Are beaches accessible by foot where the ship docks?

Hello All,

This is my first post on Cruise Critic.

I am travelling on the NCL Jade this September 2016. Ports in Greece we are hitting are Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos and Katakolon (Olympia). Our first time travelling here. We have excursions for each port booked but...

My question is:

Are the beaches at each port (Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos and Katakolon (Olympia) within walking distance from where the ship is docked? Ie. can you walk off the ship and walk to a beach until the ship leaves port? Or would you need to take transportation?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Ben

Hello All,

 

This is my first post on Cruise Critic.

 

I am travelling on the NCL Jade this September 2016. Ports in Greece we are hitting are Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos and Katakolon (Olympia). Our first time travelling here. We have excursions for each port booked but...

 

My question is:

 

Are the beaches at each port (Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos and Katakolon (Olympia) within walking distance from where the ship is docked? Ie. can you walk off the ship and walk to a beach until the ship leaves port? Or would you need to take transportation?

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

Ben

Santorini is unlikely to have a beach. It is the remains of a volcano that blew up. The ships actually sit on engines and trusters all day. To deep to anchor.

Corfu - I can't really remember, but we walked into the town along the sea road and I think there were some beaches along there. I can't say for sure, nor how far they are.

Santorini - no beaches that I know of.

Mykonos - you may dock or tender. If docking then there is a shuttle bus to the town where there is a beach. If tendering then you arrive very close to it. We docked both times we went and did see a small beach from the ship, but it didn't look easy to reach. I believe that there are better beaches around but they need transport.

Katakolon - we hired a car and stopped at a beach on the way back to the ship. I think there may have been something nearer, but can't say for sure. The car hire people directed us to the beach, which suggested to me that there weren't great options nearby.

Mykonos is your best bet from what I remember.

In Mykonos, if you dock, walk out of the port and take the road to the left which goes up a hill. This then leads down to a lovely beach with everything you need for a relaxing day.

In Mykonos, if you dock, walk out of the port and take the road to the left which goes up a hill. This then leads down to a lovely beach with everything you need for a relaxing day.

View from my veranda while docked at Mykonos

View from my veranda while docked at Mykonos

 

Perfect!

Always have a plan B. The beach above was plan A as we were scheduled to dock in Mykonos. The night before we were informed that we would not drop but would tender into town. Great for town but now I had to quickly research ways to other beaches via local public transportation. Found great beaches but took a little effort. So be prepared.

In Katakolon, there is a Tourist Train(5 Euro) that goes to a winery and then stops at Agios Andreas beach(about 15 minutes away from port by vehicle).

As for beaches within (short)walkable distance from the ship. There is a beach to the left(after exiting the port) where there is a small cafe/bar and some loungers available. We strolled down there for a peek after going to Agios Andreas for the day, a walk through town and lunch. We had already toured some ruins in other ports and had no real interest in touring Olympia.

It was a stunning day and the water was very calm. The beach by the port looked like a decent spot for a beach visit.

A look on Google Earth/Maps(Street View) will give one an idea of the layout.

Santorini was black sand beaches but not within walking distance. Probably about a 15 minute taxi ride.

There are no decent beaches within walking distance...for any of those ports. There are beaches within "range" in all those ports...although they are not the primary place to go for most cruisers. On Mykonos you can access some beaches via public transit (the local bus company). Our favorite Santorini Beach (Red Beach) would generally need a rental car (or expensive taxi)...but we do not recommend going to a beach on Santorini if it's your first visit. Corfu is a relatively large island with beaches scattered around the island.... But many cruisers prefer to go to Corfu Town. As to Katokolon (we are not big fans of this port) the primary destination is Olympia (think "Olympics:). There are some OK beaches a few miles North of the port city,,,but these are best accessed by rental car. And unless you are visiting in July-Sept....these beach areas might leave much to be desired.

If you truly want a beach cruise, then go to the Caribbean or drive down the East Coast of the USA (many Canadians visit beaches all along our East Coast). Most (not all) European beaches are nowhere as nice as what we have in the USA along East Coast. Mykonos is one exception as they do have some delightful beaches (we usually go to Paradise Beach). Our favorite on Santorini is "Red Beach" which is hard to access without a rental car and the ability to handle a long walk. Corfu has many beaches, but you will need to use the local bus, taxi, or rental car.

Hank

No beaches in Santorini??? Pleeeeeeeeease! Give me a break! Who says that?? Look on the map. You can get there even taking a public bus from the bus station in Fira. To Kamari or Perissa-Perivolos. For the rest you need to know the places and to have wheels

But no walk, of course. One side of the island is a cliffside, while the other is almost flat. That is the side you need. The port, though, is on the cliffside, that's why you need to drive to have a swim

No beaches in Santorini??? Pleeeeeeeeease! Give me a break! Who says that??

Nobody says that from what I can see.

The question was whether there were any beaches within walking distance of the ship.

There may be hundreds on the other side of the island, but that wasn't what was being asked.