Souda Port is the most practical place to board on the Chania side: quick to reach, easy to park, and 20 minutes from a calm, family-friendly bay with a water slide off the back of the boat. Here is what it costs, where it goes, and which sailing to pick.
Both DanEri sailings from Souda head to Marathi Bay on the sheltered Akrotiri peninsula — calmer, shallower water than the open coast, and about the friendliest introduction to sailing a family can get. So this is not a contest of destinations. It is a decision about time and budget.
Do you want the full 6.5-hour day with lunch, a long swim stop and the inflatable slide — or a 3.5-hour golden-hour cruise with dinner on board for a genuinely low EUR 70? Both leave from the region’s easiest departure point. The honest ranking below sorts them for your trip, and sets straight what this catamaran does and does not do around Akrotiri.
Souda sits east of Chania town on a huge natural bay. For most guests it is simply the least stressful place to start.
The Venetian harbour is beautiful and central, but parking is a genuine problem and boarding is slower.
Search “boat trip Akrotiri” and you will see two very different things mixed together. Know which one you are booking before you pay.
| Option | Rough price | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DanEri sunset catamaran | from EUR 70 pp | 3.5 hours to Marathi Bay at golden hour, dinner and drinks on board, a swim stop with the inflatable slide, max 20 guests. Calm, sociable, easy. | The best-value premium evening near Chania. |
| DanEri day catamaran | from EUR 145 pp | 6.5 hours to Marathi Bay, long swim and snorkel stops, full lunch, drinks and the slide, max 20 guests. | Families and anyone wanting a full, calm water day. |
| Private power-boat tour | from ~EUR 800+ per boat | A fast small-boat circuit of the dramatic Akrotiri spots — Stavros, Seitan Limania, Souda Island, hidden coves — usually 4 to 7 hours, private and pricier. | Small groups chasing cliff-diving and secret beaches. |
DanEri sails a large, stable catamaran to the calm water of Marathi Bay; it is not the cliff-diving Seitan Limania power-boat run. Prices are indicative 2026 figures from live operator pages and can change; confirm at booking. Power-boat tours are run by other operators.
The full Souda day. A 6.5-hour catamaran run to the sheltered coves of Marathi Bay: swim and snorkel in bright, calm water, ride the inflatable slide off the back of the boat, and sit down to a full lunch on deck. Because the bay is protected and shallow, it is one of the gentlest, most family-friendly water days on the Chania coast. Everything is included, maximum 20 guests.
The value standout of the whole coast. A 3.5-hour golden-hour sail to Marathi Bay with dinner and drinks on board, a swim stop with the slide when conditions allow, and calm Souda Bay views — all from EUR 70 per person. Finding a premium sunset catamaran with dinner at that price near Chania is genuinely rare, which is why it earns its place this high.
Honest steer: the dramatic cliff-diving cove of Seitan Limania and the Zorba beach at Stavros are the highlight of Akrotiri’s coast — but they are reached by fast private power-boats, not a large catamaran, and they cost a lot more. If that circuit is your dream, book it directly. If you want calm water, a slide and an easy day or a cheap dinner sunset, Souda with DanEri is the better call.
Board at 09:30 and return by 16:00. Long swim and snorkel stops in sheltered water, the inflatable slide, and a full lunch served on deck.
Leave at 17:00 for golden-hour water, dinner and drinks on board, and a swim stop with the slide when conditions allow. Hard to beat near Chania at this price.
Arrive about 20 minutes early. Souda is easy to reach and park at, east of Chania on the big natural bay — no old-town gridlock.
The catamaran heads across sheltered Souda Bay toward Marathi on the Akrotiri peninsula, roughly 12 km east of Chania town.
Anchor in the calm coves for swimming and snorkelling over rocky edges, and ride the inflatable slide off the boat. Lunch on the day cruise, dinner on the sunset.
