Without doubt, my favourite day of a recent holiday to Skiathos was the Sunset Cruise I undertook with the crew of Artemida traditional boat – Captain George and his wife Giannoula.

Artemida is a wooden Greek traditional boat, built in 1976 from pine wood. This type of boat has been used for centuries as a merchant ship in the Mediterranean. Its design ensures safe travel in the Aegean, where the waves are small but strong! Old sailors say these hulls can’t be overturned (good to know)! The boat travels at speeds of up to 8 knots and carries up to 10 passengers plus 2 crew.

We chose the afternoon cruise, departing the New Port of Skiathos at 14:00 (returning at 21:30). The daily schedule is determined by the Captain, depending on the weather. The day we travelled it was windy so rather than sail to the northern, exposed beaches of Skiathos, we cruised along the southern coast of the island, taking in the views of the glorious, golden, sandy beaches. The beauty of sailing with a small boat is that you get to visit secluded beauty spots, away from the mass tourism of the large tour boats. You really feel like you’ve discovered paradise.

We were well looked after by the crew. They were so friendly, accommodating and knowledgable. Our every need was catered for. The cost of the trip was 100 euro per person. Included in the price were drinks (coffee, water, soft drinks, wine, beer), snacks (donuts, bread & nutella), fresh fruit and a traditional Greek buffet (stuffed vegetables & vine leaves, cheese pie, meatballs, anchovies, tzatziki, salads and more). Towels were provided, as well as snorkelling and swimming equipment. Excellent value for money!

We stopped on five occasions, each time there was the opportunity to swim, snorkel and explore secluded beaches. The crew were very informative about the locations and the island in general.

Our final stop was at Tsougrias Island, where we visited an abandoned Olive Oil Factory and Chapel. It was here that we enjoyed our traditional Greek meal, whilst watching the sunset.

I cannot recommend this trip highly enough. I was travelling with two children (aged 13 & 7) and my Mum (73!) and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

A perfect day! Thank you to the Adonaros Family. There’s a famous saying… ‘It’s the people that make the place’ and this was certainly true of Giannoula and Captain George.

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