be seen from the boat. It smells of pine forest from the shore.

The anchor is thrown and the boat is also tied to a rock. It’s snorkeling. You feel like you are in an aquarium.

Underwater world with octopus garden and antique amphorae

Two days later there is hardly a breeze. Sailing is canceled today. With engine power we sail to Palia Epidauros. A good ten kilometers from the port is one of the most important ancient cult sites in Greece. The temple ruins are a Unesco World Heritage Site and don’t need to hide behind Olympia or Delphi.

In addition to culture fans, divers also get their money’s worth at Epidauros. The underwater world has a lot to offer here with beautiful caves and wrecks, says Vicky Martin from the Scuba Blue Dream diving center. Barracuda, grouper, turtles and the occasional dolphin frolic here. A highlight: the “Octopus Garden”, a dive site full of octopuses and squid.

In the next bay, all you need is a scuba mask and snorkel to see parts of a sunken ancient city off Gialasi Beach. Bernd tries to get as close to the archaeological remains as possible by boat. Old amphorae and the foundations of ancient buildings lie at a depth of just two meters.

On the way back to Athens, of course, there is still a visit to the Acropolis. This is the crowning glory of the trip to Greece. Nevertheless, in the throng of tourists, one automatically thinks of the tranquility and seclusion of the Saronic Islands, which can be guessed from here – the heart of Athens – far away on the horizon.

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