grand voyage
FROM LEFT: View of Aigiali village on the island of Amorgos; three-masted windjammer Sea Cloud II PICTURES: Shutterstock/Pawel Kazmierczak; Islas Helicopters Sailing can be a low-stress way
of enjoying a luxurious multi-centre break, and Sea Cloud II, one of Sea Cloud Cruises’ three windjammers, has a four-stop, Aegean Sea holiday for less than the cost of an equivalent luxury hotel stay.
WANDER-FUL WORLD My journey on this magnificent, three-masted ship took me to Patmos, Amorgos, Naxos and Syros, with overnights in Amorgos and Syros. Perhaps because of the extra time in each, these two islands proved to be my highlights. Amorgos cast a spell so absolutely intoxicating that even now, months later, I remain addicted to the fantasy of moving there. Almost nightly, I go online to check out long-term rentals, hoping that the just-before-bed exposure will animate those images during my sleep and transport me there at least until morning. The island is a wanderer’s dream –
and how I wandered. Down narrow cobbled streets, discovering tiny tavernas where locals sat talking over ice-cold Mythos beers, shielded from the sun beneath brightly coloured canopies; past a bakery that served
Greek coffee so thick you could almost chew it; in and out of pottery shops that sold handmade this and that; going into churches to be comforted by the ritualistic lighting of candles for loved ones no longer with me. What a day. Despite the sensible
advice to climb to the Monastery of Hozoviotissa in the early morning or late afternoon, I sweated and sizzled my way to the top under the glare of a relentless midday sun. The reward when I reached this remarkable eight-floor structure, carved into the cliff-face 300m above sea level during the 11th century, made up for my efforts a hundredfold. Greece’s second-oldest monastery
is a labyrinth of rooms connected by the narrowest of steps, with an icon-laden chapel at its heart and views of the Aegean that stretch to infinity. It might not be so difficult to find God in such a place. Back on Amorgos the next day, I
took a walk along a barely trodden path that, after about 20 minutes of stumbling, seemed like it would lead to nothing. Ever the optimist, I continued, until I found the tiniest, shrubbiest beach and went for one of the best swims of my life. The water
SAILING SELLING POINTS
PRICE: It’s certainly not cheap, but you would be very unlikely to find your clients a four-destination, five-star option on land that included all meals, drinks, gratuities and a few excursions for less money.
CONVENIENCE: The stress-free holiday existence starts from the minute clients get on board. There’s no need to pack and unpack or spend hours travelling by road or air – the journeys between islands are all part of the joy.
VARIETY: With four destinations to explore in one week, there’s enough time in each place to get a feel for the location and fit in shopping, swimming, visiting a museum or stopping to enjoy local snacks.
RELAXATION: Once on board there is no pressure to always be doing or seeing something, guests can spend the hours just being – and appreciating the joy of this traditional mode of travel along the way.
travelweekly.co.uk/cruise
October 2025
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