An Ermioni boat trip leaves the harbour of this small Argolid town for Hydra, the islet of Dokos and the wooded coast of the Bisti headland. Plan more of the Peloponnese coast on Greece Tours.
Below you find the boats you can take from Ermioni, the crossing to Hydra, the islets, the swim stops, the season and how to hire a small boat without a licence.
What is an Ermioni boat trip?
It is a day or half day at sea from the quay of Ermioni. This small port town sits on the Argolid Peninsula in the Peloponnese. A crew takes you to the nearby islands, along the coast and to quiet places to swim.
Ermioni lies in the south-east of Argolis, on the coast of the Aegean Sea. In classical times the town was known for its shipbuilders. Today it is a popular tourist resort. Its boats now take visitors out on the water instead of being built for trade.
An ermioni boat trip comes in three main forms. There is the private cruise with a skipper, the small group fishing cruise and the scheduled passenger ferry. Each one leaves from the town itself, so you do not need to drive to another port first.
A good example of the private format is the “Ermioni Coastline and Dokos Escape” run by the local firm FunInTheSun. It follows the coast of Ermioni by speed boat and then stops at the islet of Dokos. The morning slot runs from 10 am to 2 pm. The afternoon slot runs from 4 pm to 8 pm.
On this cruise the firm lists soft drinks, snorkelling gear, fuel, VAT and an experienced crew who speak English. That list shows what an ermioni boat trip of this kind covers. You get time on the sea, a swim and a crew who know the local waters.
Which Ermioni boat trips can you book?
Local firms in the town sell private cruises by speed boat, RIB and catamaran. They head to Hydra, Dokos, Spetses and the Porto Heli coast. The bookable GetYourGuide cruises start in nearby Porto Heli, not in Ermioni itself.
FunInTheSun Yachting says it is based at Ermioni, Hydra, Porto Heli and Athens. Its fleet holds catamarans, RIBs and motor yachts. From Ermioni it runs four named routes:
- a Hydra and Spetses tour that takes in both islands in one day
- a sunset tour out to Dokos
- a Spetses and Porto Heli “Riviera” tour
- a Hydra and Dokos tour along the coast of both islands
Villas on Board offers a full day of six hours in the Hydra and Spetses area on its small boats. Its half day lasts three hours and covers the Hydra and Dokos area. Up to 11 people can join, and the captain, fuel, taxes and soft drinks come with the booking. Evening trips that end at sundown on the Ermionida coast are covered on our Ermioni sunset cruise page.
The same firm also sails a 14-metre catamaran for groups of up to 23 people. A full day on it runs seven to eight hours. These catamaran tours start from Porto Heli, or from another spot if you arrange it with the firm.
For anglers, Ermioni Fishing Tours runs semi-private and private cruises for up to seven people. This turns an ermioni boat trip into a morning of fishing as well as sightseeing.
Not every ermioni boat trip is a cruise. Passenger boats also link the town with Hydra, run by Hydra Tours Travel and the Christos passenger ferry. Hellenic Seaways is named as an option too. The crossing to Hydra is covered further down this page.
GetYourGuide sells two private cruises that leave from Porto Heli rather than Ermioni. The first is an evening outing at sundown, with snacks and drinks on board. It lasts four hours for a private group of up to eight.
The second is a private cruise from Porto Cheli to Spetses. It runs from seven hours up to four days. Guests swim at beaches along the way. Our guide to the Porto Heli boat trip covers both cruises in full.
So the choice for an ermioni boat trip is simple. Book a local firm to leave from the Ermioni quay, or travel to Porto Heli for an online-bookable private cruise.
Where do boats leave from in Ermioni?
Limani, the commercial port on the north side of town, is the main departure point. A single main quay there serves all ferries and boats. Your Ermioni boat trip starts from the same quay as the island hydrofoils.
Ermioni sits on a narrow peninsula with two waterfronts. Limani borders the northern shore, while Mandrakia runs along the southern side. Anyone who arrives by sea steps ashore on the Limani side. On Thursdays, a market sets up next to the new harbour. It runs from seven in the morning until one in the afternoon.
The main quay has the shape of a letter T. The outer top of the T is kept for the hydrofoils. Visiting yachts tie up stern-to or bows-to along its east side. The Christos Passenger Ferry moors off the same jetty as the Hellenic Hydrofoils.
Yacht Digest describes Ermioni as a small port used by fishing boats. The same guide says it also works as a base for boats and hydrofoils from Athens and the nearby islands. On an Ermioni boat trip, you board among fishing boats, ferries and hydrofoils, all within a short walk.
Small yachts and flotillas also anchor in the inner Limani harbour or along the Mandrakia waterfront. On the south side, boats moor stern-to on the main stretch of quay, right outside the bars. The local council has fitted electric and water points along this quay.
