Greek Islands sailing vacation, Santorini to Mykonos

Planet

As a global tour operator, we are committed to operating every one of our trips in a way that respects and benefits local people, their culture and economy, while minimising our impact on the natural environment.

On this small group sailing adventure, we travel with a maximum of eight passengers on board a 50ft yacht, but if there are fewer passengers then we will use a smaller yacht. Bathrooms are shared and although there is hot water, we encourage passengers to use it carefully. Toilets are usually operated by hand-pumps and we have recycling arrangements on-board.

Weather permitting, your skipper will use the power of the wind to sail the boat as much as possible which means that we have less impact on the environment than if traveling by other modes of transport. When on land, you will mostly hike or walk although you may choose to take an excursion by car when we are on the island of Naxos.

As a tour company, our responsibilities don’t stop when our tours end. In 2002, we established a charitable foundation so that our passengers and staff could support grassroots community projects around the world. To date, it has raised over £2million for over 75 projects involved with health care, education, human rights, child welfare, sustainable development, and environmental and wildlife protection. We match every donation made by passengers and pay the administration costs, so every penny that is donated goes to a good cause.

People

We travel in small groups and wherever possible we use local transport, stay in locally-owned accommodation or homestays, eat at authentic local restaurants, support traditional artisans and small-scale businesses, and provide opportunities for travelers to interact with local people.

This excursion gives valuable employment to a local driver and also allows us to get a glimpse of rural life. We visit a local family-run tavern out in the hills and round our meal off with a shot of Kitron, a local liquor made from lemons.

Your boat will be skippered by an experienced sailor, who will also be your tour leader. One of our crew in Greece is local skipper, Georgios who loves to introduce travelers to the Cyclades Islands, in particular the less-visited islands of Amorgos and the Small Cyclades where he will introduce you to the rugged scenery, welcoming locals and delicious seafood, well off the beaten track.

During the trip, we shop for local produce for our breakfasts and lunches, which the whole group will prepare and eat together on board the boat. In the evenings, we go onshore to dine at small, often family-run restaurants and bars.

As well as a Responsible Travel Code of Conduct which we adhere to as a company, we expect our staff and travelers to demonstrate the principles of responsible travel and provide a number of responsible travel tips to facilitate this, for example advice on what clothing is appropriate and respectful. If you choose to visit any religious buildings on this trip, such as the cathedrals on Santorini, then we will request that you cover your shoulders.