Mykonos: Delos and Rhenia Islands Cruise with BBQ Meal

Ancient stones meet clear island water. This six-hour cruise from Mykonos combines a visit to sacred Delos with swimming, snorkeling, and a Greek barbecue at Rhenia. I like the unusual mix of archaeology and easygoing time at sea, and I like that beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee, tea, and water are included.

The crew gets especially strong praise for attentive service, while the food is often described as a highlight rather than an afterthought. My one caution is that the day is not ideal if you want a quiet, private sailing trip. Depending on the boat, you could share the space with up to 30 or 40 people, and the cruise operates barefoot for safety and hygiene.

The Details That Matter Most

• Delos gives the cruise real historical weight: You get time to walk among ruins on a UNESCO World Heritage site dating to about 3500 BC.
• Rhenia is the main swimming stop: Bring beachwear for clear water, snorkeling, and an easy afternoon on board.
• The barbecue is included: Meat, vegetables, and a full range of non-spirit drinks are served on the yacht.
• The crew earns high marks: Service is attentive, with staff checking that you are comfortable, safe, and supplied with drinks.
• A guide costs extra: A professional Delos guide is €45 per adult and €40 per child, with an additional €20 entrance fee per person.
• Hotel transport is optional: Pickup and return cost €20 per person, or you can meet the boat at Ioannis Diakoftis pier.

Why This Mykonos Cruise Is Worth Your Time

Mykonos is famous for whitewashed lanes, beach clubs, and late nights. This trip gives you a useful change of pace. For six hours, you trade crowded streets for open water, old marble, quiet bays, and a meal served on deck.

At $147 per person, the price is not a bargain-basement boat ride. Still, you get a full half-day cruise, a barbecue, unlimited listed drinks, snorkeling equipment, towels, sunscreen, WiFi, a professional skipper, a crew, and port fees. Add the archaeological setting of Delos, and the package offers more than a simple swim excursion.

The strongest value comes if you plan to use most of what is included. If you drink only water and spend little time in the sea, the price may feel high. If you want history, lunch, swimming, and transport on one organized outing, it makes more sense.

The experience has a 4.8 rating from 1,130 reviews, and 87 percent of customers gave the transport a perfect score. The recurring praise centers on three things: the staff, the food, and the chance to spend a full day around the islands without planning every detail yourself.

Setting Out From Agios Ioannis

The standard meeting point is the Ioannis Diakoftis pier near Agios Ioannis, though the exact point depends on the option you book. You can add hotel pickup and return from accommodation anywhere in Mykonos for €20 per person. That fee is paid on the spot, and you need to arrange it in advance by email.

The cruise begins with a safety briefing and a roughly 45-minute ride through the waters around Mykonos. This first stretch is part of the experience, not dead time. You can settle on deck, look back toward the island, and enjoy coffee, tea, water, soft drinks, beer, or wine.

You should carry your passport, ID card, or driving licence details, since those are required for personal insurance. Bring a jacket, comfortable clothes, beachwear, and comfortable footwear for getting to the pier. Once aboard, everyone goes barefoot, so leave your shoes in the designated place.

That barefoot rule is worth knowing before you arrive. It may feel unusual at first, especially if you are used to wearing sandals on a boat, but it keeps the deck cleaner and reduces the chance of slipping or damaging the yacht’s interior.

What You See on the Way to Delos

The ride toward Delos takes about 15 minutes once the boat reaches the island area. The crew serves drinks, and the yacht may pause for photographs before you go ashore or begin your visit.

Delos is not simply an old site beside the sea. In ancient Greek religion, it was regarded as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. The island became a major religious center and later an important trading settlement. The ruins you see today include streets, houses, sanctuaries, and public buildings scattered across a dry, open archaeological area.

The cruise gives you about an hour and a half for the Delos visit. You can choose a self-guided walk or pay in advance for a professional guide. The guide costs €45 per adult or €40 per child, and the entrance fee is an additional €20 per person.

I would consider the guide if ancient sites usually leave you wondering what you are looking at. Delos has plenty to see, but the remains are spread out and not every feature is easy to understand without context. A guide can help connect the ruins to the island’s religious role and daily life.

A self-guided visit can work well, too. One passenger prepared by downloading a guided tour before arrival and found it helpful. If you choose this route, download anything you need before leaving Mykonos. Internet access at sea or on the archaeological site should not be treated as guaranteed, even though WiFi is listed on board.

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for the walk to and from the site, but remember that you will remove shoes when returning to the yacht. Delos can feel exposed, so sunscreen, water, and a hat are sensible choices. Sunscreen and drinks are provided on board, but you should still protect yourself during the shore visit.

Delos Beyond the Ruins

After the main visit, the boat spends about an hour around Delos, with time for swimming and snorkeling near the island. This creates a useful contrast. You go from walking among sacred ruins to floating in the Aegean a short time later.

The site visit is the most demanding part of the day. You are on your feet, walking across an open archaeological area, while the later swim stop is slower and more restful. If someone in your group is interested in history but not keen on a long shore walk, the schedule lets you enjoy the site without giving up the sea portion entirely.

The water stop is also a good reason to pack proper beachwear rather than treating this as an archaeology tour with a short boat ride. Snorkeling equipment, swimming noodles, and towels are included. You can swim from the yacht and look beneath the surface, though the information provided does not promise a particular species of marine life or a guided snorkeling session.

Rhenia: The Day’s Best Relaxation Stop

From Delos, the yacht heads to Rhenia Island. The stop lasts about two hours and combines swimming, snorkeling, lunch, and time to relax on deck.

