A Kos catamaran cruise is a small-group sailing day out of Kos Town marina: twelve to thirty passengers instead of a hundred and fifty, trampoline nets forward, two or three anchored swim stops, a cooked meal aboard and an open bar over six to eight hours. Plan the rest of the island with Greece Tours.
This guide covers the day in full: where the catamarans sail and which bays they anchor in, what a shared place and a private charter cost, the passenger count and the adults-only boats, what the fare includes, how it compares with the three-island caique, whether the boat actually sails, and when to book.
What is a Kos catamaran cruise?
A small-group day on a sailing catamaran out of Kos Town marina: twelve to thirty passengers, nets to lie on, two or three anchored swim stops in bays the big boats skip, a cooked meal aboard and an open bar, over six to eight hours.
A Kos catamaran cruise carries twelve to thirty passengers. The catamaran is the quiet end of the Kos boat market. Two hulls mean a level deck and no roll at anchor, the trampoline nets forward are the seats everyone wants, and the passenger count is a fraction of the caiques working the same water. Reef-safe sun cream and a dry bag belong in the bag. Booking a Kos catamaran cruise ahead matters on a boat of twenty. A private charter takes the whole boat for the day. The meltemi pushes a Kos catamaran cruise into the island’s lee.
Adults-only sailings sell a quiet deck rather than a party. The day is built around swimming rather than sightseeing. Where the big cruise ties up at three islands, the catamaran drops anchor in the bays off Pserimos, the Kefalos coast or the strait, and stays an hour at each. Sailing under canvas happens when the wind allows and the engines carry the rest. The bar on a Kos catamaran cruise opens after the first swim. A Kos catamaran cruise anchors rather than tying up at a village. Pserimos and the Kalymnos channel lie north-east of the marina.
Where do the catamarans sail from and to?
From Kos Town marina and the old harbour, working north-east to Pserimos and the Kalymnos channel, or south-west along the coast to Kefalos bay, Agios Stefanos and the islet of Kastri.
The trampoline nets forward are the seats everyone wants. The route is chosen on the morning by wind rather than printed in advance. A northerly meltemi sends the boats down the lee of the south coast; a light day opens the channel to Pserimos and Plati. The skipper states the plan at boarding. The caique carries a hundred and fifty where the catamaran carries thirty. Cancellation for weather is decided at the marina and refunded. June and September give the calmest water of the season. Seasickness is felt least on the aft deck of a catamaran.
Family boats add child life jackets and a shaded saloon. The Kefalos direction is the calmer of the two and the one that suits families. It gives Agios Stefanos with the basilica ruins on the shore, Kastri islet with its chapel, and the bays under the Kefalos cliffs. That end of the island is covered at Kefalos. Snorkelling gear and paddleboards come with the larger boats. Lunch is cooked on the stern and served on the aft deck. Kefalos bay and Kastri islet are the south-western option.
What does a Kos catamaran cruise cost?
From about 85 to 130 euros per adult for a shared full-day cruise with meal and drinks included, and from about 60 to 90 euros for a half day. A private charter of the whole catamaran runs from about 900 euros for the day.
Two hulls keep the deck level at anchor on a Kos catamaran cruise. The fare covers the sailing, the crew, the meal, soft drinks and the bar on most boats, plus snorkelling gear and paddleboards where carried. Hotel transfer is bundled into part of the fleet and charged at ten euros on the rest. A Kos catamaran cruise carries twelve to thirty passengers. Reef-safe sun cream and a dry bag belong in the bag. Booking a Kos catamaran cruise ahead matters on a boat of twenty. A private charter takes the whole boat for the day.
A Kos catamaran cruise runs six to eight hours from the quay. The price gap against a three-island caique is real and it buys space. Fifty euros more per head takes the passenger count from a hundred and fifty to twenty, and it is the single thing every review mentions. The big-boat version sits at Kos 3 island cruise. Adults-only sailings sell a quiet deck rather than a party. The bar on a Kos catamaran cruise opens after the first swim. A Kos catamaran cruise anchors rather than tying up at a village.
What is the passenger count on a catamaran?
Twelve to thirty on the shared cruises, against a hundred or more on the caiques. Part of the fleet runs adults-only sailings, and the rest take children with the usual half-price fare.
Kos Town marina is where a Kos catamaran cruise begins. The adults-only boats sell a quiet deck rather than a party. No slide, no sound system beyond the speakers, and a bar that opens after the first swim. They fill first in high summer and are the version couples book. The trampoline nets forward are the seats everyone wants. The caique carries a hundred and fifty where the catamaran carries thirty. Cancellation for weather is decided at the marina and refunded.
The main and the jib go up on the passage legs. The family boats carry the same catamaran and add a ladder that suits small children, life jackets in child sizes and a shaded saloon below. Stating ages at booking is what gets the right boat and the right jackets aboard. Family boats add child life jackets and a shaded saloon. Snorkelling gear and paddleboards come with the larger boats. Lunch is cooked on the stern and served on the aft deck.
What is included in the day?
The sailing, the crew, a cooked lunch aboard, water and soft drinks, wine or beer on most boats, snorkelling masks, and towels on the larger vessels. Marina fees and any national-park charge are inside the fare.
Pserimos and the Kalymnos channel lie north-east of the marina. Lunch is cooked on the stern and served on the aft deck: grilled meat or fish, Greek salad, bread and fruit, with vegetarian plates when the booking says so. It is a proper meal rather than a snack, and it is served at anchor. Two hulls keep the deck level at anchor on a Kos catamaran cruise. A Kos catamaran cruise carries twelve to thirty passengers. Reef-safe sun cream and a dry bag belong in the bag.
