On board of a beautiful sailing yacht with only 8 guests, we will depart from Heraklion and discover Dia, a small uninhabited island not far from Crete. Enjoy plenty of time for swimming and snorkeling in the crystal clear waters of the island; a delicious lunch featuring local dishes, carefully selected and freshly prepared with organic ingredients, and the many beautiful views of the island by sea.
Duration 4,5 hours
Available Every day
Small Group Max 8 people
Meeting point Port of Heraklion
Start time
10:30am or 4:00pm
Shaped like a giant lizard, Dia is a small island opposite to Heraklion and one of Crete’s top attractions away from the crowds. On board of a beautiful sailing yacht with only 8 guests, we will depart from Heraklion and discover this uninhabited island, which is now one of Natura 2000 Project protected area. Enjoy plenty of time for swimming and snorkeling in the crystal clear waters of the island; a delicious lunch featuring local dishes, carefully selected and freshly prepared with organic ingredients, and the many beautiful views of the island by sea.
Tour program of the sailing boat trip to Dia island:
Meeting 15 minutes before the departure time at the Heraklion Old Venetian port, where you will board a luxurious sailing yacht with expert captain and friendly crew.
We will set sail for the island of Dia, which is approximately 1 hour away from Heraklion. Along the way, enjoy the silence while the yacht sails and let yourself be guided by the skipper through some secrets of the art of sailing. Feel free to participate if would like to.
Once arrived to Dia island, the skipper will drop anchor in a protected cove with turquoise crystal clear waters. Here you will have plenty of time for swimming and snorkeling, while exploring the rich sea bottom. If you don’t feel in the mood for swimming, just relax on the boat soaking up the sun.
In the meantime, the crew will prepare the lunch: you will be treated with a full menu of Cretan cuisine featuring local products and organic ingredients, as well as soft drinks, local wine and coffee or tea.
After a cool refreshing dive, we will set sail for Heraklion and, as the boat glides through the water, you will likely encounter dolphins, which love to swim in our bow wake.
The tour will end after approximately 4 hours at Heraklion Old Venetian port.
*Complimentary pickup service is provided from Heraklion and its vicinity, covering distances up to 10km. Kindly share the details of your accommodation while booking. You will be contacted to discuss the pickup location and time. Pickup from any location within Crete is also possible for an additional fee.
The price includes: English speaking crew – Lunch or dinner with local dishes – Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages – Equipment for snorkeling.
Don’t forget: Towel – Sunscreen – Sun hat – Sunglasses – Camera.
Dia is a small marine paradise off Iraklion, also called Heraklion, the capital of Crete. Being a wild island, there are no hotels or other types of accommodation here, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Only the small Analpsis church and a shelter without electricity can be found on this fascinating place, populated by some endangered species such as the albinary snail, the Erhard’s wall lizard, the wild oryctolagus cuniculus rabbit and the Queen’s hawk. The sea, then, hosts many exemplars of marine fauna including the monk seal and the dolphins that, during your trip, could enjoy following in the wake of the sailing boat.
The island of Dia has an area of about 12 square km and has spectacular beaches. In particular, with the Dia island boat trip from Crete you will stop in one of the beaches along the coast, sheltered from the wind and lapped by the crystal-clear sea that reflects the lights of the sun and reveals the rich seabed. Being a wild, not equipped beach, it will not be easy to find shade: so, remember to bring with you the sunscreen and a hat, especially if you choose to sail in the sunniest hours.
The story goes that the island of Dia was created by Zeus, while he was dominating the world from his throne in Olympus and he looked to his birthplace, Crete. He was surprised to see his Cretans hunting with bows and spears, wiping out his beloved Cretan wild goats, which were children of Amalthea, the goat that nurtured Zeus with milk while he was hiding from his father Kronus in Diktaean Antron Cave. He got so angry that he blew a lightning into the sea and a huge lizard-shaped monster emerged ready to kill Cretans, but Poseidon, god of the sea, managed to curb the intent of Zeus who threw two large slices of bread into the sea to distract the monster and a second thunderbolt to petrify him. This is how Dia was born and the two slices of bread, also petrified, became the next islets Paximadi and Petalidi.
If you want to reach the beautiful island of Dia, the best as well as the only option is to book a boat tour, in fact there are no ferries or public transport to reach the island. If you are wondering how to get to Dia from Crete, you can decide to start from the port of Heraklion, getting on board of a sailboat and live an exciting day in the name of unspoilt nature and charming landscapes. There are two departures from the port of Heraklion, capital of Crete, to Dia, so you can choose whether to join the trip during the day, having lunch on board of our sailing boat, or in the afternoon, capturing the beauty of the lights at sunset and dining on the boat. If you are in Crete you cannot miss this sailing tour to the discovery of Dia island.
The Greek cuisine is full of Mediterranean flavors tasty dishes always prepared with local products. The pita is unmissable, a bread slice that accompanies generous appetizers or eaten with the Greek sauce par excellence, the tzatziki. Another typical dish is the Greek salad: it is a very fresh dish, perfect during the warm summer, made with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, red onion, black olives and lots of feta, the typical Greek cheese. The feta and olive oil produced in the local olive groves are certainly the staple food of this fantastic nation cuisine. Lastly, fish lovers don’t want to miss the dried and grilled octopus, seasoned with olive oil and lemon.
Yes, in case of bad weather/sea conditions the tour might be cancelled. In case of cancellation we are happy to offer our customers the choice of an alternative date or, in case of inability to rebook, the full refund.
Dia island half-day boat trip from Heraklion with lunch – Sailing Experience
Write a review!
Highlights:
Departure from Heraklion
Guaranteed every day, twice a day
Small groups of max 8 people
Skipper and crew on board
Experience the island of Dia from the sea
Stops for swimming and snorkeling
Taste the typical Cretan cuisine freshly prepared on board
€ 80 Adults
€ 70 Kids
Free cancellation within 24 hours
Duration: 4,5 hours
Language:
€ 80 Adults
€70 Kids
Free cancellation within 24 hours
Reviews from our customers
Overall rating
5.00 /5
Based on 15 review
Rating details
5 stars
15
4 stars
0
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Wow what a sea
Wah1uf8a
Too bad it finished! We loved this sailboat and the staff was awesome, really funny and generous with food and drinks. The waters around the island of Dia are just breathtaking, something to remember for a long time! The water is so transparent that you can see the seabed from the boat while sailing!!!!
Tour to Dia
co5iiThou
We booked a hald-day boat tour from Heraklion port to Dia island and as we arrived at the Port we saw this new sailing boat and were very pleased! That day we were only 6 people on board, maybe because it was september... The price was very reasonable considering the luxury you feel when you're on this fantastic boat! 10/10
Very good tour
eiWahpa1ugu
Went on this late afternoon boat experience on a sailboat from Heraklion to Dia island. We had a really good time and even got see a beautiful sunset:) worth it, just book it!
Sign up with your email address to get exclusive offers and the trend news of You Know Life on Travels, Made in Italy and Green Economy delivered straight to your inbox.
Reviews from our customers
Overall rating
5.00 /5
Based on 15 review
Rating details
Wow what a sea
Tour to Dia
Very good tour