7-Day Greece Yacht Itinerary: Dodecanese Islands

Rhodes’ Mandraki Harbor, a stone’s throw from the Old Town, seems like an attractive docking option, however, it’s mostly filled with daytripper boats. Your best bet is to book a berth at Rhodes Marina, in advance during the peak summer months. From there, it’s easy to reach the Old Town by taxi. 

Start your day with a stroll through the cobblestoned streets of Rhodes’ medieval town, a Unesco World Heritage site. Your best bet is to book a private tour with a local guide to navigate the city’s many layers of history. Secure timed entry tickets online to visit the Palace of the Grand Master, the nerve center of the Order of the Knights of Saint John. Also worth visiting is the treasure-filled Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, the 11th-century Church of Our Lady of the Castle and the Street of the Knights. 

On the southeast coast, explore the Acropolis of Lindos, the island’s most significant archeological site. Located atop 380ft- (116-meter) high cliffs soaring above twin harbors, you’ll understand why the Knights converted the sanctuary to a fortress. See the 4th-century Temple of Athena Lindia, the Propylaea and a Hellenistic Stoa. Afterwards, walk the alleyways of Cycladic-like Lindos town, where bougainvillea drips from whitewashed houses. And make sure to take a dip in nearby St Paul’s Bay, from where you can take in views of the Acropolis. For dinner, savor refined dishes inspired by traditional Rhodian recipes at Noble, within Elysium Resort & Spa in Kallithea.

Moor at the municipal quay of Livadia harbor, in the southeast of Tilos, which offers good shelter in most winds. Rocky, far-flung Tilos might look like a simple Greek island, however, it’s considered the country’s most eco-conscious. Its 745 residents pride themselves on their sustainable waste system and low-impact tourism model, so ensure to sort and dispose of your trash accordingly. 

And while Tilos looks to the future, you might be surprised to learn that Europe’s last wild elephants resided here. It’s believed a dwarf species may have swum there from Asia Minor some 50,000 years ago. In Messaria village, see fossilized bones, found in Harkadio Cave, on display at a small paleontology museum. 

From the capital, Megalio Chorio, head uphill to see the remains of an ancient settlement and the 15th-century Monastery of St Panteleimon. Tilos is blessed with around 19 beaches, including Livadia’s long pebble beach, nearby Lethra, Eristos and Agios Sergios. At Plaka, peacocks pad around in the sand. In the northwest, the 15th-century Byzantine Monastery of Agios Panteleimon is an excellent vantage point to witness sunset. Northwest of Livadia is the medieval village of Mikro Horio, whose residents vacated during and after World War II in search of a better life. The shells of their stone-built homes still stand today, one of which has been converted into an evocative bar. 

Squeeze in stern-to at capital Mandraki harbor’s town quay in the northwest of circular-shaped Nisyros. Start your day with a wander through Mandraki’s labyrinth of flagstoned alleyways and a thick Greek coffee amid chattering locals on one of the town squares. West of the town, visit Panagia Spiliani Monastery, built into a rockface and believed to date to 1600. 

Nisyros is best known for its active volcano which, at 160,000 years old, is the youngest in the Aegean. Forming part of a UNESCO Global Geopark, it’s also one of the few in the world accessible to visitors. Walk through Stefanos, one of its three hydrothermal craters, where steam rises from vents in the white soil, mud bubbles to the surface and sulfur assaults the olfactory senses. 

At the Volcanology Museum in Nikia village, learn more about this wonder of nature and how Nisyros was created. While you’re there, pay a visit to the main square Porta to see its monochromatic mosaics.

Reserve a berth at Kos’ well-appointed marina, which has space for 265 yachts. It’s located one mile (1.6km) southeast of Mandraki port, where there are an additional 80 berths available, suitable for large yachts. 

Famed as the birthplace of Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, your first stop in Kos should be its capital, Kos town, to see the plane tree (a distant relative) under which he taught his students. Wander through Kos’ Roman era, whose highlights include a beautifully preserved second-century odeon that hosts cultural performances in summer, and Casa Romana, a Pompeian-style villa.

Next, rent a car or book a private guided tour of the third-century BCE Asclepion, one of antiquity’s most eminent healing centers. Pore over a fourth-century BCE altar and a second-century BCE Doric temple, among other surviving ruins. Kos has earned a reputation as a bike-friendly destination, so don’t hesitate to rent a pair of wheels to move around the main town and beyond. With more than 10 miles (16km) of bike lanes, you can cycle along coastal roads to beaches such as popular Tigaki. 

Moor at Kalymnos’ main harbor in Pothia, the capital, where space is limited to about 12 to 15 yachts. Pothia’s streets are lined with buildings whose architectural style is a mix of neoclassical, Baroque, and early 20th-century Italian. Authentic and unpretentious, this rugged island is renowned for its high-quality sea sponges sold the world over and the brave divers who have plucked them from the sea for centuries. In Pothia, the Kalymnos Maritime Museum illustrates the divers’ triumphs and tragedies and displays diving stones and helmets, along with anchors and ship models. 

If you’re up for adventure, Kalymnos offers the opportunity to go rock climbing, even if you’re a beginner. Hundreds of sport routes span cliffs that rise dramatically over the Aegean. For something more leisurely, tender to Rina port, in tranquil Vathy village on the southeast coast. To get there, you’ll pass through the emerald waters of a fjord-like inlet, ideal for a refreshing dip. South of the port, you’ll find early Christian church ruins. Stay for a late lunch and order octopus fritters and chargrilled catch of the day at Poppy’s taverna. 

Slip into one of the 45 berths available at Leros’ Lakki Marina, which is tucked into the homonymous bay, one of Europe’s best-protected natural harbors. You don’t need to be an architecture devotee to appreciate the idiosyncrasies of this port town. Built by Mussolini-era Italian occupiers chiefly between 1930 and 1938, Lakki’s building styles are a mixture of Art Deco and Bauhaus, known as rationalism. Keep an eye out for the market hall with its circular atrium and clock tower, cinema, and town hall. 

From Platanos village, some 500 steps lead up to the Byzantine Castle of Panagia (Virgin May), also accessible by car via Panteli village. Take in views of the bays of Agia Marina and Panteli and six 17th-century windmills. To the east, Alinda is an attractive resort town where you’ll find a tamarisk-shaded family-friendly beach with shallow waters. Further south, take a walk through Agia Marina’s cobblestoned streets to admire neoclassical mansions. Romance is guaranteed at sea-facing Mylos restaurant, beside its distinctive windmill, where fish and seafood dishes have been elevated to an art form. 

Dock at Skala town quay, located within a well-sheltered natural harbor on Patmos’ eastern coast. From there, take a taxi or bus to Patmos’ capital, the whitewashed hilltop town of Hora. Its narrow streets are filled with majestic homes featuring neoclassical and Gothic elements, and galleries and shops selling handcrafted items. Hora’s historic center forms part of a Unesco World Heritage site together with the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse. 

Pilgrims gather to peer into the dark cave, where St John the Divine is said to have received his visions from Christ and written the Book of Revelation, with assistance from his disciple Prochorus, around AD 95. High fortifications envelop the monastery dedicated to St John, which was founded in 1088 and peers out over a silent, cobalt Aegean. Don’t miss the museum which houses rare manuscripts and other ecclesiastical treasures. 
Beaches worth checking out include Agrio Livadi, which is replete with beach bars and sun loungers, Lambi for its tamarisk trees and taverna, and Psili Ammos, best reached by tender from Skala. When night falls, Skala lights up, its squares abuzz with people dining at classic fish tavernas, like Trehantiri, and drinking at fun watering holes such as The Patmians.