The south side is less sheltered, and the water there reaches twenty metres deep. Skippers on an Ermioni boat trip that ends at Mandrakia need a long anchor chain for that depth. A short walk through the town links the new harbour on the north with the old harbour.
What does the Bisti headland show from an Ermioni boat trip?
Pine woods and the stones of ancient Hermione. The Bisti is a pine-covered peninsula at the eastern end of Ermioni and an open-air archaeological site. Its tip, where the earliest city stood, is now a park.
The headland stands out long before a boat reaches town. Sailors following the coast west first see the tip of the peninsula as if it were an island. The name Bisti translates as “tail”, and its long, thin shape matches the word. An Ermioni boat trip leaving Limani eastward passes beneath it.
The earliest city, from the Archaic period, stood right on the Bisti. Its remains include the foundations of a temple to Poseidon or Athena. Stretches of the Classical city walls, a Venetian wall and more than a dozen cisterns also survive there.
The temple sat at the highest point of the Bisti, looking out over the sea. Today only its foundation is left, about 15 by 30 metres. The ancient writer Pausanias saw temples on this promontory. Of these, the temple of Poseidon stood out above the rest.
In ancient times the whole headland went by the name Poseideon. Its old defensive towers and walls have foundations still visible on the northern side. An Ermioni boat trip rounding into Limani runs close to that shore. A renovated white windmill on the Bisti faces Dokos and Hydra.
At the very tip, a lighthouse rises from a strong ancient round watchtower. From the deck, this point marks the turn between the Limani and Mandrakia sides. An Ermioni boat trip heading south or east swings around it.
Ancient building foundations line the Bisti coastline. Part of them now lies under the sea. Other stone left long ago. During the Ottoman occupation, marble and stone from the temples and walls went to Hydra for building.
Behind the headland rises Pron hill, 70 metres tall. Today’s town covers its eastern slope. From an Ermioni boat trip, the green Bisti and the houses behind it show old and new Hermione together.
How does an Ermioni boat trip reach Hydra?
Two speed boats, the Christos and the Elena Star, cross the water to Hydra every day. Hydra Tours Travel runs them, and the crossing takes 30 minutes. Boats leave Ermioni daily at 10:00, 12:00 and 16:00.
The return runs leave Hydra at 08:30, 11:00 and 15:00. This Ermioni boat trip is a plain passenger crossing, not a cruise. The boat heads straight across the water, and the island grows larger the whole way.
In Ermioni, the Christos ties up in the new harbour. It uses the same jetty as the Hellenic Hydrofoils. HydraDirect points out that the Christos keeps a daily timetable that Hellenic Seaways does not offer. That makes it a steady daylight link between the mainland and the island.
You buy tickets on board, and you cannot reserve a seat ahead. Times shift with the season and the weather, so check the board the day before you sail. Summer brings extra sailings. On board, the Christos has a covered deck, an inside cabin and an open upper deck.
Thursday is market day next to the new harbour in Ermioni, from 07:00 to 13:00. Hydra locals cross over to shop, so the boat fills up. On a summer Thursday, HydraDirect advises reaching the quay 30 minutes before an Ermioni boat trip departs. Buy your return ticket at the start of the day.
Hydra Tours Travel also runs group cruises. Its list covers Hydra, Spetses, Porto Heli, Poros, Methana, Aegina, Agistri and Epidaurus. Its fleet lists a glass-bottom boat called Hydra Glass Bottom. G&G Hydra Cruises, a family firm based on Hydra, names Ermioni among the places its private boat transfers serve.
What fits into a Hydra visit by boat from Ermioni?
A walking day of about five hours fits between the 10:00 boat out and the 15:00 boat back. Hydra bans cars by law, so the whole visit happens on foot around the harbour town.
The Christos moors in Hydra Harbour off the sea wall, opposite the Cathedral Clock Tower. The sailing times are posted on the back of the boat. Read the return time before you walk off. Then the last crossing of your Ermioni boat trip will not catch you out.
Rubbish trucks are the only motor vehicles on Hydra. Cars and motorcycles are not allowed on the island. Horses, mules, donkeys and water taxis serve as public transport. The inhabited area is compact, so walking is the normal way to get around.
About 2,500 people live on Hydra, and they move goods with mules, donkeys and small horses. Visitors who step off the boat at the port meet these animals on the quay. Pack light for an Ermioni boat trip, since no car waits to carry your bags.
A simple plan for an Ermioni boat trip to Hydra looks like this:
- Catch the 10:00 crossing from the new harbour in Ermioni.
- Walk the harbour front and the lanes that climb behind it.
- Board the 15:00 boat back for the 30-minute run home.
The 12:00 boat out gives a shorter visit of about three hours before the 15:00 return. That suits an Ermioni boat trip that starts after a slow breakfast or a morning swim on the mainland.
