Two weeks through the Dodecanese: neoclassical Symi, the active Nisyros volcano, medieval Rhodes, and far-flung Kastellorizo — from Marmaris to Finike.
Your voyage
A big cross-border route across the whole Dodecanese — from Turkey into Greece and back. We clear out of Turkey at Bozburun, then work our way down the Greek islands: from picture-book Symi and Kos, birthplace of Hippocrates, across the moon-like pumice fields of Gyali to the active Nisyros volcano, quiet Tilos, and uninhabited Alimia. The climax is medieval Rhodes and distant Kastellorizo, right off the Turkish coast. We return via Kekova to our home base at Finike. More miles, more islands, more history — a cruise for anyone who wants to sail the Aegean and the Mediterranean in earnest.
For whom: For seasoned travellers ready for long passages in exchange for what a single week can’t reach: an active volcano, ghost islands, thousand-year-old Rhodes, and Greece’s easternmost outpost. A Schengen visa is required.
Route: Marmaris → Bozburun → Symi → Kos → Gyali → Nisyros → Tilos → Alimia → Rhodes → Kastellorizo → Kekova → Finike
Day by day
A warm-up passage and checking out of Turkey.
A short hop from Marmaris into Bozburun Bay (~20 miles). At the port we sort out the transit log and get our exit stamp out of Turkey, then anchor in a quiet cove for the first swim and a calm evening before the big route ahead.
🌙 Overnight: A cove in Bozburun Bay (at anchor)
Days 2–3 · Neoclassical mansions rising in tiers above the harbour.
Symi Town and its rainbow of houses (the best view is from the hill by the Panagia Chrysopoiitissa church), the important Panormitis monastery of the Archangel Michael, and snorkelling in the clear water of St George’s Bay. Wander the narrow lanes, dine at a taverna by the sea, and visit the Sea Sponge Museum — the island lived off sponge diving for centuries.
🌙 Overnight: Symi Town / St George’s Bay (moored or at anchor)
Birthplace of Hippocrates and a fortress of the Knights of St John.
Walk up to the Asklepion, an ancient healing sanctuary with a view across to the Turkish coast from its top terrace; the Knights’ castle at the harbour entrance; the plane tree of Hippocrates; Roman mosaics and the odeon. Kos is flat and made for cycling — we rent bikes for the long seafront, with snorkelling along the east coast.
🌙 Overnight: Kos port (moored)
A lunar pumice islet between Kos and Nisyros.
A near-uninhabited volcanic island whose surface is white pumice, like the face of the moon. Walk across the pumice field in complete silence, see the remains of ancient obsidian workshops, and take some otherworldly photos. The shore is steep, so there’s no swimming here — but the landscape is utterly alien.
🌙 Overnight: At anchor off Gyali
Days 6–7 · An active volcano: down into the smoking crater.
We climb down onto the floor of the Stefanos crater (~30 m across): the ground is hot, the air smells of sulphur, and steam hisses from the cracks — you can walk right across the bottom. There are hiking trails through the volcanic fields to the Polyvotis crater, the white amphitheatre of Mandraki tumbling to the sea, the hilltop monastery of St John, and snorkelling in the thermal coves.
🌙 Overnight: Mandraki (moored) / a thermal cove
The quietest island in the Dodecanese, without a souvenir shop in sight.
Stroll through old Megalo Chorio with its Venetian castle — a real Greek village, few tourists, green and hushed. Visit the Charkadio cave with its dwarf-elephant bones (a paleontological site), the seafront and tavernas of Livadia port, and the beaches.
🌙 Overnight: Livadia port (moored or at anchor)
An uninhabited ghost island with a truck on the seabed.
An abandoned village of roofless stone houses, a Venetian fort on the hill, and wartime German barracks with soldiers’ drawings still on the walls. We anchor in the crystal-clear St George’s Bay and dive over a pontoon sunk in 1944 with a forklift still aboard, lying in shallow water.
🌙 Overnight: St George’s Bay (at anchor)
Days 10–11 · A medieval city and the Lindos acropolis on its cliff.
The Old Town of Rhodes is one of the finest medieval cities in Europe: the walls, the Palace of the Grand Masters, Venetian loggias, the Jewish quarter (4–5 hours on foot). Early, before the crowds, we drive to Lindos — an ancient acropolis on a rock above a turquoise bay. Then Mandraki harbour, where the Colossus once stood, the bronze deer on their columns, and restaurants by the water.
🌙 Overnight: Mandraki harbour, Rhodes (marina)
Days 12–13 · Greece’s far-eastern outpost, right off the Turkish coast.
Greece’s easternmost island (Megisti): colourful houses, waterside tavernas, and a Byzantine castle looking across to the Turkish shore. Snorkel over the sunken town of Agios Georgios — the remains of buildings on the bay floor after an earthquake — and the Blue Grotto, like Capri’s but smaller and free of crowds. A Schengen visa is needed to call here.
🌙 Overnight: Kastellorizo main harbour (moored)
A farewell evening at Kekova and the run home to base.
A long passage back into Turkey (~60 miles) with a stop at Kekova: anchor over the sunken Lycian city, visit Simena castle and the village of Üçağız, and share a farewell dinner under the stars. The final leg takes us to Finike, the cruise’s end base.
🌙 Overnight: Kekova (at anchor), then Finike marina
The route is authored and flexible: stops can be reordered and adjusted to the weather and your wishes.
Photo album
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Pricing
| Season | Per cabin (2 berths) | Whole yacht (up to 6) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Apr – 25 May | €2,000 | €6,000 |
| 26 May – 30 Jun | €2,200 | €6,600 |
| 1 Jul – 25 Oct | €2,400 | €7,200 |
| 25 Oct – 25 Nov | €2,000 | €6,000 |
| 25 Nov – 25 Apr | €1,600 | €4,800 |
* Price is per double cabin; the whole yacht = 3 cabins (up to 6 guests), one company, private. That is ≈ €400–600 per person in a shared cabin. A 15% deposit secures the booking; meals are paid separately (ship's kitty). Prices in euros.
Pricing and details updated: July 2026
An experienced captain, safety gear aboard, calm sheltered coves. The route is chosen with the weather and your comfort in mind.
Reviews
“A one-of-a-kind holiday, unlike anything before. The skipper told us the story of every place, and the photos came out like postcards. We’ll definitely be back!”
Anastasia, Novosibirsk August 2025 · The Hellas “This tour was an incredible adventure for me. Everything was thought through, the skipper is a true professional — I didn’t have to worry about a thing.”
Ekaterina, Moscow June 2025 · The Hellas Questions
Yes — a Schengen visa is required, since the route calls at Greek ports in the Dodecanese: Symi, Kos, Rhodes, Kastellorizo and others. You arrange it in advance, and it isn’t included in the tour price. We check out of Turkey on day one at Bozburun, where the exit stamp is issued.
This is a long sea-going tour for people already comfortable with passages. Most legs run 20–40 miles, but a few are long: around 80 miles out to Kastellorizo and about 60 miles back to Finike. The skipper plans each passage around the forecast and picks the calmest weather windows.
The active Nisyros volcano, with the walk down into the smoking Stefanos crater; the medieval Old Town of Rhodes and the Lindos acropolis; neoclassical Symi; uninhabited Alimia with its snorkelling over a sunken truck; and far-flung Kastellorizo with a drowned town on the bay floor.
Send a request — we’ll confirm available dates and answer any questions.
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