Rhenia is uninhabited compared with Mykonos and is known here mainly for its quiet coves and clear water. The cruise gives you the chance to swim directly from the boat rather than crowding onto a developed beach. Swimming noodles are useful if you want to float without working hard, and snorkeling gear lets you look around below the surface.

One practical point: the beaches may be too far away for a comfortable swim ashore. A passenger specifically noted that the water was lovely but that the beaches were beyond an easy swim. Think of this as a boat-based swimming stop, not a beach landing.

Lunch is served on board as a freshly prepared Greek-style barbecue. Meat and vegetables are included, with drinks available throughout the meal. The food receives some of the warmest praise connected with this outing, including comments that it was better than the meals served at the person’s hotel and that there was plenty for everyone.

That does not mean you should expect a formal restaurant meal. This is a relaxed yacht barbecue, eaten with sea views and the sound of water around you. Its appeal comes from freshness, quantity, and setting. The meal also saves you from buying lunch at a beach stop, where food and drinks can add up quickly.

Beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee, tea, and water are included. Spirits and cocktails are not included, so plan to pay extra if those matter to you. Crew gratitude is also not included, and you may wish to budget for a tip if the service is as attentive as the many positive accounts suggest.

The Boat, Group Size, and Onboard Feel

The cruise may use an 89-foot gulet carrying up to 40 people or a 72-foot gulet carrying up to 30. That is enough room for a social day, but not enough to call the trip secluded.

One group of 34 people found the larger boat comfortable, with enough room to stretch out and enjoy the sun. That is a useful guide to expectations. You should have space to sit, move around, and find a place on deck, but you will still share the outing with other people.

The crew is one of the clearest strengths. Service includes regular attention to drinks, safety, and general comfort. The staff also helps create a welcoming atmosphere for different kinds of groups, including a same-sex honeymooning couple who felt included and comfortable during the day.

A private group option is available if you want more control over the company and pace. The supplied information does not give a private charter price, so you would need to request that before booking.

WiFi is included, though the best reason to bring a phone is for photographs rather than constant connection. The sea views, archaeological ruins, and swimming stops give you plenty to look at without needing entertainment on a screen.

The Return to Mykonos

After Rhenia, the return ride takes about an hour and a half. Drinks remain available, and the boat passes through the same broad Mykonos waters that looked different earlier in the day.

This final stretch is a good time to dry off, compare photographs, and enjoy the view from the deck. The cruise returns to Mykonos with drop-off at one of the listed locations, depending on your booking choice. If you arranged hotel transport, confirm the return details before departure.

Weather matters. If conditions are not suitable, the operator may alter the route or cancel, with notice given the evening before. That is normal for an open-water trip, but it means you should avoid booking this as the only fixed activity during a short stay.

Who Will Like This Cruise Most

I would recommend this outing to you if you want several Mykonos experiences in one day:

• Ancient Greek archaeology without arranging separate ferries and site visits
• A proper swim stop with gear supplied
• Lunch and drinks included in the price
• A social boat atmosphere
• A slower day away from Mykonos town

It suits couples, friends, and families who can manage a walk around Delos and enjoy time in the water. It also works for people who want a broad introduction to the nearby islands rather than a specialist archaeological tour.

I would hesitate if you dislike group excursions, need a quiet luxury charter, or do not enjoy being barefoot on a boat. It may also be a poor match if you want to spend the day on a sandy beach. Rhenia’s appeal here is the water and the boat, not a guaranteed swim ashore.

The extra costs deserve attention. Hotel transport adds €20 per person. A professional Delos guide adds €45 per adult or €40 per child, plus the €20 entrance fee per person. Those additions can change the total considerably, so compare the final price with your budget before booking.

Should You Book It?

Book this cruise if you want a well-rounded six-hour day that joins Delos’s ancient ruins with Rhenia’s clear water and an included barbecue. The food, attentive crew, generous drinks service, and good use of time make the $147 price reasonable for many people.

Choose the self-guided Delos option if you are comfortable preparing your own background information. Pay for the guide if the historical setting is the main reason you are going and you want help making sense of the ruins.

My practical call: this is a strong choice for a first visit to Mykonos, especially if you want more than beaches and nightlife. Just arrive ready to go barefoot, share the boat, walk around Delos, and let the weather have the final word.

FAQ

How long does the Mykonos, Delos, and Rhenia cruise last?

The cruise lasts six hours, including the boat rides, Delos visit, swimming time, lunch, and return to Mykonos.

Where does the cruise depart?

The cruise generally departs from the Ioannis Diakoftis pier near Agios Ioannis. The precise meeting point depends on the option booked.

Is hotel pickup available?

Yes. Roundtrip pickup and drop-off from Mykonos accommodation can be added for €20 per person. You need to arrange it in advance and pay on the spot.

Is lunch included?

Yes. A barbecue lunch with meat and vegetables is included and served on board at Rhenia Island.

Which drinks are included?

Beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee, tea, and water are included. Spirits and cocktails are not included.

Is snorkeling equipment provided?

Yes. Snorkeling gear, swimming noodles, and towels are provided for the swimming stops.

Can I visit Delos with a guide?

Yes. A professional guide can be added for €45 per adult or €40 per child. The Delos entrance fee is an additional €20 per person.

Can I explore Delos on my own?

Yes. You can choose a self-guided visit. Preparing or downloading a guide before arrival may help you understand the archaeological site.

Do I need to wear shoes on the boat?

No. Everyone goes barefoot on board for safety and hygiene. You should still bring comfortable footwear for the walk around Delos.

What happens if the weather is bad?

If weather conditions are unsuitable, you will be informed the evening before about possible itinerary changes or cancellation.