toad

I've finally sat down with Heikell (and Jim Baerselman) and had a look
at Ionian-esque places that might be worth a visit. I've listed them
below, and would really welcome some comments on each, and suggestions
for must see places that I've missed or nearby places that would be
better.

Meganisi
- I assume all of Meganisi's coast is worthy of a full exploration by
boat - any highlights that really must be seen?

Ithica
- Kioni
- Ormos ay andreou

Kefallonia
- Argostoli - Heikell is pretty luke warm about it, is it that great?
- Kalo Limini
- Poros
- Ak Kateleios
- Ormos Athera
- Assos
- Fiskardo
- Ayios
- Euphemia
- Sami

Zakinthos
- Ormos Ay Nikolaos
- Ormos Vroma (Port Vromi)

Kalamos
- Port Kalamos
- Port Leone

Kastos
- Port Kastos

Atoko - this island looks great suitable for an over night?
- One House Bay

Dhragonera & Echinades - anywhere worth visiting here?

Mainland
- Astakos
- Nisis Petalas, this looks fantastic. Worth a visit? (38°24'N
21°07'E)

Levkas
- Sivota
- Vasiliki
- Port Vlikho

Which of the islands that just aren't worth visiting, given only a
week to play with?

Could really do with some recommendations for totally remote sheltered
anchorages. (Nisis Petalas seems to fit the bill, any more like that?)

We've saving the North Ionian for the next trip. However, South Ionian
looks tempting for this time.
Jim Baerselman (http://www.jimbaerselman.f2s.com/greek%20cruising
%20areas.htm#south%20ionian) doesn't seem to rate any of it, so is it
worth the bother? It looks to me like the kind of Scotland-esque sort
of place where you might find some pretty spectacular anchorages to
yourself - is that a false assumption?

Mark Bluemel

toad wrote:
> I've finally sat down with Heikell (and Jim Baerselman) and had a look
> at Ionian-esque places that might be worth a visit. I've listed them
> below, and would really welcome some comments on each, and suggestions
> for must see places that I've missed or nearby places that would be
> better.

It might be easier to comment if you told us what you are looking for...

> Meganisi
> - I assume all of Meganisi's coast is worthy of a full exploration by
> boat - any highlights that really must be seen?

We wouldn't bother with Port Atheni personally...

>
> Ithica
> - Kioni
> - Ormos ay andreou

Haven't been to either of those. We didn't like Big Vathi, so forget
that. We loved Frikes, which you haven't mentioned - Kiki's supermarket
was terrific and had the best showers. However Frikes is tricky to enter
(wind funnelled down the valley and straight through the harbour), and
tends to be a lot of alongside mooring. Also had a great meal at
Penelope's on the quayside - I'd overdosed on meat and we managed a
great Greek vegetarian meal there.

>
> Kefallonia
> - Argostoli - Heikell is pretty luke warm about it, is it that great?
> - Kalo Limini
> - Poros
> - Ak Kateleios
> - Ormos Athera
> - Assos
> - Fiskardo
> - Ayios
> - Euphemia

We loved Euphemia. Good showers again and we like the taverna a little
way out of the town proper - turn right on the quayside and just keep
walking.

> - Sami
>
> Zakinthos
> - Ormos Ay Nikolaos
> - Ormos Vroma (Port Vromi)
>
> Kalamos
> - Port Kalamos

Nice place, very calm and peaceful.

> - Port Leone
>
> Kastos
> - Port Kastos

Great. Again calm and peaceful. Three tavernas last time we were there.
The Windmill taverna has good views across the channel, but if we were
there again, we'd probably eat at Chef John's on the top of the hill.
Remember that there's no shop or waste disposal facilities on
Kastos/Kastus, unless things have changed a lot.

> Atoko - this island looks great suitable for an over night?
> - One House Bay
>
> Dhragonera & Echinades - anywhere worth visiting here?
>
> Mainland
> - Astakos
> - Nisis Petalas, this looks fantastic. Worth a visit? (38°24'N
> 21°07'E)
>
> Levkas
> - Sivota

Home to some of the flotillas. Good provisioning and tavernas. Plenty of
quayside and room to anchor. Sheltered.

