A Rhodes catamaran cruise is a three to six hour all-inclusive sail from Mandraki harbour or the east-coast resorts to Anthony Quinn Bay, Ladiko and the Traganou coves, with a meal and unlimited drinks aboard from 55 euros. Plan the rest of the trip with Greece Tours.
This page covers the day: what it costs, where the boats leave from, the route, how much is under sail, what is included, the sunset option, the season and how to book.
What does a Rhodes catamaran cruise cost?
From 90 to 150 euros a head for a five to six hour all-inclusive day, 55 to 90 for a three-hour trip from Kolymbia or Faliraki, 80 to 130 for a sunset sail with dinner, and 900 to 2,200 for a private charter.
All-inclusive on Rhodes means the meal, the wine, the beer and the soft drinks are inside the fare rather than sold at a bar. A rhodes catamaran cruise operator states this at booking and prints it on the ticket.
The shorter east-coast trips cost less because they cover two swim stops rather than four. The rhodes catamaran cruise price reflects it, stop by stop.
Private charters divide by the party, so ten people split 1,600 euros rather than paying ten fares. A rhodes catamaran cruise is sold on that, and the listing says so plainly.
Children go half price to twelve and the minimum age runs four to six on the shared boats.
Card payment is taken at booking and the crew tip is cash at the end.
Where do the catamarans leave from?
Mandraki harbour in Rhodes Town for the day cruises, Kolymbia and Haraki on the east coast for the shorter trips, and Faliraki for a small number of afternoon departures.
Mandraki is the old harbour under the medieval walls, with the bronze deer on the moles where the Colossus is said to have stood. Every rhodes catamaran cruise is planned around it before the lines come off.
Boarding runs from 09:30 for a day cruise and 17:30 for a sunset sail. A rhodes catamaran cruise fills first on that count in early August.
Kolymbia sits 25 kilometres south of the town and serves the resorts along that coast. This is what a rhodes catamaran cruise delivers down the east coast.
Parking at Mandraki is metered and the town’s free lots sit ten minutes away.
Hotel pickup from Rhodes Town, Ixia, Ialyssos and Faliraki is included on most products.
Where does the cruise go?
South down the sheltered east coast to Anthony Quinn Bay, Ladiko, Traganou and Afandou, or north-west to Kallithea and the Ixia coast when the wind allows, with three or four swim stops.
Anthony Quinn Bay is the rock-walled inlet named after the actor who filmed The Guns of Navarone here in 1961. A rhodes catamaran cruise is sold on that, and the listing says so plainly.
Ladiko sits next to it and holds a smaller beach with a taverna above. The rhodes catamaran cruise timetable is shaped by it more than by demand.
The Traganou sea caves north of Afandou are entered by tender rather than by the catamaran itself. The rhodes catamaran cruise fleet is prepared for it through the season.
Kallithea’s restored 1920s spa rotunda stands above a cove the boats anchor in.
The skipper picks the coast by the morning wind, since the west side takes the meltemi head-on.
How much of the day is under sail?
One to three hours depending on the wind. Rhodes gets a strong north-westerly through July and August, so the boats motor south along the sheltered coast and sail back with it behind them.
The wind that makes Ixia and Ialyssos a windsurf coast is the same one that shapes the sailing day. This is what a rhodes catamaran cruise delivers down the east coast.
Mornings are flat on the east side and the breeze builds from midday. Guests on a rhodes catamaran cruise meet it within the first hour.
A catamaran stays level under sail, which is what makes it the family boat here. A rhodes catamaran cruise starts with this settled at the quay.
Guests take the helm on request and nothing is required of anyone.
Monohull day sails cost less, take fewer guests and give more actual sailing.
What is included on board?
A welcome snack, a cooked lunch or a barbecue served at anchor, wine, beer, soft drinks and water, snorkelling masks, towels, and a paddleboard on most of the newer catamarans.
Lunch on the Rhodes boats runs to Greek salad, dips, grilled meat or fish, cheese and fruit. The rhodes catamaran cruise fleet is prepared for it through the season.
Unlimited drinks are standard on the all-inclusive products and named on the listing when they are not. That is the rhodes catamaran cruise difference against a hire car day.
Dietary requests are handled with a day’s notice and vegetarian is the default alternative. The rhodes catamaran cruise route is set by it rather than by the clock.
What is excluded is the transfer unless the listing states a pickup.
Crew tips run 5 to 10 percent of the fare in cash at the end.
Day cruise or sunset sail?
The day cruise for the coves, the swimming and lunch at anchor over five to six hours. The sunset sail for three hours, a dinner aboard and the light going down behind the island, at two thirds of the price.
Sunset departures leave at 17:30 in June and 18:30 in August and return in the dark. A rhodes catamaran cruise starts with this settled at the quay.
The evening boat stays in the sheltered water off the town and reaches no further than Kallithea. A rhodes catamaran cruise carries the lunch and the snorkels for it.
A family with small children takes the sunset trip and skips the long day. Crews brief it on deck before a rhodes catamaran cruise leaves harbour.
Couples book the sunset sail as the evening rather than as an excursion.
Both across two dates costs less than a private charter and covers the whole coast.
What do you bring aboard?
Swimwear, a towel, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat that ties, sunglasses with a strap, a light windproof for the return, soft soles or bare feet, and a dry bag for the phone.
Hard-soled shoes go in a bag at the gangway on every catamaran. The rhodes catamaran cruise route is set by it rather than by the clock.
Shade is the cockpit bimini and the saloon, and the trampolines have none. The rhodes catamaran cruise season turns on this more than on the calendar.
A mask of your own fits better than the boat’s at the rock stops. It decides which rhodes catamaran cruise format fits the party.
Cash covers the crew tip, since the food and drink are inside the fare.
Leave hard luggage ashore, because storage is a locker and a bench.
What is the season?
April to the end of October, with daily departures from June to mid-September. The sea runs 20 degrees in May and 26 in August, and Rhodes keeps sailing weather later than the Cyclades.
July and August bring the meltemi and the operators work the eastern coast through it. Crews brief it on deck before a rhodes catamaran cruise leaves harbour.
June, September and early October give the calmest water and the fullest schedules. A rhodes catamaran cruise operator states this at booking and prints it on the ticket.
Cancellations for weather run to a handful of days a season with an automatic refund.
Prices drop 20 to 30 percent either side of the peak six weeks.
Nothing sails from November to March beyond private charters.
How do you book a Rhodes catamaran cruise?
Book three to five days ahead from mid-June to early September and a day ahead in the shoulder months. The catamarans cap at 12 to 25, so a departure sells out rather than thins.
Private charters need a week in August and take a deposit at booking. It decides which rhodes catamaran cruise format fits the party.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before is standard on the platform listings. Every rhodes catamaran cruise is planned around it before the lines come off.
Weather calls are made by the skipper at 08:00 on the day.
Walk-up booking at the Mandraki kiosks works outside the peak weeks.
The island’s wider list of departures sits at Rhodes boat trips.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Rhodes catamaran cruise cost?
From 90 to 150 euros a head for a five to six hour all-inclusive day, 55 to 90 for a three-hour trip from Kolymbia or Faliraki, 80 to 130 for a sunset sail with dinner, and 900 to 2,200 for a private charter.
Where does the cruise go?
South down the sheltered east coast to Anthony Quinn Bay, Ladiko, Traganou and Afandou, or north-west to Kallithea when the wind allows. The skipper picks the coast by the morning wind.
How much of the day is under sail?
One to three hours. The island gets a strong north-westerly in July and August, so the boats motor south along the sheltered coast and sail back with the wind behind them.