Notes from our sailing holiday in Greece’s Ionian Sea, with Jan and Sue
Date
Activity
Sat Oct 5th
Fly Malaga to Gatwick
Jan and Sue were coming from Granada so made their own way to Gatwick. Lin and I flew from Malaga, and then took the hotel shuttle to the Gatwick Belmont hotel. We had beers, and then a nice evening meal.
Sun Oct 6th
Fly Gatwick to Preveza, taxi to Vliho, pickup yacht.
We had a very early breakfast at Wagamama with Jan and Sue. Seated separately on the plane.
Great visibility, so we had fantastic aerial views of Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania and Corfu before landing at Preveza.
A quick (and expensive) beer at the airport, then took the mini-bus to Vliho. Lin and I sat in the Quay Cafe drinking beers, whilst J & S made arrangements with Sail-Ionian. We then unpacked on their yacht (Arwen).
In the evening, we took the RIB and motored over Vliho Bay to Elana, one of the bayside restaurants in Geni for a nice dinner.
Mon Oct 7th
Vliho to Sivota.
Fairly overcast.
We had a basic breakfast on board Arwen, then sailed to Nydri and bought provisions in the supermarket. Nydri was a pleasant fishing village with two restaurants last time Lin and I were here in 1977; now it’s a busy resort, and almost unrecognisable! Motoring and some sailing out of Vliho Bay, then headed south. We arrived in Sivota around 14:00.
Lunch on board.
Went to the Yacht Bar and had an average dinner.
Tue Oct 8th
Sivota to Vasiliki
Breakfast on board (for me, muesli, pain au chocolat and coffee), then Lin, Sue and I used the public showers at the far end of the harbour.
Weather was pretty overcast. We motored/sailed from Sivota to Vasiliki where J & S were meeting the owner of a piece of land they were thinking of buying.
We watched as someone’s anchor fouled the official anchor line, and needed a diver to sort it out. Lin and I had leisurely lunch. Jan and Sue were gone for several hours and the weather brightened a little, so I had a wander around the town and surroundings, taking plenty of pics.
J & S return, cocktails on the boat then dinner in a harbourside restaurant.
Wed Oct 9th
Vasiliki to Kioni on Ithaca
Breakfast on board. Blue skies.
We then left Vasiliki and had good sailing across to Ithaca. Stopped at Afales Bay for skinny dipping and lunch.
We then sailed down the coast to the pretty little town and harbour of Kioni, arriving around 16:00. We moored alongside on the sea wall. By the time we’d done some shopping, we were hot and thirsty, so we headed to the nearby Lizzy’s Restaurant Bar… where they had no shade, no seats, and no idea how to make a cocktail!
Spit roasted lamb for dinner… disappointing.
Thur Oct 10th
Kioni
Breakfast on the boat. Dull, drizzly and cool.
Sue, Jan and I did a 2km walk from the boat to the windmills on the headland. They wanted naked shots of themselves in a tree! Shopping on the way back, and it was raining by the time we got back to the boat.
The weather remained dull and threatening, so for something to do, we sailed/motored to Frikes just up the coast. After our memory of Nydri in 1976, Frikes was another disappointment. It didn’t help that the weather was grey and cool, but the place was very tatty with derelict buildings. We found a sheltered bar and had a beer. Jan wasn’t happy with the location of Arwen, so I walked around to the opposite side of the harbour (to be able to take a line), and Jan motored across, and we re-moored alongside the harbour wall and had some lunch.
Then sailed back to Kioni, and moored in the same place.
After dinner we walked around the harbour to a crowded but atmospheric Spavento Cafe Bar.
Fri Oct 11th
Kioni to Agia Effimia
Woke up to bright sunshine, breakfast on the boat.
Sailed/motored from Kioni, south along the coast of Ithaca, stopped for lunch near Rat Island. Sue swam to the little beach to pickup some rubbish. I fed some voracious fishes with leftover bread. After lunch, we rounded the bottom of Ithaca, and picked up some stiff breezes, so we had some spirited sailing across to Agia Effimia on Kefalonia.
We tried mooring on the sea wall, but were told to we couldn’t. We had to move it closer to the town, which meant mooring stern first. The same (opinionated and strident) local guy then bellowed instructions at us on how to steer a yacht! Afterwards, we were able to watch whilst he did the same to others, seeing the skippers getting flustered, while I imagine, all the people in the bars thought it was great entertainment.
At one point, Jan was chatting with some Dutch people on the next boat, and I heard them say “not THE Jan Churchill?” It Turned out that they remembered him from his car rallying days!
We wandered around the harbour, picked up some provisions, and then we had cocktails and nibbles on the boat. Found a restaurant on the harbourside for another unmemorable dinner.
Sat Oct 12th
Agia Effimia to Fiskardo
Breakfast on the boat, and another nice day.
We tacked north through the channel between Kefalonia and Ithaca, and headed into Polis Bay. Rowed ashore in the RIB, and found a little cafe and had beers. Then Sue and Jan swam back to the boat to prepare salad for lunch. Lin and I finished our beers, and Lin swam to the boat while I wandered up the hill to take some pics looking down on the bay.
From there, a nice sail to Fiskardo. Unfortunately, the harbour was busy and the only slot on the harbour wall was too shallow, so we had to anchor with a couple of meters of stern line. Too far to jump, so it meant getting to shore needed the RIB, and ducking under everyones stern lines.
