Santorini: Private Catamaran Cruise with BBQ, Open Bar & Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.93 (497 reviews) 97% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/30

Duration5h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · EL

PickupAt your hotel

Sail past red and white beaches swim volcanic springs bbq lunch wine

You’ll board a catamaran in Santorini for five hours of swimming at Red and White Beaches, floating in volcanic hot springs, and feasting on fresh BBQ with open bar drinks—all with hotel pickup included. Feel the Aegean breeze, taste real Greek flavors, and catch those quiet sunset moments you’ll keep thinking about later.

Step-by-step itinerary

Santorini Catamaran Cruise Highlights

Depart from Vlychada Marina
Sail past Indian Rocks and caves
Stop at Red Beach for photos
Swim and snorkel at White Beach
Swim at hot springs natural spa
Sail towards Santorini Volcano
Swim and snorkel at northern volcano cove
Enjoy onboard BBQ lunch or dinner with drinks
Return to Vlychada Port

The Experience

We stepped onto the catamaran at Vlychada Marina, sandals squeaking on the deck, and I instantly caught that salty Aegean smell mixed with sunscreen and grilled something—maybe shrimp? Our guide, Yannis, had this way of telling stories about Santorini’s volcano that made it sound like he’d watched it erupt himself. He pointed out the Red Beach first—those cliffs really are this deep rusty color, almost like paprika. I tried to snap a photo but my lens fogged up from the sea spray. It was warm but not too hot, just enough wind to keep things easy.

White Beach came next, only reachable by boat. The water looked fake-blue, like someone turned up the saturation. We jumped in for snorkeling—honestly, I’m not much of a swimmer but the crew tossed me a noodle and said “no worries.” There were tiny silver fish darting around my feet and bits of black volcanic rock under my toes. Li laughed when I tried to say “thank you” in Greek (I butchered it). The Indian Rocks looked almost like sculptures jutting out of nowhere—Yannis called one “the elephant,” which I didn’t see until he tilted his head and squinted.

The hot springs near Nea Kameni were weirdly soothing—the water had this faint sulfur smell but it wasn’t bad, more earthy than anything. Some folks rubbed the mud on their arms; I just floated for a bit, eyes closed. Back on board, plates started appearing: grilled chicken and shrimp, vine-leaf rolls stuffed with rice (I ate too many), cold beer sweating in my hand. There was Greek salad with tomatoes that actually tasted sweet—not like back home—and tzatziki so garlicky I worried about talking too close to anyone after.

I still think about how quiet it got as we sailed past the lighthouse at Akrotiri—the sun starting to dip behind the caldera rim, everything gold for a minute. Nobody said much then. The crew handled everything so smoothly you barely noticed them working—just laughter sometimes from behind the grill or someone offering another glass of wine. We ended back at Vlychada with sand stuck to our feet and hair full of salt. Kind of wish I could bottle that light.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off by minibus, all entry fees and taxes covered, towels plus snorkeling gear provided free of charge, unlimited white wine or beer from the open bar alongside soft drinks and fresh fruit throughout your private catamaran cruise. Lunch or dinner is served onboard—BBQ meats and shrimp plus Greek salad, tzatziki dips, pasta with tomato sauce, vine-leaf rolls with rice, bread and dessert—all while you sail past Santorini’s famous beaches and volcanic coves before returning to port in comfort.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Spiridakos Sailing Cruises