Skorpios and Madouri from Nydri: Kayak or Boat?
Updated October 22, 2026 · 5 min read
Take the kayak if you are comfortable swimming and paddling for four hours; take the boat if you would rather sit, eat and see more islands. The Skorpios Kayak Odyssey from Nydri costs from €60 and has 4.9 stars from 54 reviews. The island-hopping boat cruise with lunch and drinks takes seven hours, costs from €68 and has 4.5 stars from 79 reviews. They are not the same trip: the kayak stays among the small islands off Nydri, while the boat goes to Meganisi.
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Limits (from the booking page) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skorpios Kayak Odyssey | 4 hours | €60 | 4.9 (54) | not suitable for children under 8 and non-swimmers |
| Full-day sea kayaking tour | 6 hours | €90 | 4.9 (41) | age 13 and above, swimming and good fitness required |
| Island-hopping boat cruise | 7 hours | €68 | 4.5 (79) | up to 40 people; page says not suitable for wheelchair users |
What Skorpios and Madouri are
Skorpios is the private island once owned by the Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis. It has been in the hands of the Rybolovlev family since 2013, and it is guarded. A 2015 report in a British boating magazine described armed guards warning skippers away and said that a landing was unwelcome, while noting that under Greek law the strip more than 10 metres from the beach counts as public land. For you the practical conclusion is simple: do not expect to walk on the island. The tours swim and paddle near it.
Madouri is a small, pine-covered island that belonged to the poet Valaoritis, whose mansion you see from the water, according to the tour pages.
The kayak: four hours on the water
The four-hour kayak tour starts at the Nydri port meeting point. Its page lists 30 minutes at Madouri, 50 minutes at Skorpios for swimming, snorkelling and kayaking, and about an hour of lunch with tea and a swim on a secluded beach, 4 nautical miles in all. The price includes snorkel gear, a guide and lunch with traditional Greek products. The tour is weather-dependent and may be moved or cancelled in bad weather.
You must be able to swim; the page excludes non-swimmers, children under 8 and pregnant women. If you want more, the full-day kayak tour at €90 adds the sea caves, Thilia islet for snorkelling and lunch, Meganisi and a loop of Madouri. It is limited to 16 people, requires age 13 and above and good fitness, and lists people with low fitness as not suitable.
Check dates and start time for the kayak tour
The boat: seven hours, lunch included
The boat leaves Nydri, goes into the Papanikolis cave, stops at Giovanni’s cave where you can jump into the water, visits the village of Spartochori on Meganisi, serves a lunch (a Greek barbecue with vegetarian options) at Lakka beach, then swims near Skorpios before returning. Lunch and drinks are included; the page lists hotel pickup and drop-off as not included. The page describes it as a small-group cruise with up to 40 people.
It is a longer day than the kayak, with less effort and more places. The review base is bigger, but the rating is lower than the kayak’s, so read recent reviews for your date. A cheaper boat to similar places, the Marilena island-hopping cruise at €50, has only 8 reviews so far.
See the island-hopping boat cruise with lunch
Which one for whom
The kayak suits a fit adult or a teenager who can swim and wants to be active. It is the wrong choice with young children, with a non-swimmer or in a poor-weather week. The boat suits families, groups with mixed fitness and anyone who wants lunch and Meganisi included. If you want the long Ionian route with beaches and Kefalonia instead, read Nydri to Kefalonia, Ithaka and Porto Katsiki by boat. For paddling into a sea cave, see Blue Cave kayak on Lefkada. Boats are listed under boat trips on Lefkada.
Our recommendation
For a fit adult or teenager, book the four-hour kayak tour. For a mixed group, or if you prefer a seat and a meal, book the boat cruise.
