Spetsai is probably best known as the (thinly disguised) setting for John Fowles seminal novel, The Magus. Fowles lived on Spetsai in the 1950s, when it was a popular upmarket destination for weekending Athenians. These days, Spetsai Town is the biggest in the Saronic islands, while the pine-forested interior is largely uninhabited.

Like Hydra, Spetsai prospered on the back of its merchant fleet in the 18th century, and is filled with many fine houses and public buildings from this time. Spetsai is a lively and vibrant town with plenty to interest those on charter.

It’s an enjoyable town to wander or take a horse-drawn carriage around, admiring the majestic old houses and gardens scattered amongst the narrow streets.  An interesting local museum is housed in the former Hatsiyannis Maxis family mansion above the east side of town.

In Spetsai, the harbor is known as the Dapia. The Old Harbou is where you will moor up – it’s an upmarket area with plentiful bars and restaurants and the focus of the island’s nightlife. You can rent bikes and scooters to explore the interior of the island, but one of the beauties of having your own yacht  is the freedom to explore the island's coastline at your own steady pace.

You can circumnavigate the whole island in about three hours, but you’ll probably want to make a day of it and pull into some of the terrific beaches or lovely quiet coves that are hard to reach by land.

What better way to spend an afternoon than anchored in a beautiful, tranquil swimming spot, taking a dip whenever the mood takes you?