> - Vasiliki

Smallish harbour, but nice town. Supposed to be a tricky sandbank at the
harbour entrance.

toad

On 13 Aug, 08:38, Mark Bluemel <mark_blue...@pobox.com> wrote:

> It might be easier to comment if you told us what you are looking for...

a) Totally remote anchorages with challenging pilotage, that are
sheltered & beautiful with nobody around and no facilities.

b) Authentic, small, classy, pretty, villages away from tourists &
yotties. With one or more restaurants, nice quayside, maybe with
shower and shop.

c) Touristy but pretty places where you can get a tacky touristy
(pizza, steak and chips) meal out & shower and shop for sure. (with
tacky night club?)

If we know what places are like we can decide what we fancy doing that
day on the spot.


> > Meganisi
> > - I assume all of Meganisi's coast is worthy of a full exploration by
> > boat - any highlights that really must be seen?
>
> We wouldn't bother with Port Atheni personally...

> > Ithica
> > - Kioni
> > - Ormos ay andreou
>
> Haven't been to either of those. We didn't like Big Vathi, so forget
> that. We loved Frikes, which you haven't mentioned - Kiki's supermarket
> was terrific and had the best showers. However Frikes is tricky to enter
> (wind funnelled down the valley and straight through the harbour), and
> tends to be a lot of alongside mooring. Also had a great meal at
> Penelope's on the quayside - I'd overdosed on meat and we managed a
> great Greek vegetarian meal there.
>
>
>
> > Kefallonia
> > - Argostoli - Heikell is pretty luke warm about it, is it that great?
> > - Kalo Limini
> > - Poros
> > - Ak Kateleios
> > - Ormos Athera
> > - Assos
> > - Fiskardo
> > - Ayios
> > - Euphemia
>
> We loved Euphemia. Good showers again and we like the taverna a little
> way out of the town proper - turn right on the quayside and just keep
> walking.
>
> > - Sami
>
> > Zakinthos
> > - Ormos Ay Nikolaos
> > - Ormos Vroma (Port Vromi)
>
> > Kalamos
> > - Port Kalamos
>
> Nice place, very calm and peaceful.
>
> > - Port Leone
>
> > Kastos
> > - Port Kastos
>
> Great. Again calm and peaceful. Three tavernas last time we were there.
> The Windmill taverna has good views across the channel, but if we were
> there again, we'd probably eat at Chef John's on the top of the hill.
> Remember that there's no shop or waste disposal facilities on
> Kastos/Kastus, unless things have changed a lot.
>
> > Atoko - this island looks great suitable for an over night?
> > - One House Bay
>
> > Dhragonera & Echinades - anywhere worth visiting here?
>
> > Mainland
> > - Astakos
> > - Nisis Petalas, this looks fantastic. Worth a visit? (38°24'N
> > 21°07'E)
>
> > Levkas
> > - Sivota
>
> Home to some of the flotillas. Good provisioning and tavernas. Plenty of
> quayside and room to anchor. Sheltered.
>
> > - Vasiliki
>
> Smallish harbour, but nice town. Supposed to be a tricky sandbank at the
> harbour entrance.

Thanks that's all really useful. I've read it all with interest and
we'll take a printed copy with us. Much better to get several first
hand accounts that rely on the taste of one pilot guide writer.

Frikes is on my list but I felt the pilot book gave a pretty good idea
of what it was like so I didn't feel the need for a second opinion.

toad

On 13 Aug, 09:08, toad <toad_oftoadh...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>Much better to get several first
> hand accounts that rely on the taste of one pilot guide writer.

Of course I meant: "Much better to get several first hand accounts
than rely on the taste of one pilot guide writer."

Keith

In message <f9p1pn$pma$1@aioe.org>, Mark Bluemel
<mark_bluemel@pobox.com> writes
>toad wrote:
>
>> - Vasiliki
>
>Smallish harbour, but nice town. Supposed to be a tricky sandbank at
>the harbour entrance.
>
It is a bit tight but it's better to get into the harbour than moor up
on the outside quay. Vasiliki Bay is allegedly one of the best
windsurfing areas in the world - very gusty in the afternoons and the
swell outside the harbour gets heavy.

