Combining world-class service with an unrivalled experience of adventure, a new partnership between Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens and Aegean Rib Voyages offers a unique way to explore the region’s legendary beauty and heritage. Collaborating with the premium sea link for the first time, the renowned luxury Hotel will offer a range of scheduled and tailor-made boat excursions to extraordinary local destinations.

The Hotel’s spectacular beachfront setting on the Athens Riviera makes it perfectly positioned for a variety of seafaring trips to the beautiful nearby Argo-Saronic Gulf islands, the cosmopolitan Saronic Gulf islands, and the captivating Cycladic islands. Guests can discover the area’s most desirable destinations and secluded sites accessible only by sea, exploring ancient monuments, picturesque towns, hidden coves and crystal-clear waters.

The streamlined service enables guests to step directly from the elegant surrounds of the Hotel’s private jetty onto a luxuriously appointed powerboat. Aegean Rib Voyages is the region’s leading provider of charters, VIP transfers, inter-island and mainland connections, matching state-of-the-art vessels with unparalleled maritime expertise.

With five types of vessel available – including three new world-leading ribs in their category – the fleet can accommodate any travelling preference. Three sleek Sealink craft seat 10 to 11 passengers and include comfortable indoor cabins, while the classic Targa 37 houses two indoor cabins, accommodating 13 people on-deck and eight in the indoor pilothouse. The Praevado, awarded the 2020 European Powerboat of the Year, seats 11 passengers with a walk-around configuration and two indoor cabins.

Each craft is a masterpiece of design, fusing cutting-edge technology with refined aesthetics, including teak decking and expansive swimming platforms, stylish furnishings, mini-bars, comfortable bathrooms and high-specification sound systems. All are manufactured according to British Standards and are fully equipped in line with the latest safety regulations. The boats are chartered by certified captains who act as personal host and on-site concierge, sharing local insights for an authentic insider experience.

Scheduled or specially tailored itineraries allow guests to uncover the region’s natural beauty and cultural heritage. Just 40 minutes away lie sites such as Cape Sounio, with its 444 BC Temple of Poseidon, where Lord Byron found inspiration; the beautiful island of Aegina, with its series of quaint villages and Aphea Temple; and the tiny uninhabited islet of Moni Aegina, belonging to a monastery, with a natural park where peacocks, deer and wild goats roam freely.

Further afield is Poros, with its fragrant pine, lemon and olive groves and neoclassical buildings; Nafplio, the first capital of Greece, famed for its listed architecture and Venetian castles; and Hydra, a charming car-free island with a revolutionary history.

Guests can visit one or a series of these sites on half- or full-day excursions.  Offering complete freedom and tranquillity, itineraries take in quiet coves, deserted beaches and luminous sunsets, providing an endless flow of exceptional experiences. The Hotel can also prepare picnic baskets with drinks and light refreshments on request.

Commenting on the partnership, the Hotel’s Senior General Manager Philippe Roux-Dessarps says, “We’re delighted to partner with a leading local expert to bring these experiences directly to the doorstep of Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens. Offering seamless service and a huge range of destinations, it’s great to be able to share an enhanced connection to the region’s most fascinating sites and hidden gems with our guests.”