Greece, The Ionian Islands
The Ionians are made up of seven islands. Northernmost is Corfu and proceeding south is Paxos and Antipaxos, Levkas, Ithaca, Cefalonia and Zákinthos. Along the eastern shores are Albania, mainland Greece and the Peloponnese.
The origin of the name 'Ionian' is thought to derive from Io, priestess of Hera and mistress of Zeus, who, fearing the wrath of Hera when she found out, turned Io into a white cow. Hera then sent a gadfly to torture Io, who, trying to rid herself of the stinging pest, plunged into the now Ionian Sea. By the end of the 3rd century the Romans ruled the Ionian region, and following the decline of the Empire the group of islands was invaded and ruled by the Byzantine Empire, Venice, Napoleon (1797), Russia (1799 to 1807), and Napoleon again. In 1815 after Napoleon's downfall the Ionians became a British protectorate. There were major assaults on Corfu by the Turks in 1431, 1537 and 1716. Although the British brought roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, trade links, agriculture and industry, the rule was oppressive AND they brought cricket, so the nationalists wanted independence and the British relinquished the islands in 1864, or so the story goes. |
Rough guide to cruising language:
Island - Nísos
Bay - Órmos
Saint - Áyiou (or Áy)
Island - Nísos
Bay - Órmos
Saint - Áyiou (or Áy)
Corfu Island (Nísos Kérkira) 169.5NM, 27hrs
Thursday August 2 - Saturday 4
Thursday August 2 - Saturday 4
Corfu lies off the west coast of Albania and mainland Greece, with the northern end of Corfu is just one mile from Albania. Corfu means twin peaks and the town is bookended by two hills boasting two massive fortresses built to repel pirates and five successive ottoman sieges. The marbled paved streets and thriving shops are typical of what they call Corfiot architecture and culture, reflecting the many influences of their rulers – Venetian forts, French architecture, Byzantine churches, and cricket and fruit cake on Sundays.
Mandraki Port on the east coast couldn't have been a nicer welcome to Greece. The picturesque 60 berth marina is nestled at the foot of the old town and has a labyrinthine path that takes you past a beach, up steps, under arches and through the easternmost citadel, just to get out of the place! As the exit is not obvious we asked a marina man how to get out and he curiously asked how we got in! Turned out he was the harbour master and asked for €40 before showing us the way.
Unbeknownst to us we had our processes a little mixed up. Based on website information we thought we had to make a payment at the Tax Office before we could clear customs in Greece so we traipsed up there through the old town in 40 degree heat, but when we finally found it the office was closed. We then spent over two hours trying to get a SIM card for internet access. This involved a 30 min trip back to the boat to get Colin's iPad to receive a bank email with authorisation code (he'd forgotten his PIN for webmail), but even with that the credit card purchase (of €99 for 30 days internet thank you very much) was repeatedly declined. We returned to the boat pooped and sweaty and proceeded straight to the cool water to be revitalised. The marina wifi was as slow as a wet week but I managed to send descriptions and photos to Suzanne on how to get to the marina tomorrow.
Next morning we set off at 0730hrs, hoping to complete our missions by the marina checkout time of 1100hrs, but this is what happened:
- Tax Office opened at 0800 and we got our cruising permit relatively quickly, which had to then be paid at a bank or post office
- Entered bank through double lock doors and waited in line to pay €50 (+€2 commission)
- Walked a mile to the main harbour and after seeking directions finally found the Port Authority where we again waited to get necessary papers, and were told we shouldn't have paid the tax as it was only for EU registered boats
- Took papers from the Port Authority another quarter mile to the Customs Office where we were made to wait until a bus load of tourists travelling to Albania had checked out. We did have a chat with a lovely Welsh couple in line though, who weren't particularly enamoured with the 40 degree heat
- Customs sent us next door to Passport Control
- Passport Control gave us a stamp and sent us back to Customs. I asked if we could extend our stay past 90 days and a lengthy conversation ensued in Greek with another official, who then turned to us and said "No", and that was that
- The Customs lady had a multitude of questions about ownership of the boat since she couldn't find our names on the boat registration. Numerous phone calls later a man appeared who showed her the back page complete with names. We think he said something along the lines of "Why didn't you look on back you idiot", as he well could have asked us. We finally left with the required Passenger List
- Back to the Port Authority who asked what took us so long, put some more stamps on our papers and sent us on our way. We tried getting a refund from the bank, as suggested by the nice Port Authority lady, and they were very helpful and sympathetic but after a phone call said the money was already with the Tax Office and we had to try there. Meanwhile it was well after 1100hrs so we returned to the marina and found Suzanne and Mick calmly waiting for us having successfully negotiated the labyrinth.
