SIGHTSEEING CRUISE ALONG THE WEST COAST OF MOUNT ATHOS
Cruise - tour along the coast of Mount Athos - it's like climbing to heaven! The spiritual capital of the Orthodox world is a unique monastic state - a land of treasures and miracles. Feel the spiritual power and admire the natural beauty of this unique, seductive and enchanting place and give yourself a unique cruise that you will remember for a lifetime!
We start our journey from the port of Ouranoupolis on the Athos peninsula, and from Ormos Panagias on the Sithonia peninsula. In a few time of sailing we meet the borders of the monasterial city which are defined on the ground by an imaginary line that starts from the location "Fragocastro" in the west coast and reaches the cape "Arapis" in the opposite end. From this point we enter into the region of Mount Athos and you can feel the spiritual aura of this place even as you stand on the deck of our boat as we sail along the coastline of peninsula and come face to face with the impressive monasteries clinging to the cliffs.
After 15 minutes we see the first Russian skete "Thivaida" and about 20 minutes later the "arsanas" of the Serbian monastery of Chilandariou. (Arsanas means a building used like a small port connecting an inland monastery with the sea.)
Next following two more inland monasteries, the Bulgarian monastery of Zografou and the Greek one of Konstamonitoy.
The first monastery which is down on the coast and we get clear views is Dochiarioy and after a while along the coast is Xenofontos. The next coastal monastery is the hugely impressive Agiou Panteleimonos which is characterised by the green onion domes of churches standing above the red-roofed buildings.
Further on is Dafni, the main port of Mount Athos where monks and pilgrims come ashore and take the bus for the inland monasteries. Just before Dafni perched on the hill side is the monastery of Xiropotamou, about 500m above the sea.
After passing the small Russian Skete of Agios Modestos we reach one of the most impressive sights of our journey. The monastery of Simonos Petras is truly breathtaking, something that many of you have seen before but up until now only on postcards. An imposing building of 14th century, consists of seven floors and located on top of a rocky ridge.
Afterward is following the monastery of Osiou Grigoriou, also on a clifftop and after 10 minutes is Agiou Dionysiou perched 100m above the sea. The last monastery of our trip is Agiou Pavlou, which is nestling below the Holy mountain of Athos. At this point as we start to turn round and head back for Ouranoupolis you can see "Nea Skiti" and "Skiti Agias Annas", two of the most famous sketes of Mount Athos.
And if all of these are not enough for you, our cruise is not ends here...You can feed the seagulls or enjoy a company of dolphins sailing with us under our bow and if you are lucky enough you will spot one of the 2-3 Mediterranean monk seals living here, leaving you with precious moments and lasting memories.
During our way back you have enough time to drink a cold refreshment or a glass of ouzo with Greek appetizers, to do your shopping onboard, to visit our boat's bridge and take photos of yourselves with the Captain or just to enjoy our free wifi network. In the main deck of our boat except the bar for drinks, cold food and coffees there is also a small art shop where you can buy original souvenirs from Mount Athos in very competitive prices.
Information about the cruise along the Holy Mount Athos:
• This is a group cruise - a speedboat excursion with an experienced guide with a general history of the peninsula and information about each monastery and hermitage.
• The boat excursion is conducted by the captain (aka guide) in Greek and has been translated into 8 languages to date, including English, German, Russian, Romanian, Serbian, French, Czech and Bulgarian. Audio playback is connected to Dolby speakers that are placed throughout the boat so that passengers can listen to information anywhere.
• The boat is designed for 180 or 300 seats (depending on the cruise) and is divided into saloon, lower and upper deck. On board there are drinks vending machines, a bar with drinks, snacks and coffee, and a gift shop.
• The cruise from Ouranoupoli takes place twice a day, starting at 10:30 and 14:00, and duration is 3 hours.
• The cruise from Sithonia takes place daily and starting at 09:30 duration is 7,5 hours.
• The cruise runs along the western coast of the Holy Mount Athos at the minimum allowable distance from the monasteries (500 m.)• The price of a cruise from Ouranoupolis is 20 € per person (for children from 6 to 12 years old - 10 €, for children under 5 years old free of charge).
• The price of a cruise from Sithonia is 25 € per person (for children from 6 to 12 years old - 13 €, for children under 5 years old free of charge).• To reserve cruise you should select the desired day in the calendar indicating the number of adults and children. As an additional service, you can choose transfer options from your accommodation to the port and back.
• After processing your application you will be sent a confirmation and a voucher, payment must be made upon presentation of the voucher at the entrance to the boat.
• Passengers should be on board at least 20 minutes before departure.
