# Santorini Boat Tours > Santorini Boat Tours is the Sirigos family's licensed catamaran cruise company (Sirigos Sailing), departing Vlychada Marina, Santorini (Thira), Greece. It runs daily semi-private and private caldera-loop cruises on a Lagoon 44 sailing catamaran, with BBQ meals cooked on board, local wine and beer, snorkelling gear and island-wide hotel pickup. Licence: MH.T.E. [EDIT-LICENCE]. Website: https://www.santoriniboattours.com · Sister site: https://www.greecesailing.com Key facts: - Departure & return port: Vlychada Marina, Thira 847 00, Santorini, Greece — every cruise sails the caldera loop and returns to Vlychada - Boat: Lagoon 44 sailing catamaran (44.65 ft / 13.61 m, 4 cabins, 12 knots); comfortable capacity for all on semi-private sailings, up to 17 on a private charter; crew of 2–3 - Hotel/Airbnb pickup included island-wide: Fira, Oia, Imerovigli, Firostefani, Kamari, Perissa, Akrotiri, Megalochori - Season: April–October, daily · Office hours 09:00–21:30 - Contact: info@santoriniboattours.com · +30 694 480 3339 (mobile & WhatsApp) · +30 22860 28115 (office) - Booking: direct, no prepayment to hold seats; free cancellation up to 24 h before departure - Weather policy: if the Santorini port authority cancels sailings, guests choose a full refund or free rebooking ## Cruises - [Semi-Private Sunset Catamaran Cruise](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/sunset-catamaran-cruise.html): 5 h (15:00 → sunset, back ≈20:30), comfortable capacity for all, €145/person. BBQ dinner (chicken fillet & shrimp, Greek salad, pasta in tomato sauce, vine leaf rolls, dips, bread), local white wine, beer & soft drinks, snorkelling gear, towels, hotel pickup. The sunset is watched from the open water off Akrotiri, by the Venetian lighthouse. - [Semi-Private Daytime Caldera Cruise](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/daytime-catamaran-cruise.html): 5 h (10:00–15:00), comfortable capacity for all, €145/person. Same loop and inclusions with BBQ lunch; warmest water and longest swim stops of the day. - [Private Catamaran Charter](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/private-catamaran-charter.html): 5 h, morning (9:30–14:30) or sunset (14:30–19:30). €1,200 with 6 guests included, +€100 per extra guest up to 17. Skipper & crew, fully customisable loop (Thirasia, Oia and Ammoudi Bay available on request), BBQ meal, local wine & beer, gear, transfers. Yacht proposal package from €1,600 (8 guests included, morning 10:30–15:30 or sunset 15:30–20:30); honeymoon, wedding and bachelor-party sailings on the same boat. - [Full-Day Private Cruise](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/full-day-private-cruise.html): 10 h (10:30–20:30). €2,400 with 6 guests included, +€100 per extra guest up to 17. The whole loop at anchor-pace with time ashore on Thirasia island, BBQ and the sunset on the sail home. All prices are 2026-season list prices in EUR and may change; the website is the source of truth. ## The caldera loop - [Route overview](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/destinations.html): Vlychada embarkation → swimming stop at Red Beach → White Beach (accessible only by boat) → Akrotiri / Mesa Pigadia → Venetian Lighthouse of Akrotiri (1892) → swimming stop at the volcano / warm springs → panoramic caldera sightseeing → Fira Old Port → Vlychada disembarkation. ≈18 nautical miles. Thirasia, Oia and Ammoudi Bay are NOT on this shared-cruise itinerary — they are route options on private charters only. - [Red Beach](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/red-beach.html): iron-red lava cliffs near Akrotiri; visited as a swim/snorkel stop from the water (the land path is landslide-prone and often posted unsafe). - [White Beach](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/white-beach.html): pale pumice cove at Mesa Pigadia reachable only by boat; the quietest swim stop. - [The Volcano](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/volcano-hot-springs.html): the swim stop on every cruise, beside the black lava coast of the Kameni islands in the centre of the caldera. The warm (30–35 °C) iron-rich springs at Palea Kameni are taken alongside it when wind and sea allow — they are weather-dependent, not guaranteed on every sailing. Boats do not dock for the crater hike (that is a separate walking excursion). Dark swimsuits advised — minerals can stain light fabric. - [Thirasia Island](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/thirasia.html): the quiet island on the caldera's west rim. Not part of the semi-private itinerary — available as a route option on private charters; the Full-Day Private Cruise goes ashore at Korfos (waterline tavernas, windmill, cliff path to Manolas). - Also on the loop: Akrotiri and Mesa Pigadia on the high south coast, and Fira Old Port beneath the cable car, where the caldera panorama opens around the boat. ## Top questions - Are Santorini boat tours worth it? Yes — the caldera cruise is the one experience land cannot replicate: the volcano amphitheatre seen from inside, swim stops only boats reach, and the sunset from the water without crowds. Most guests rank it their best day on the island. - Sunset or daytime cruise? Sunset for the golden-hour finale off Akrotiri and romance; daytime for warmer, longer swims and young children. Same loop, boat, menu and €145 price otherwise. - Book in advance? July–August sunset cruises sell out 1–2 weeks ahead; daytime a few days. June and September need ~3–5 days; spring and October just 1–3 days. - Where do boats sit at sunset? On the open water off Akrotiri — Santorini's south-western edge by the 1892 Venetian lighthouse — facing west with nothing between deck and horizon. - Does the cruise go to Oia or Ammoudi? Not on the semi-private sunset and daytime cruises — those sail a fixed caldera loop and return to Vlychada. On a private charter the boat is yours, so Oia and Ammoudi Bay can be added to the route on request. - Does the boat stop on the volcano? Not ashore — cruises anchor beside Nea Kameni's lava coast for the swim stop, and take the Palea Kameni warm springs alongside it when the weather allows; the crater hike is a separate ferry excursion. - Weather cancellations? The port authority decides. If your sailing is cancelled you choose a full refund or a free rebooking; notice comes as soon as the decision is made. - Seasickness? Catamarans are the steadiest hulls in these waters and the caldera is sheltered; susceptible guests should take a tablet an hour ahead and prefer morning sailings. - Non-swimmers and kids? Both welcome: swim stops optional, life vests (kids' sizes) aboard, under-12 reduced rates, infants free. Daytime cruise recommended for toddlers. - What to bring? Dark swimsuit (the volcano's warm-spring minerals stain light fabric), sunscreen, hat, light jacket for after sunset. Towels and snorkel gear are provided on every cruise. - Best month? June and September (warm sea, low wind, lighter crowds). July–August is hottest and busiest with meltemi wind risk; September has the warmest sea of the year. ## Company - [About & the boat](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/about.html): the Sirigos sailing family — Cap. Nikolas (first captain), Alex (sailor & host) and grandmother running the galley; one Lagoon 44 catamaran kept like a family car; Greek Coastguard compliant; crew trained in first aid. - [FAQ](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/faq.html) · [Gallery](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/gallery.html) · [Blog/guides](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/blog.html) · [Booking & contact](https://www.santoriniboattours.com/contact.html)