Colin said we learned a valuable lesson today. “Patience?” I asked. No, go to the Port Authority first wherever you go and they will tell you the correct procedure. Sure, we should have worked that out by now, but better late than never.
We apologised to the marina staff for being late and left, anchoring around the corner in Órmos Garítsas where we swam and rehydrated and saw Colin off on yet another mission in town. He offered to go on his own, bless him, as my 'broken' toe had taken a beating with all the walking. He returned having been refused a refund at the Tax Office (who, if you don't have a tax ID, can take your money but not refund it) and internet access that only cost €10 for a month instead of €99. Win some, lose some. Unfortunately the internet didn't work. We knew our inconveniences were small fry when you're lucky enough to be on a boat in the Med but we really were rather frustrated by that time.
On a very bright note it was so lovely to catch up with Suzanne and Mick, who I hadn't seen in near on 20 years! We waited for the cool of the evening to explore the old town and Mick and Suzanne treated us to dinner at a lovely restaurant, which came complete with a brief musical interlude from Greek troubadours.
Click images to enlarge
Mandraki Port on the east coast couldn't have been a nicer welcome to Greece. The picturesque 60 berth marina is nestled at the foot of the old town and has a labyrinthine path that takes you past a beach, up steps, under arches and through the easternmost citadel, just to get out of the place! As the exit is not obvious we asked a marina man how to get out and he curiously asked how we got in! Turned out he was the harbour master and asked for €40 before showing us the way.
Unbeknownst to us we had our processes a little mixed up. Based on website information we thought we had to make a payment at the Tax Office before we could clear customs in Greece so we traipsed up there through the old town in 40 degree heat, but when we finally found it the office was closed. We then spent over two hours trying to get a SIM card for internet access. This involved a 30 min trip back to the boat to get Colin's iPad to receive a bank email with authorisation code (he'd forgotten his PIN for webmail), but even with that the credit card purchase (of €99 for 30 days internet thank you very much) was repeatedly declined. We returned to the boat pooped and sweaty and proceeded straight to the cool water to be revitalised. The marina wifi was as slow as a wet week but I managed to send descriptions and photos to Suzanne on how to get to the marina tomorrow.
Next morning we set off at 0730hrs, hoping to complete our missions by the marina checkout time of 1100hrs, but this is what happened:
- Tax Office opened at 0800 and we got our cruising permit relatively quickly, which had to then be paid at a bank or post office
- Entered bank through double lock doors and waited in line to pay €50 (+€2 commission)
- Walked a mile to the main harbour and after seeking directions finally found the Port Authority where we again waited to get necessary papers, and were told we shouldn't have paid the tax as it was only for EU registered boats
- Took papers from the Port Authority another quarter mile to the Customs Office where we were made to wait until a bus load of tourists travelling to Albania had checked out. We did have a chat with a lovely Welsh couple in line though, who weren't particularly enamoured with the 40 degree heat
- Customs sent us next door to Passport Control
- Passport Control gave us a stamp and sent us back to Customs. I asked if we could extend our stay past 90 days and a lengthy conversation ensued in Greek with another official, who then turned to us and said "No", and that was that
- The Customs lady had a multitude of questions about ownership of the boat since she couldn't find our names on the boat registration. Numerous phone calls later a man appeared who showed her the back page complete with names. We think he said something along the lines of "Why didn't you look on back you idiot", as he well could have asked us. We finally left with the required Passenger List
- Back to the Port Authority who asked what took us so long, put some more stamps on our papers and sent us on our way. We tried getting a refund from the bank, as suggested by the nice Port Authority lady, and they were very helpful and sympathetic but after a phone call said the money was already with the Tax Office and we had to try there. Meanwhile it was well after 1100hrs so we returned to the marina and found Suzanne and Mick calmly waiting for us having successfully negotiated the labyrinth.
Colin said we learned a valuable lesson today. “Patience?” I asked. No, go to the Port Authority first wherever you go and they will tell you the correct procedure. Sure, we should have worked that out by now, but better late than never.
We apologised to the marina staff for being late and left, anchoring around the corner in Órmos Garítsas where we swam and rehydrated and saw Colin off on yet another mission in town. He offered to go on his own, bless him, as my 'broken' toe had taken a beating with all the walking. He returned having been refused a refund at the Tax Office (who, if you don't have a tax ID, can take your money but not refund it) and internet access that only cost €10 for a month instead of €99. Win some, lose some. Unfortunately the internet didn't work. We knew our inconveniences were small fry when you're lucky enough to be on a boat in the Med but we really were rather frustrated by that time.