A longer day on the water starts on Hydra itself. G&G Hydra Cruises runs a Tour of Hydra from 11:00 to 17:00, with food included. It stops at beaches, sea caves and coastal spots. The last listed boat to Ermioni leaves at 15:00. So that tour needs a night on the island or a private transfer.
A sunset outing from the same firm lasts 60 to 70 minutes and includes the first drink. Like the full tour, it ends after the last scheduled crossing. Book a bed on Hydra or a transfer first. Then either outing fits into an Ermioni boat trip.
Which islets can an Ermioni boat trip reach?
Dokos is the main island in reach. It covers about 13.5 square kilometres, rises to 308 metres and lies between the Ermioni shore and Hydra. The Tselevinia islets and the uninhabited islet of Trikeri sit in the same waters.
Wikipedia places Dokos in the Hydra municipality. A narrow strait, marked on certain maps as the Hydra Gulf, separates it from the Peloponnese. Wikidata gives its length as 7 km and its width as 2.8 km. From the deck of an Ermioni boat trip, you see a rocky island.
A census counted just 18 residents on Dokos. Orthodox monks and sheep herders are the only people living there. In ancient times the island was called Aperopia. Ruins of a large Byzantine-Venetian castle stand on its east side.
The seabed off Dokos holds a cargo wreck from the Early Helladic period. Its remains lie 15 to 30 metres underwater. The wooden hull has dissolved, so only clay vases and other ceramics survive. Wikipedia calls it the second-oldest known shipwreck in the world.
The Sailing Choices guide points boats to Skintos Bay on the north coast. The bay is thought to have held a harbour in ancient times. A small church of St Nicholas stands next to the beach. Cargo from the wreck is now kept at the Spetses Museum.
Fun in the Sun, a travel firm in Ermioni, runs an Ermioni boat trip to Dokos. It uses the speedboat Magissa. The morning trip runs from 10.00 to 14.00. The afternoon trip runs from 16.00 to 20.00. Each one follows the Ermioni coast before the island stop.
Soft drinks, masks, snorkels, fuel and taxes come with the trip. The crew speaks Greek and English. The firm notes that the captain can change the plan because of weather or harbour traffic.
The Tselevinia islets are Skylli, Spathi and Gali, at the Poros end of the Hydra Gulf. A sheltered anchorage lies behind Gali, east of Spathi, with only a church ashore. The channel between Spathi and the mainland is less than 1 metre deep.
Can an Ermioni boat trip continue to Spetses and Porto Heli?
Yes, both lie a short run to the south-west. Ferryscanner puts Spetses 17.14 km, or 9.25 nautical miles, from Ermioni, with a fastest crossing of 20 minutes. Porto Heli sits 7.33 km from Spetses.
Blue Star Ferries runs the scheduled line between Ermioni and Spetses. Ferryhopper lists the route from January to December, on six to seven days a week. For anyone planning an Ermioni boat trip west, this ferry is the scheduled public link.
The local guide ermioni.info gives 25 minutes by sea from Ermioni to Spetses. It also warns that this sea service is limited. Checking the day’s timetable before you travel saves a wasted wait on the quay.
Porto Heli is reached on a separate Blue Star sailing. Ferryscanner says ferries run from Ermioni to Porto Heli seven days a week, all year round. The fastest crossing takes 50 minutes, so this leg is longer than the hop to Spetses.
A road option exists too. According to ermioni.info, Kosta is a 30-minute drive from Ermioni along the coast or via Porto Heli. From Kosta, a short sea crossing reaches Spetses. Pairing a car with that crossing suits travellers when no direct Ermioni boat trip fits the day.
The Sailing Issues guide notes a chain of islets off the south-west tip of Hydra. It leads toward Spetses on the horizon, along the waters an Ermioni boat trip sails west. Boat tours on Spetses and cruises from Porto Heli have their own pages on this site.
Where does an Ermioni boat trip stop to swim?
Kouverta bay lies 9 km south of the port. It is a large sheltered spot for a swim. Sandy Lepitsa lies 14 km north-east of Ermioni. With Petrothalassa, Sedoni and Godai on the same coast, an Ermioni boat trip has plenty of choice.
South of the town, Kouverta, whose name means “blanket”, is the largest sandy-pebble beach in the area. Its water is crystal clear. Sedoni beach sits on the same southern stretch. The bay of Godai also has sandy-pebble shores. It has turned into a lively spot, so pick it for an Ermioni boat trip with a busy beach feel.
For a calmer stop, Petrothalassa has golden sand and small fishing boats drawn up along the shore. Fans of water sports head there too. On an Ermioni boat trip heading north-east, Lepitsa offers golden sand and a gentle slope into shallow, deep blue water. Trees shade the sand, and the beach is popular with families with children in summer.
