A Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks is a day on the water that leaves the port of Naxos, stops for swims and serves a meal on board. More island days sit on the home page of tours in Greece.
This page covers what the trip is, how long it lasts, where it starts, what is served, the coast it sails along, the weather and the questions travellers ask.
What is a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks?
In short, a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks means a day on a catamaran along the Naxos coast. One operator lists swim stops, a traditional lunch served on board and chilled local wine or beer with the meal.
Of all the Cyclades islands, Naxos is the largest, according to Wikipedia. The group sits southeast of the Greek mainland, out in the Aegean Sea. One operator says its daily cruise begins at the port of Naxos and stops at beaches for a swim.
Wikipedia describes a catamaran as a watercraft built on two parallel hulls that match in size. The hulls sit far apart, which keeps the boat steady against rolling and overturning. It needs no ballast. Wikipedia adds that a catamaran tends toward a shallower draft than a single-hulled boat of comparable length.
The operators describe the day in much the same way. A Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks has swim stops at beaches and a traditional lunch. Coffee comes with snacks or cakes. One operator lists an English and Greek speaking captain and crew.
The sea day comes in two forms. One operator lists small group trips and private trips, where one party has the catamaran and captain to itself. Another operator calls its trip semi-private and states groups of up to 22 passengers. A listing page for Naxos names shared cruises and private cruises.
How long is a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks?
About 6.5 hours is the length one operator gives for a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks. One listing page for Naxos gives a range of 5 to 9 hours, so the length differs by operator.
The two figures sit on different pages. The 6.5 hours belong to one daily cruise. The range of 5 to 9 hours comes from a listing page. That page also names half-day cruises, full-day cruises and sunset sailings.
The same operator that lists the daily cruise also lists crewed charters of two to seven days. A daily cruise ends the same day, while a charter runs for days.
One operator lists the order of the day on its Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks. The boat leaves the port, and the first stop is a beach for a swim. The crew prepares a traditional meal during the sail.
The meal is served on board once the swimming is done. The next stop is either time to relax on board or one more swim. The operator says the sailing trip ends in the early afternoon.
Another operator says its skippers give a short briefing before every trip. The briefing explains the itinerary depending on the weather. So on a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks, the plan for the day depends on the weather.
Wikipedia explains that sailing uses the wind, acting on sails, to push a craft over the water. The sails are set at an angle that suits the wind. It is possible to sail both upwind and downwind.
Wikipedia divides recreational sailing into two kinds. Day-sailing sends everyone ashore for the night. Cruising keeps them aboard. The Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks counts as day-sailing in that sense.
Where does a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks start?
A Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks starts at the port of Naxos. One tour operator gives Naxos Marina as the place to meet. Another lists Marina Naxos as the departure and return location.
A third page says its cruises leave Naxos Town or Agia Anna, so the starting point differs between listings. Wikipedia lists Agia Anna among the beaches of Naxos and places the majority on the west coast near Chora.
Wikipedia places Naxos Town, also called Chora, along the island’s west coast. The port sits in the north-west of the town, with a breakwater and piers. Ferries dock there, and so do fishing boats. A Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks that begins at the port of Naxos starts in this harbour.
In the old town, the Kastro crowns the hilltop that carried the ancient acropolis. Wikipedia says Marco Sanudo built this fortress and that it holds a whole medieval town.
A causeway links the islet of Palatia to the town. The islet lies at the north of the harbour and carries the Portara, a marble doorway. The tyrant Lygdamis began an Apollo temple there in the sixth century BC, but work stopped early. The frame is built of five marble pieces, and none weighs more than 20 tons.
The same third page gives the island an area of 429 square kilometres and a shoreline of 133 kilometres. Among the Cyclades, Naxos takes first place by size, says Wikipedia. Naxos Town sits in the west of the island. A Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks from the town port therefore begins on the western shore.
What is served on a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks?
On a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks, the lunch is traditional and comes on board. Two operators list the drinks. One names chilled local wine or beer. The other names wine, ouzo, beer and raki.
The first operator says the crew prepares the traditional meal while guests swim, then serves it after the swim. The same page lists coffee, snacks and finger food. It calls the chilled local wine or beer with lunch limited, and it states that towels are not provided.
The second operator lists coffee and cakes, cold refreshments and bottled water. It adds a traditional lunch eaten on board, with chilled local wine, ouzo, beer and raki. It also lists a glass of white wine or beer under complementaries. It excludes any drinks or meals it does not mention.
Two lists for a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks therefore differ in detail. One names wine or beer, and the other adds ouzo and raki. Wikipedia describes ouzo as a dry anise-flavoured aperitif widely consumed in Cyprus and Greece.
Naxos is known in Greece for potatoes, honey, Kitron and a local cheese called Arseniko Naxou, says Wikipedia. The island makes Kitron, a liqueur, from the leaves and fruit of the citron tree. The green variety is sweeter, and the yellow one is the strongest. Neither operator list names Kitron.