On a very bright note it was so lovely to catch up with Suzanne and Mick, who I hadn't seen in near on 20 years! We waited for the cool of the evening to explore the old town and Mick and Suzanne treated us to dinner at a lovely restaurant, which came complete with a brief musical interlude from Greek troubadours.
Click images to enlarge
Nisís Ágios Nikólaos 20.1NM, 3hrs 45min
Saturday August 4 - Sunday 5
Saturday August 4 - Sunday 5
Saturday morning we encouraged Mick and Suzanne to embrace the freedom of nude swimming. They didn't need much persuasion. We provisioned in the old town fresh markets and supermarket and then headed to the islands near Moúrtos where we found an anchorage with crystal clear water, a face in a rock, and no other boats within cooee. We swam and relaxed and then cooked up our first feast of BBQ fish, jacket potatoes and salad. Blissful! I so love that last swim before bed with the bioluminescence, and for the first time we saw occasional sparkles on the surface without having to get in.
Click images to enlarge
Click images to enlarge
Gouvia Marina, Corfu 48.5NM, 10hrs
Sunday August 5 - Tuesday 7
Sunday August 5 - Tuesday 7
Gouvia is the largest marina in Greece, holding 1300 boats, but we didn't care about that, we just cared if they had an electrician available. Here's what happened:
- We motor sailed to Paxos where we prepared to anchor in the middle of a gorgeous turquoise bay with a sandy bottom, but just as I got the anchor over the bow the winch stopped working
- Mick and Colin pulled apart as many things as they could to try and find the problem
- After almost two hours the boys decided we might need professional help and we headed back north to Gouvia marina, arriving at 1845hrs
- The boys tried again to find the problem and thought they had
- We showered and had a lovely dinner at the Olympia Mare restaurant in the marina and waited 'til morning to find an electrician
The next two days went like this:
- Monday at 1100hrs an electrician determined the winch needed servicing as it was overloading the electrics, thus blowing the fuse (turned out one of the bottom bearings needed replacing)
- Monday early afternoon another electrician removed the winch and motor
- Tuesday around 1315hrs two electricians returned with serviced motor and winch but no fuse for the circuit breaker (even though they knew that was the problem)
- Half an hour later the electricians returned with a fuse (Colin already knew the marine chandlery didn't have the right one and they'd have to go further afield)
- The fuse didn't fit so the electricians took the mounting plate to drill a new hole in it
- By 1445hrs we had an operational winch
- At 1500hrs Colin paid the marina fees, where they tried to charge him for an extra half day because we'd stayed past the checkout time of 1400hrs. He said something along the lines of "Fair suck of the sav" and didn't have to pay the extra.
The remainder of Monday was spent in different ways. Mick walked the length and breadth of the town exploring and finding a supermarket for provisioning, Colin bought rope, chain, adapters and silicon at the chandlery, Suzanne wandered, showered and washed dishes with me, and I updated the website and waxed my legs. Colin cooked up squid for lunch as we thought it might not last another day. (We'd bought it for Sunday's dinner but of course ended up eating at the marina restaurant due to the late hour of our arrival). We ate dinner at the same restaurant and received a warm welcome from Tio who had taken our booking the previous night. Another tasty meal and a complimentary 'digestif' called Tentura - cinnamon, cloves, spices and citrus fruits with aged Muscatel of Patras - bloody gorgeous!
Tuesday morning Suzanne and I shopped for provisions. We had a lovely time exploring the isles of the supermarket, deciding on meals for the next few nights, and trying to find the delectable Tentura. We got sent on a wild goose chase by the staff in the liquor section, upstairs (thinking we wanted digestive biscuits), downstairs back to the liquor section, but all to no avail. Just as I was showing Suzanne a bottle of what I was sure must be it a lady said "Don't drink too much of that!" She was very helpful and finally got the staff to understand and find some Tentura for us. She again warned us not to have too much - the sweeter the wine the harder on the head, she said. Mick arrived just in time to carry the trolley back for us.
The boys tested the winch and we finally took to the seas again, refuelling before heading south reminding ourselves that, as our friends Deb and Andrew have often said, cruising is just boat maintenance in exotic locations. We’re lucky Mick and Suz are so relaxed about everything ❤️
Lesson of the day? Don't ignore Andrija when, like he did last year, he tells us to get the winch serviced.