The day returns you by 16:00 with the afternoon still yours; the sunset brings you home under golden light and a short, simple transfer.
| If this sounds like you | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| “We want a full, easy water day with the kids.” | Day | Calm bay, lunch, snorkelling and the slide across 6.5 hours. |
| “We want a special evening but not a big spend.” | Sunset | Dinner and drinks on board from EUR 70 — rare value near Chania. |
| “Parking near the old port stresses me out.” | Either | Souda Port is the easy-access, easy-parking alternative. |
| “We came for cliff-diving at Seitan Limania.” | Power-boat | That circuit is a private power-boat tour, not this catamaran. |
| “We just want the calmest possible water.” | Either | Marathi Bay is sheltered and shallow — the gentle option. |
Marathi sits on the sheltered southern shore of the Akrotiri peninsula, about 12 km east of Chania town, where two small sandy coves and a working fishing harbour face out across Souda Bay. The water is shallow, clear and protected, with rocky edges that are good for snorkelling — which is exactly why it suits families and first-time sailors.
Souda Bay is a large natural harbour between the Akrotiri peninsula and Cape Drapano, dotted with rock formations and two uninhabited islets — Souda Island and Marathi Island — that you can only see from the water. It is a quietly dramatic backdrop to an otherwise gentle day.
Souda Port is about 7 km east of Chania town, with better car access and parking than the old harbour. If you are staying east of Chania or near the airport, it is the obvious choice.
Marathi sits inside sheltered Souda Bay, so it holds calmer water than the open north coast when the summer meltemi blows — a real advantage for families and anyone prone to seasickness.
Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and a hat. Snorkelling gear is on board, and the inflatable slide runs at the swim stop when conditions allow.
Both cruises are small-group, capped at 20 guests, with free cancellation up to 48 hours before departure. Reconfirm price, timing and inclusions when you book.
DanEri runs one of Crete’s most reviewed cruise operations — rated 4.9 out of 5 across Tripadvisor and GetYourGuide, with well over 1,200 verified guest reviews across its Crete routes. We have not pasted a Souda-specific guest quote here, because the reviews we can verify with certainty span our wider Chania-area sailings rather than this exact route. Read the current Souda and Marathi reviews yourself before booking — that is the honest way to judge any operator.
Source: aggregate DanEri ratings on Tripadvisor and GetYourGuide, as reported on daneriyachts.com.
Book the day if you want a full, calm water day with lunch, snorkelling and the slide — the gentlest, most family-friendly option on the Chania coast.
Book the sunset if you want the best-value premium evening near Chania: dinner on board from EUR 70, golden light and the region’s easiest departure. And if you are really chasing Seitan Limania, book the power-boat — just go in knowing the difference.
Times, prices and inclusions are current draft facts and must be reconfirmed at booking. Route, anchorage and the slide remain the captain’s safety decision.
Both DanEri cruises sail from Souda Port across sheltered Souda Bay to Marathi Bay on the Akrotiri peninsula, roughly 12 km east of Chania, where you anchor to swim, snorkel and use the inflatable slide. The captain chooses the calmest practical cove for the conditions.
The DanEri sunset cruise to Marathi Bay is from EUR 70 per person with dinner and drinks; the day cruise is from EUR 145 per person with lunch, drinks and snorkelling gear. Private power-boat tours of the wider Akrotiri coast are a separate product and cost from roughly EUR 800 per boat.
Souda Port is usually the easier choice: better car access and parking, and a quicker start onto the water. The Old Port is more atmospheric but harder and pricier to park at, so it mainly suits guests staying in the old town.
Book the day for a full 6.5-hour water day with lunch and long swims. Book the sunset for a shorter golden-hour evening with dinner on board from EUR 70 — the best value near Chania.
No. Those dramatic Akrotiri spots are reached by fast private power-boats, not by DanEri’s large catamaran, which sails to the calm water of Marathi Bay. If cliff-diving at Seitan Limania is your goal, book a dedicated power-boat tour.
Yes. Marathi Bay is sheltered and shallow, the catamaran is large and stable, and the inflatable water slide is a highlight for kids. It is one of the gentlest introductions to sailing on the Chania coast.
The inflatable slide runs at the swim stop when conditions allow. In stronger wind or swell the captain may skip it for safety — the calm profile of Marathi Bay means it runs on most days.
The day cruise includes a luxury catamaran, crew, full lunch, drinks, snorkelling gear and the slide; the sunset includes dinner, drinks, an evening swim stop and the slide when conditions allow. Both are small-group, capped at 20 guests. Confirm final inclusions at booking.