Fira 24°C, sunny, light meltemi Best months May, Jun, Sep, Oct Currency Euro (EUR) Ferry from Piraeus ~7–8 hrs (Piraeus) Flight from Athens ~45 min (Athens) Site status 140 pages live, building weekly
Things to do · Boat tours

Catamaran and sailing cruises around the caldera

A more relaxed alternative to the standard volcano boat tour, usually with a longer swim stop and a sit-down meal.

4 min read Things to do

Alongside the standard half-day volcano-and-hot-springs boat trip (see our boat tours guide), a range of catamaran and sailing cruises operate around the caldera, generally pitched as a more relaxed, all-day experience built around swimming, sunset and an onboard meal rather than the volcano hike itself.

How these differ from a standard tour boat

Catamaran cruises tend to run longer — often five to seven hours — with multiple swim stops around the caldera and off Thirasia, an onboard barbecue or similar meal included, and open bar service on many operators' boats. Some skip the Nea Kameni crater hike in favour of more time in the water; check the itinerary if the volcano walk specifically matters to you.

Sunset sailing

A dedicated sunset cruise, timed to be on the water as the sun drops behind the caldera, is one of the more memorable ways to see it — see our sunset spots guide for how it compares with watching from land.

Booking tipGroup size varies hugely between operators, from large day-tripper boats to small private charters — worth checking review photos for actual boat capacity if a quieter, more intimate trip matters to you.

Spotted something out of date, or have a correction? Let us know — we'd rather fix it fast than leave it wrong.