N.B. Tentura might be good for digestion but it turned my teeth brown! From now on I'll have to smile with my mouth closed.
Click images to enlarge
- We motor sailed to Paxos where we prepared to anchor in the middle of a gorgeous turquoise bay with a sandy bottom, but just as I got the anchor over the bow the winch stopped working
- Mick and Colin pulled apart as many things as they could to try and find the problem
- After almost two hours the boys decided we might need professional help and we headed back north to Gouvia marina, arriving at 1845hrs
- The boys tried again to find the problem and thought they had
- We showered and had a lovely dinner at the Olympia Mare restaurant in the marina and waited 'til morning to find an electrician
The next two days went like this:
- Monday at 1100hrs an electrician determined the winch needed servicing as it was overloading the electrics, thus blowing the fuse (turned out one of the bottom bearings needed replacing)
- Monday early afternoon another electrician removed the winch and motor
- Tuesday around 1315hrs two electricians returned with serviced motor and winch but no fuse for the circuit breaker (even though they knew that was the problem)
- Half an hour later the electricians returned with a fuse (Colin already knew the marine chandlery didn't have the right one and they'd have to go further afield)
- The fuse didn't fit so the electricians took the mounting plate to drill a new hole in it
- By 1445hrs we had an operational winch
- At 1500hrs Colin paid the marina fees, where they tried to charge him for an extra half day because we'd stayed past the checkout time of 1400hrs. He said something along the lines of "Fair suck of the sav" and didn't have to pay the extra.
The remainder of Monday was spent in different ways. Mick walked the length and breadth of the town exploring and finding a supermarket for provisioning, Colin bought rope, chain, adapters and silicon at the chandlery, Suzanne wandered, showered and washed dishes with me, and I updated the website and waxed my legs. Colin cooked up squid for lunch as we thought it might not last another day. (We'd bought it for Sunday's dinner but of course ended up eating at the marina restaurant due to the late hour of our arrival). We ate dinner at the same restaurant and received a warm welcome from Tio who had taken our booking the previous night. Another tasty meal and a complimentary 'digestif' called Tentura - cinnamon, cloves, spices and citrus fruits with aged Muscatel of Patras - bloody gorgeous!
Tuesday morning Suzanne and I shopped for provisions. We had a lovely time exploring the isles of the supermarket, deciding on meals for the next few nights, and trying to find the delectable Tentura. We got sent on a wild goose chase by the staff in the liquor section, upstairs (thinking we wanted digestive biscuits), downstairs back to the liquor section, but all to no avail. Just as I was showing Suzanne a bottle of what I was sure must be it a lady said "Don't drink too much of that!" She was very helpful and finally got the staff to understand and find some Tentura for us. She again warned us not to have too much - the sweeter the wine the harder on the head, she said. Mick arrived just in time to carry the trolley back for us.
The boys tested the winch and we finally took to the seas again, refuelling before heading south reminding ourselves that, as our friends Deb and Andrew have often said, cruising is just boat maintenance in exotic locations. We’re lucky Mick and Suz are so relaxed about everything ❤️
Lesson of the day? Don't ignore Andrija when, like he did last year, he tells us to get the winch serviced.
N.B. Tentura might be good for digestion but it turned my teeth brown! From now on I'll have to smile with my mouth closed.
Click images to enlarge
Órmos Garítsas 2 hrs, 6.32nm
Tuesday August 7 - Wednesday 8
Tuesday August 7 - Wednesday 8
On our way south we passed a cluster of cruise ships disgorging their thousands of passengers into the old town. As the hour was getting late we stopped in Órmos Garítsas for the night, anchoring far from the other boats. It was a relief to be able to finally cool off, having been in a marina where it felt like 40 degrees and you couldn't swim. There was a pool but it was so full of kids you wouldn't want to go near it. Between repairs Colin got busy giving Suzanne instruction in making sourdough bread and we had a fresh loaf to go with dinner. Our guests were much impressed.
Would you believe that as I dropped the anchor it screeched like a banshee and further maintenance ensued? Luckily this time it was an easy fix of removing something stuck under the winch drum. The boys seemed very pleased about that.
Click images to enlarge
Would you believe that as I dropped the anchor it screeched like a banshee and further maintenance ensued? Luckily this time it was an easy fix of removing something stuck under the winch drum. The boys seemed very pleased about that.
