Greek Cyclades

Mykonos

Arrive, anchor at Ornos or the south coast; Mykonos Town, the windmills and Little Venice at sunset.

Delos & Rhenia

Morning at the Delos sanctuary before the heat and the meltemi both build; a swim stop at Rhenia; Nammos or Scorpios at sunset.

Mykonos to Paros (Naoussa)

Run south to Naoussa Bay, the best-sheltered stop on the circuit when the meltemi is up in the Paros–Naxos channel.

Paros to Naxos

Short hop to Naxos Chora, anchored under the Portara — the central Cyclades’ most protected harbour.

Naxos to Ios

The overnight link south; a quieter, less charter-dense stop before the run in to Santorini.

Ios to Santorini

Arrive early afternoon to secure a mooring buoy off Oia or Athinios before they fill; sunset from the deck below the cliff towns.

Santorini

Fira and Oia ashore, before departure or repositioning back toward Mykonos.

Mykonos

Arrive and anchor at Ornos or the south coast; ashore by evening for the windmills at Kato Mili and Little Venice as the sun goes down.

Delos & Rhenia

A morning at the Delos sanctuary before the heat and the meltemi build, then a swim stop at Rhenia.

Super Paradise

A calm-weather day at the open, scenic anchorage — exposed if the wind turns south of west, but the see-and-be-seen stop of the group.

Paros — Naoussa Bay

Run south to Naoussa Bay, granite-sheltered over sand — the best all-round meltemi refuge on the whole circuit.

Naxos Chora

A short hop to anchor beneath the marble Portara, in the best-sheltered harbour of the central Cyclades.

Return toward Mykonos

Retrace north with a second night at Naoussa or Ornos, rather than joining the queue for a Santorini buoy.

Mykonos

Arrive and settle at anchor off Ornos; ashore for Little Venice and the windmills at Kato Mili, dinner at Noema in the old town.

Delos, Rhenia & Super Paradise

The Delos sanctuary and a swim at Rhenia in the morning, then round to Super Paradise for the afternoon and Nammos or Scorpios after dark.

Naoussa Bay, Paros

South to Naoussa Bay — the circuit's most reliable shelter when the meltemi is up in the Paros–Naxos channel.

Paros to Naxos

On to Naxos Chora, anchored in the lee of the Portara — the safest natural harbour on this stretch of the Aegean.

Naxos to Ios

South overnight to Ios — calmer and less charter-dense than the islands either side of it, and the last easy anchorage before the caldera.

Ios to Santorini

Arrive early to take a mooring buoy off Athinios before they fill — the buoys are scarce and often booked months ahead; dinner at Selene in Pyrgos.

Santorini — Oia & Ammoudi

A second night in the caldera, this time off Oia and Ammoudi; dinner at Lauda on the cliff, with time to walk both Fira and Oia properly rather than rushing them.

Santorini toward Ios

Begin the return leg rather than disembarking, timing the passage for the meltemi's morning lull before it builds through the afternoon.