The two lists call the lunch traditional and name no dishes. Wikipedia says Greek cooking is built on wine, olive oil and wheat. Fish, it adds, is a regular dish on the Greek islands. Beyond the word traditional, the operators give no menu for a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks.
Which coast does a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks sail along?
One operator says a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks begins at the port of Naxos. It sails to the south part of Paros and moves on to Mikri Vigla. Another operator describes a full day around Naxos and the Small Cyclades.
The first operator lists the stops of its Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks in order. A swim stop comes first, on the way to the south part of Paros. The boat then moves on to Mikri Vigla, where the operator lists turquoise water and golden sand.
Mikri Vigla is a village on Naxos, roughly 18 kilometres south of Naxos Town, says Wikipedia. Two beaches lie close by, Parthena on the north side and Limanaki on the west side.
Paros is the next island west of Naxos, and Wikipedia gives the distance as 8 kilometres. A narrow channel runs between them. A listing page shows cruises along the Naxos or Paros coast. The first operator’s private days cover Naxos, Paros with Antiparos, Mykonos or the Small Cyclades.
The same listing page says boats sail south from Naxos to the Rina sea cave. The official Naxos tourism site places the cove in the Kalandos area, on the southern coast, reachable only by sea.
Wikipedia places the Lesser Cyclades south-east of Naxos and counts 32 islands and rocks. The listing page names Koufonisia with natural swimming pools and Irakleia with serene bays. The second operator’s full-day Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks goes around Naxos and the Small Cyclades.
Delos and Mykonos appear on the listing page as day trips from Naxos. Wikipedia counts Naxos and Delos among the Cyclades of the southern Aegean. Mount Zas on Naxos itself reaches 1,001 metres, higher than any other peak in the Cyclades.
What is the weather like for a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks?
For a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks, Wikipedia describes hotter, drier Aegean summers. It also names a wind from the north, the meltemi. One operator says its skippers explain the route according to the weather.
Wikipedia lists etesian and meltemi as names of one strong, dry wind from the north. Its dates are late spring to mid-September. Afternoons are the windiest part of the day. At night the wind can drop, or it can last for days.
Wikipedia calls this wind dangerous to sailors. It appears suddenly under clear skies, and the Beaufort scale puts its force at 7 or 8. In such wind certain yachts and ferries between islands are unable to sail. A conventional sailing craft also cannot use the wind on a course too close into it.
At one operator, a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks starts with a skipper briefing. Before every trip the skippers brief the passengers and explain the itinerary depending on the weather.
Windsurfers favour Paros, says Wikipedia, because of the steady strong wind in the channel that separates it from Naxos.
Celsius readings for the top layer of Aegean water run from 19 to 24 in summer, says Wikipedia. At the first operator, a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks includes swim stops. The listing page names snorkelling among the parts of Naxos excursions.
The second operator’s packing notes cover sailing holidays in general. They say a sailing day can bring sweat by day and a chill when night falls. The list for men names swimsuits, flip-flops, a jacket and sunglasses.
What else do travellers ask about a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks?
Which languages are spoken by the crew of a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks?
On the daily cruise of one operator, the captain and the crew speak English and Greek, as its page states. Another operator names a professional English speaking skipper for its semi-private day cruise. Both pages name English, and only the first adds Greek.
The first operator names the captain and the crew, while the second names the skipper alone.
Can children or babies come along?
One operator lists an age band for infants of 0 to 1 years. That band sits on its page for a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks. No rule for older children appears beside that line, so a parent asks the operator about each child’s age. Two operators describe their group cruises as a fit for couples and families.
What do travellers pack and wear for a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks?
One operator states plainly that towels are not provided, so travellers bring their own. The packing list of another operator calls a duffle bag or a backpack enough for a week of sailing. It says a hard-cased suitcase is difficult for the skipper to bring on board.
Its men’s section adds a jacket and sunglasses to the swimsuits and flip-flops. Its section for women names sandals. One operator also lists the transfer from the hotel and back among the items not included.
Can travellers swim and snorkel at the stops of a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks?
One listing page for Naxos catamaran cruises says the excursions combine swimming stops, snorkelling and meals on board. Wikipedia defines snorkelling as swimming with the face in the water while breathing through a shaped tube, the snorkel. It names a diving mask or swimming goggles and swimfins as the other equipment.
The inclusion list of one operator names the boat, the skipper, food and drinks, and no snorkel gear. A snorkeller on a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks checks with the operator whether gear is on board.
What happens when the wind is strong on a Naxos catamaran cruise with lunch and drinks?
One operator ties the route of the day to the weather through its skipper briefing. A traveller who worries about a windy morning asks the operator what changes when the wind picks up.
Wikipedia states that a conventional sailing craft cannot gain power on a course too close into the wind. It names greater stability, meaning initial resistance to capsize, as a primary trait of a catamaran.