Click images to enlarge
Nisís Paxoí
Órmos Lákka 27.5nm, 4hrs 50min
Wednesday August 8 - Thursday 9
Wednesday August 8 - Thursday 9
Paxoí is famous for its olive oil. Five miles long and two miles wide it produced little else until recently when it came into its own as a tourist destination. Andípaxoi is a smaller island immediately south with few inhabitants and famous for its wine.
Leaving Corfu early we motored all the way to Lákka, NE Paxoí, having breakfast and coffee on the way. This time the anchor worked and we set down in 3m. Suz and Mick tried the paddle boards, both staying dry much to Mick's disappointment as he was ready with the camera if Suzanne took a spill. The bay was packed to the gills. Colin counted more than 100 boats, and it's only a small bay! Apparently with the explosion of yachts there has been an equal explosion of rats that have reportedly been seen swimming out to board yachts at anchor! They didn't get to ours though, and we remained rat free. Click images to enlarge |
Port Gaios via Blue Cave 10.2nm, 5hrs 20min (1hr 45min sailing)
Thursday August 9 - Friday 10
Thursday August 9 - Friday 10
Around 0830hrs we thought we'd be smart and beat the crowds to the Blue Cave. Great plan except we stopped one bay short. We soon realised our mistake but the bay was beautiful so we spent time exploring and having breakfast. Suz jumped on the back of a SUP and I paddled us around while the boys got the dinghy in the water, from which we did further exploration of the small caves along the coast. Around midday we tonked around to the blue cave and arrived the same time as three huge tour boats. The water was 40 - 60m deep except very close to the entrance, and that was already laden with boats, so Colin stood off with the motor running while Suz, Mick and I took a run into the cave in the dinghy. There were swimmers everywhere! We tried not to mince any in the prop, successfully I think.
Click images to enlarge
Click images to enlarge
Onwards to Gaios via a spectacular sheer cliff punctuated with caves and arches. Colin had studied the layout of the port prior to our arrival and chosen what looked like the least stressful anchorage in a heavily trafficked harbour. We anchored easily off the southern breakwater and were soon closely surrounded by lots of other boats with the same idea. It was a thoroughfare for tourist boats, all who sped in and out creating wakes that rocked the boats. Rock'n'roll is king but not on a boat! The sky looked dark and moody and we battened down the hatches in anticipation of a storm that never came.
Early evening we took the dinghy up the narrow passage between the town and the opposite island to find the ferry port. The passage was wall to wall boats both sides, all anchored and tied off to the shore (which apparently causes a very common problem of anchor entanglement). With eagle eyes Colin found a tiny space to pull up the dinghy so we could explore the town, and what a gorgeous little town it was! Our exploration was cut short however (just as I was luring Suzanne towards a bar serving Aperol Spritzs) due to thunderous black clouds threatening downpours. We returned to the boat and again battened down hatches but only got a few drops of rain. Boats continued to anchor 'til late in the evening but things calmed down for a quiet and colourful sunset. The night wasn't totally peaceful though, with waves wrapping around the island creating a lot of roll, but at least the traffic had died down.
Friday morning was for final nude swims and cups of tea, and with sadness in our hearts and tears in our eyes we dropped Suzanne and Mick at the ferry port to return to Corfu then Athens, then back to Ireland the following day. Farewell beautiful friends, we shall miss you and your wonderful senses of humour and that fabulous West Cork accent! Thank you for your delightful company, until next time...
Click images to enlarge
Early evening we took the dinghy up the narrow passage between the town and the opposite island to find the ferry port. The passage was wall to wall boats both sides, all anchored and tied off to the shore (which apparently causes a very common problem of anchor entanglement). With eagle eyes Colin found a tiny space to pull up the dinghy so we could explore the town, and what a gorgeous little town it was! Our exploration was cut short however (just as I was luring Suzanne towards a bar serving Aperol Spritzs) due to thunderous black clouds threatening downpours. We returned to the boat and again battened down hatches but only got a few drops of rain. Boats continued to anchor 'til late in the evening but things calmed down for a quiet and colourful sunset. The night wasn't totally peaceful though, with waves wrapping around the island creating a lot of roll, but at least the traffic had died down.
Friday morning was for final nude swims and cups of tea, and with sadness in our hearts and tears in our eyes we dropped Suzanne and Mick at the ferry port to return to Corfu then Athens, then back to Ireland the following day. Farewell beautiful friends, we shall miss you and your wonderful senses of humour and that fabulous West Cork accent! Thank you for your delightful company, until next time...
Click images to enlarge
Windows and Doors from Paxos