Closer to the harbour, Maderi is a sandy beach near the pine headland. Saint Nicholaos is an organised beach of small pebbles and clear water. Further east, Metochi is a small sand and pebble beach 18 km from Ermioni. The Greeka beach guide also names Thermissia, Plepi and Pigadia as swim spots of southern Argolida.
When is the season for an Ermioni boat trip?
Warm water for swimming at Ermioni runs from June to October. Sailing guides give April to October as the boating season on this coast. The sea is warmest in August, at an average of 26.3°C.
Long-term sea surface records for Ermioni give these monthly averages. They help you judge how warm a swim stop on an Ermioni boat trip feels.
- Late spring: 18.5°C
- June: 22.6°C
- July: 25.7°C
- August: 26.3°C
- September: 25°C
- October: 22.2°C
The coldest water comes in February, at an average of 15°C. On land, Ermioni has a mild climate with more rain in winter than in summer. August is the hottest month, with an average high of 27.3°C.
The meltemi is the normal summer wind in this sea. Along the mainland coast of the Saronic Gulf, it blows from north-north-east to north-east. Its strength tops out at Force 4 to 6. It blows with less force and less regularity than in the Cyclades islands.
On the Peloponnese coast, the meltemi is rather weak and comes from the north-east or south-east. In spring and autumn the wind drops and swings round to the south. Between Hydra and Trikeri, the breeze blows from the east much of the time.
That east wind matters at Ermioni. Ermioni Bay is well protected from all winds except those from the east. Its seabed of sand, rock and mud holds an anchor well in 3 to 4 metres of water. Further west in the Argolic Gulf, the sea grows calmer. Spells of no wind come early and late in the season.
Evening light changes with the calendar. In late September, the sun sets over Ermioni at 7:15 pm. Check the sunset hour before you book an evening Ermioni boat trip, so the ride home ends in daylight.
Can you hire a boat in Ermioni without a licence?
Yes. Greek rules let anyone over 18 drive a motorboat of up to 30 horsepower without a skipper licence. Ermioni has small boats of this kind for hire, so a self-drive ermioni boat trip suits beginners.
Bednblue lists boats for hire in Ermioni and notes the town’s natural harbour, where you can dock a vessel. Its page covers sailboats and speedboats with a skipper, or without one if you hold a licence. Catamarans for sunset outings and luxury yachts for multi-day routes appear there too.
Click&Boat also lists licence-free boats in Ermioni. One is an Assos Marine boat, 4.85 metres long, with a 25 hp engine and room for six people. Full-day hire runs from 09:00 to 18:00. Half days run from 09:00 to 13:00 or from 14:00 to 18:00. Fuel is not included.
The same boat can carry a hired skipper, which leaves room for five guests. The listing sets the minimum rental age at 18 years. On board there is a bimini for shade, a bow sundeck and an ice box. That kit makes a self-drive ermioni boat trip easy to plan for a family.
The Greek rules for licence-free boats, in brief:
- Engines of 30 hp or less need no boating licence in Greece.
- The rule applies to Greek citizens and foreign visitors alike.
- Engines above 30 hp need a valid boating licence.
- Renters carry a valid ID, such as a passport or a driving licence.
Rental firms still give a safety briefing before you set off, even when no licence is needed. Click&Boat also shows a 40 hp Greco Marine Kapetanios motorboat in Ermioni, which sits above the licence-free limit. For a bigger ermioni boat trip like that, a skipper or a licence is required.
Which quick questions does an Ermioni boat trip raise?
Visitors ask about distance, sea links, size, the name and food. Ermioni is a small port town on the Argolid Peninsula in Argolis. It now forms a municipal unit of the municipality of Ermionida.
The answers below cover the town and the journey to it before an ermioni boat trip. They leave the boats themselves to the sections above.
How far is Ermioni from Athens?
Bednblue puts Ermioni around 180 km from Athens. The closest airport is Athens International Airport. For visitors from abroad, an ermioni boat trip starts with a flight into Athens.
Can you reach Ermioni by sea from Piraeus?
Yes. The Flying Dolphins, operated by Blue Star Ferries, list a Piraeus to Ermioni route. These hydrofoils carry passengers only. A car has to go by road to the start of an ermioni boat trip.
How big is the town?
The community of Ermioni had 2,842 residents at the last census. The wider municipal unit had 3,936 people and covers about 168 square kilometres.
Where does the name Ermioni come from?
Legend says the town took its name from the hero Ermionas. The city was also honoured to Hermione, daughter of the King of Sparta.
What food goes well with an ermioni boat trip?
Traditional tavernas in town serve seafood mezes such as sun-dried octopus and grilled squid. Pomegranates grown on the plain of Ermioni are a local product to try.
Is Ermioni on an island?
No, the town sits on the Peloponnese mainland. Even so, the Greek travel guide GTP describes it as an “island-town”, and walking its streets feels like island life.