An Eretria boat cruise is a three to four hour trip from the Evia harbour town across the sheltered South Euboean Gulf to the Island of Dreams and the coves beyond, priced from 35 euros a head with swim stops. Plan the rest of the trip with Greece Tours.
This page covers the cruise: what it costs, the route, the fishing and full-day versions, ancient Eretria, the season, getting there from Athens and how to book.
What does an Eretria boat cruise cost?
From 35 to 60 euros a head for a three to four hour shared cruise around the islets with swim stops, 45 to 70 for the morning fishing cruise, 90 to 140 for the full day to south Evia, and 400 to 900 for a private boat.
Shared cruises include the boat, the skipper, water and snorkelling masks. An Eretria boat cruise is booked around it.
Fishing cruises add the rods, bait and the catch cooked on board. An Eretria boat cruise fills first on that count.
Full-day south Evia cruises include lunch and two or three swim stops.
Private boats price by the vessel and the hours booked.
Children go half price on the shared departures.
Where does the Eretria boat cruise go?
Out of Eretria harbour to the Island of Dreams opposite the town, along the coves of the South Euboean Gulf, to the Petalioi islets on the full-day run, and back along the shore with the ancient city in view.
The gulf between Evia and the Attica mainland is sheltered and calm. Every Eretria boat cruise is planned around this.
Swim stops anchor off small coves unreachable by road. The Eretria boat cruise calendar is shaped by it.
The Petalioi islets lie off the southern tip near Marmari.
Some cruises cross towards the Oropos shore for a second stop.
Route choice depends on the wind on the morning.
Private boats set their own course around the gulf.
What is the Island of Dreams?
A small pine-covered islet a few hundred metres off the Eretria waterfront, joined to the shore by a short causeway, ringed by coves and shallow water, and the first swim stop on most cruises.
The island is known in Greek as Nisi ton Oneiron. The Eretria boat cruise listing states it plainly.
Its shore has small pebble beaches on every side. Guests meet it in the first Eretria boat cruise hour.
The water around it is shallow and clear for snorkelling.
A hotel complex occupies part of it and the coves stay public.
Boats reach it in five minutes from the harbour.
It is the landmark in every photograph of the Eretria waterfront.
What is the fishing boat cruise?
A three to four hour trip on a traditional fishing boat with the skipper, line fishing in the gulf, a swim stop, and the catch grilled on board or at a harbour taverna, run as a morning or a sunset departure.
Rods, bait and instruction are supplied and no licence is needed. This is what an Eretria boat cruise delivers.
Bream, mackerel and small reef fish are the usual catch. That is the Eretria boat cruise advantage over the beach.
The skipper cooks the fish with bread, salad and wine.
Groups cap at six to ten on the traditional boats.
The sunset version ends back at the harbour after dark.
Families book it as the child-friendly alternative to a long cruise.
What is ancient Eretria?
One of the great Greek cities of the Archaic period, founder of colonies in Italy and the north Aegean, burned by the Persians in 490 BC, with a theatre, the temple of Apollo Daphnephoros, a gymnasium, the West Gate and a museum in the modern town.
Eretria and Chalkis sent out the earliest Greek colonists to Italy. Eretria boat cruise crews prepare for it.
Its support for the Ionian revolt brought the Persian attack before Marathon. An Eretria boat cruise carries the masks for it.
The theatre has an underground passage for actors beneath the stage.
The House of Mosaics holds some of the earliest pebble mosaics in Greece.
Entry to the site and the museum is 4 to 6 euros.
Guided sightseeing tours of the town pair with the cruise on the same day.
What is the south Evia full-day cruise?
A seven to nine hour cruise from Eretria down the South Euboean Gulf to the Petalioi islets and the Blue Lagoon anchorage near Marmari, with lunch on board and two or three long swim stops.
The Petalioi are a private group of islets with turquoise shallows. An Eretria boat cruise settles this at boarding.
The route covers about 50 nautical miles of sheltered water. The Eretria boat cruise season turns on this.
Lunch is served at anchor in the islets.
A two-day private version adds a night at Marmari.
The boat returns to Eretria in the early evening.
This is the longest cruise sold out of the town.
When is the best time for an Eretria boat cruise?
June to September, with calm water, 24 to 27 degree seas and daily departures. May and October run on a reduced timetable, and the boats stop through winter.
The gulf is sheltered from the summer meltemi that closes the open Aegean. The Eretria boat cruise route is set by it.
August weekends fill with Athenians who drive up for the day. An Eretria boat cruise is booked around it.
Morning departures have the calmest water.
Sunset fishing cruises run from June to September only.
Wind cancellations are rare here and the tickets move when they happen.
A day ahead is enough outside August.
How do you get to Eretria?
From Athens in 90 minutes by car through Oropos and the 25-minute ferry across to Eretria, or by road over the Chalkida bridge in the same time, with KTEL buses and the suburban train to Chalkida as the public options.
The Oropos to Eretria ferry runs every half hour through the day. Skippers raise it early on an Eretria boat cruise.
Athens airport is an hour and a quarter from Oropos. Every Eretria boat cruise is planned around this.
Chalkida is 20 kilometres north and linked by bus.
Parking along the Eretria waterfront is free.
The cruise harbour is at the centre of the waterfront.
Eretria is the closest island boat day to Athens that needs no long ferry.
What do you bring on an Eretria boat cruise?
Swimsuit, towel, sun cream, hat, water shoes for the pebble coves, a light layer for the return, and cash for extras on the smaller boats.
Shade on the traditional boats covers part of the deck. It decides which Eretria boat cruise suits the party.
Masks are supplied and fins are not.
The fishing cruise needs nothing beyond the swim kit.
Card readers work on the larger operators.
Dry bags keep phones safe on the speedboats.
Seasickness is rare in the sheltered gulf.
How do you book an Eretria boat cruise?
Book two to three days ahead for August weekends and a day ahead otherwise. Shared cruises cap at ten to twenty, and private boats and the full-day south Evia run need longer notice.
Operators confirm the meeting point on the harbour by message. The Eretria boat cruise price reflects it.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead is standard on the platform listings.
Fishing cruises confirm the catch-cooking option at booking.
Private boats quote the skipper, fuel and drinks together.
Ages go on the booking so the crew can plan the life jackets.
Another sheltered-water cruise sits at Ammouliani cruise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an Eretria boat cruise cost?
From 35 to 60 euros a head for a three to four hour shared cruise, 45 to 70 for the fishing cruise with the catch cooked on board, 90 to 140 for the full day to south Evia, and 400 to 900 for a private boat.
How far is Eretria from Athens?
Ninety minutes: an hour and a quarter by road to Oropos and a 25-minute ferry across the gulf, with crossings every half hour. The Chalkida bridge route takes about the same time.
Is the water rough?
Rarely. The South Euboean Gulf is enclosed between Evia and Attica and sheltered from the summer meltemi that closes the open Aegean, so the boats run calm on most days.