The meltemi pushes a Kos catamaran cruise into the island’s lee. Bring a towel, a hat, reef-safe sun cream, a light layer for the sail home and a dry bag. The nets and the deck are hot underfoot by midday, and the reflection off the water burns faster than a beach does. A Kos catamaran cruise runs six to eight hours from the quay. Adults-only sailings sell a quiet deck rather than a party. The bar on a Kos catamaran cruise opens after the first swim.
How does it compare with the three-island caique?
The caique visits three islands with a hundred and fifty people, a water slide and a village stop. The catamaran visits two or three bays with twenty people, sails part of the way and stays longer at anchor.
Kefalos bay and Kastri islet are the south-western option. Choose the caique for the islands, the harbour town of Pothia and a day out with children who want the slide. Choose the catamaran for the water, the space and the quiet. They are different products at different prices rather than better and worse. Kos Town marina is where a Kos catamaran cruise begins. The trampoline nets forward are the seats everyone wants. The caique carries a hundred and fifty where the catamaran carries thirty.
Seasickness is felt least on the aft deck of a catamaran. Travellers doing both put the caique early in the week for the sightseeing and the catamaran later for the swimming. The evening version of the same boat is covered in Kos sunset cruise. The main and the jib go up on the passage legs. Family boats add child life jackets and a shaded saloon. Snorkelling gear and paddleboards come with the larger boats.
Does the catamaran actually sail?
Yes, when the wind allows. The crew raises the main and the jib on the passage legs and motors between bays in calm or in a strong meltemi. Guests are welcome at the helm and on the winches on most boats.
A Kos catamaran cruise anchors rather than tying up at a village. A morning northerly gives a beam reach down the coast that is the best hour of the day. The engines take over for the anchoring and for the run home when the wind dies in the afternoon, which is the normal pattern here in July and August. Pserimos and the Kalymnos channel lie north-east of the marina. Two hulls keep the deck level at anchor on a Kos catamaran cruise. A Kos catamaran cruise carries twelve to thirty passengers.
A private charter takes the whole boat for the day. Nobody needs sailing experience. The crew handles the boat and the guests handle the nets and the ladder. Anyone who wants to steer says so at boarding rather than at the halfway point. The meltemi pushes a Kos catamaran cruise into the island’s lee. A Kos catamaran cruise runs six to eight hours from the quay. Adults-only sailings sell a quiet deck rather than a party.
How does the meltemi affect a catamaran day?
The meltemi blows from the north through July and August and pushes the boats into the lee of the island. On the strongest days the route changes to the south coast, the swim stops shorten, or the sailing is postponed.
Lunch is cooked on the stern and served on the aft deck. A catamaran handles chop better than a monohull and considerably better than a small caique, which is why these cruises run on days when parts of the fleet stay in. Passengers prone to seasickness feel it least on the aft deck. Kefalos bay and Kastri islet are the south-western option. Kos Town marina is where a Kos catamaran cruise begins. The trampoline nets forward are the seats everyone wants.
June and September give the calmest water of the season. Cancellation for weather is decided at the marina in the morning and refunded in full. Operators message the booking the evening before when the forecast is already settled. Seasickness is felt least on the aft deck of a catamaran. The main and the jib go up on the passage legs. Family boats add child life jackets and a shaded saloon.
Who does a Kos catamaran cruise suit?
Couples who want a quiet deck, groups of friends who want space and a bar, and families with children old enough to swim from a ladder. It suits confident swimmers better than nervous ones, because the stops are at anchor rather than at a beach.
The bar on a Kos catamaran cruise opens after the first swim. The nets forward are the reason people book and the reason to arrive early. A typical boat has six or eight net spaces and thirty passengers, so the first aboard take them for the day. A Kos catamaran cruise anchors rather than tying up at a village. Pserimos and the Kalymnos channel lie north-east of the marina. Two hulls keep the deck level at anchor on a Kos catamaran cruise.
Booking a Kos catamaran cruise ahead matters on a boat of twenty. Travellers who want a village, a museum or a harbour ashore get less from this day than from the island tour or the three-island cruise. The catamaran is a water day with lunch, not a sightseeing programme. A private charter takes the whole boat for the day. The meltemi pushes a Kos catamaran cruise into the island’s lee. A Kos catamaran cruise runs six to eight hours from the quay.
When does the season run and how far ahead do you book?
May to October, daily in July and August and three or four days a week in the shoulder months. Book three to five days ahead in high summer, because a boat that takes twenty sells out faster than one that takes a hundred and fifty.
Snorkelling gear and paddleboards come with the larger boats. June and September are the months to take a catamaran day: warm water, lighter wind than August, and space on the boat. October sailings run in settled weather with a shorter swim programme and a lower fare. Lunch is cooked on the stern and served on the aft deck. Kefalos bay and Kastri islet are the south-western option. Kos Town marina is where a Kos catamaran cruise begins.
Cancellation for weather is decided at the marina and refunded. Booking online holds the place and the transfer, and cancellation runs free to twenty-four hours with most operators. The charter side, for parties who want the boat for a week, is covered in Kos yacht charter, and the island as a whole at Kos. June and September give the calmest water of the season. Seasickness is felt least on the aft deck of a catamaran. The main and the jib go up on the passage legs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Kos catamaran cruise cost?
From about 85 to 130 euros per adult for a shared full day with meal and drinks included and 60 to 90 euros for a half day. A private charter of the catamaran runs from about 900 euros for the day.
What is the passenger count on a Kos catamaran cruise?
Twelve to thirty on the shared sailings, against a hundred or more on the three-island caiques. Part of the fleet runs adults-only boats and the rest carry children at roughly half fare.
Where does a Kos catamaran cruise go?
North-east to the bays off Pserimos and the Kalymnos channel, or south-west to Kefalos bay, Agios Stefanos and Kastri islet. The skipper picks the direction on the morning by the wind.