The four of us went for a walk around the harbour to see some acquaintances of J & S at Nicolas Taverna, but it was closed and the owners were away.
Drinks and nibbles back on the boat, then had a good meal at Lord Falcon’s Thai restaurant. Afterwards we heard some live music coming from (I think) the Fishbone Bar… we sat at the bar, which was virtually empty, and asked for the menus. A bottle of house wine was an outrageous price, so we went and sat outside the Kitchen Lagoudera opposite, and drank affordable wine, and still heard to the music. At one point Jan and I stood inside the Fishbone Bar and watched some very good music from a band who said they’d never played together before!
Sun Oct 13th
Fiskardo
Breakfast on the boat, and more blues skies.
Jan and Sue went for a fairly long walk, so Lin and I wandered around town shopping, sightseeing and taking photographs. Fiskardo was probably our favourite place of the holiday. We found a harbourside bar for beers, and Jan and Sue spotted us on their way back, and joined us for more beers and lunch.
Then we went for a sail to while away an hour or two, and with the hope that a better mooring might become available. And it did, so disembarking was decidedly more convenient.
There was time for a siesta in the afternoon.
Tried the Kitchen Lagoudera again, this time for dinner… cheap and cheerful.
Mon Oct 14th
Fiskardo to Provati
Breakfast on the boat, and more blues skies.
Unfortunately, Fiskardo to Provati was to be our longest trip, and it was flat calm all day. We stopped at One House Bay for swimming, and lunch on board. Then onwards to the secluded bay on Pravati, where we anchored and tied two shore line to convenient rocks. The girls had a swim, but because of the location, the bay was in shadow after 4pm.
Dinner on board.
Tue Oct 15th
Provati to Kastos
Breakfast on the boat, still nice weather.
Threaded our way between small islands, heading for Kastos. Stopped at the very shallow Pisina Beach for swimming and lunch.
Then a short trip to the main harbour of Kastos, but it was too shallow, so we had to anchor with a stern line to shore. I remember the suspicion that we were getting closer to shore, relative to other boats nearby. The next day, we found that the anchor was twisted and therefore was just sitting on the sea bed, and probably had dragged somewhat. Just as well there was no wind.
Motored into the little harbour in the evening, bound for the pizza restaurant that J & S had discovered previously. It was a friendly place with excellent pizzas and we were lucky enough to get a table on the terrace.
Wed Oct 16th
Kastos to Sivota
Breakfast on the boat, still nice weather.
Motored round the bottom of Kastos, and then headed WNW towards Lefkas. Caught some wind, and sailed most of the way. Lunch on board, still underway.
Reached Sivota around 14:30, and Sue had phoned ahead and secured us a mooring on the pontoon owned by the 12 Gods Restaurant. Had beers on the waterfront.
In the evening, we had a good meal on the upstairs terrace at the 12 Gods Restaurant.
Thu Oct 17th
Sivota to Porto Spilia
Breakfast on the boat.
Mostly motored from Sivota towards our lunch stop on Meganisi, near Donkey Island. On the way, we saw some sea caves, and Jan let the boat drift for a few minutes while Lin and I explored them; Lin swimming into them, me rowing the RIB.
After lunch we continued north to the top of Meganisi, then east to Porto Spilia. I climbed some way up the path to Spartochori, taking pics of the boat and the harbour.
Drinks on board, then a nice dinner in a waterfront (seafood?) restaurant.
Fri Oct 18th
Porto Spilia to Abilike
Breakfast on the boat.
Sue, Jan and myself walked up the path to Spartochori. I wandered around taking pics of the views from the top.
Then we headed out continuing east and then south down the other side of Meganisi to checkout the possible beach for Jan’s (pre) birthday picnic in 2020, near Elia Village. Unfortunately, the bay was being developed, so I think Jan gave up on the idea of this spot.
From there, back to Abelike Bay. Found that there were no suitable anchorages, so settled on the small bay to the east, next to a small chapel. Anchored there with a long line to shore.
Drinks and nibbles on board.
Then rowed ashore, tied up the RIB, and walked over to Abelike Bay. Had drinks outside the Taverna Abelaki tosteki tou Lefteri, and then a nice dinner.
Back to the RIB with torches, then back to the boat.
Sat Oct 19th
Abilike to Lefkas
Breakfast on the boat.
We had detour to Vliho to drop stuff off, and the best route was to navigate the channel between Skorpios and Skorpidi. We’d heard stories about hostile Russians on Skorpios as some Russian oligarch had bought the island from the Onassis family. In the event, although we passed very close to Skorpios, we saw no-one.
When we got to Vliho, we took advantage of the facilities, and used the showers near the Sail-Ionian offices.
Lunch on board, anchored just off Sparti island. I took the RIB and walked up to an abandoned development.
Now headed towards Lefkas in stiffening breezes, so decided to tack up the Lefkas channel. We had some very good sailing!
Arrived in Lefkas town around 17:30. J & S had a meeting and around 19:00, we walked into the town square, and had a decent meal. Unfortunately, there were many kids running around, so it was very noisy.
Sun Oct 20th
Taxi from Lefkas to Preveza, Preveza to Gatwick. Gatwick to Malaga.
Breakfast on the boat, then I had a walk to the north of the town, and along the side of the lagoon. Around lunchtime, Lin and I said our goodbyes to Jan and Sue, took a taxi to the airport and sat in an empty terminal building, and waited for our flight.