Nice town, as you say. Good tavernas, excellent bakers at the end of the
main street, showers are basic. Gets very busy with flotillas - regular
stop for Neilsons and Sailing Holidays - plan to moor up early and don't
be surprised if you've a crossed anchor chain in the morning.
--
Keith replace nospam with ilf0rd

toad

On 13 Aug, 15:45, Keith <ke...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote:


Thanks for your comments! Noted.

> plan to moor up early

Is this typical? I'd hoped start early, have long early lunchtimes and
sail late into the afternoon with the best of the wind. Is it more
like a Solent style, 'get in at 3pm or it'll be full' mentality?

News f2s

"toad" <toad_oftoadhall@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message

>a) Totally remote anchorages with challenging pilotage, that are
>sheltered & beautiful with nobody around and no facilities.

Rare to find challenging pilotage. Closest you'll get to that are the
Echinades - though they are short of anchorages, and the SE corner coves and
beaches of Cephallinia (Not marked as anchorages, certainly remote, with a
few rocky patches offshore to help with the adrenalin. Exposed, so have an
exit plan). Otherwise, quiet places are coves around NE Ithaka, Kastus and
Kalamos, and there's always a quiet spot to be found around Meganisi in one
or another of its inlets. Agios Andreas, S Ithaka (sometimes a bit rolly).

>b) Authentic, small, classy, pretty, villages away from tourists &
>yotties. With one or more restaurants, nice quayside, maybe with
>shower and shop.

Away from tourists and yotties? You'll need to walk inland a bit away from
the quaysides. Most tourists and yotties don't have legs. Levkas town (OK,
not a village, ugly, but authentic and lively with Greek visitors).
Katomerion in Meganisi, accessed from Porto Atheni. Maybe Spatahori (up the
hill from Spilia) if Takis doesn't have a tour operator excursion booking
for the night. Assos, N Cephallinia, rather exposed and rolly with very
limited mooring space. Palairos/Zaverda, on the mainland, and Astakos
(neither pretty, but Greek and few tourists). Vathi (Ithaka) not comfortable
mooring near the village, so unpopular with many yotties.

>c) Touristy but pretty places where you can get a tacky touristy
>(pizza, steak and chips) meal out & shower and shop for sure. (with
>tacky night club?)

Forget beef steaks! When available they're tough as old nails and cooked to
a cinder. 'Biftek' will give you a hamburger, made with beef mince.
Otherwide: Fiscardo (get in before 15:00), Vathi (Meganisi), Nidri (if you
can handle the restaurant touts), definitely Vassiliki.

Argostoli and Zante are really going to be out of your reach in just one
week, and Zante offers yachtsmen very little.

toad

On 14 Aug, 11:10, "News f2s" <nom...@jimb.f2s.com> wrote:
> "toad" <toad_oftoadh...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> >a) Totally remote anchorages with challenging pilotage, that are
> >sheltered & beautiful with nobody around and no facilities.
>
> Rare to find challenging pilotage. Closest you'll get to that are the
> Echinades - though they are short of anchorages, and the SE corner coves and
> beaches of Cephallinia (Not marked as anchorages, certainly remote, with a
> few rocky patches offshore to help with the adrenalin. Exposed, so have an
> exit plan). Otherwise, quiet places are coves around NE Ithaka, Kastus and
> Kalamos, and there's always a quiet spot to be found around Meganisi in one
> or another of its inlets. Agios Andreas, S Ithaka (sometimes a bit rolly).
>
> >b) Authentic, small, classy, pretty, villages away from tourists &
> >yotties. With one or more restaurants, nice quayside, maybe with
> >shower and shop.
>
> Away from tourists and yotties? You'll need to walk inland a bit away from
> the quaysides. Most tourists and yotties don't have legs. Levkas town (OK,
> not a village, ugly, but authentic and lively with Greek visitors).
> Katomerion in Meganisi, accessed from Porto Atheni. Maybe Spatahori (up the
> hill from Spilia) if Takis doesn't have a tour operator excursion booking
> for the night. Assos, N Cephallinia, rather exposed and rolly with very
> limited mooring space. Palairos/Zaverda, on the mainland, and Astakos
> (neither pretty, but Greek and few tourists). Vathi (Ithaka) not comfortable
> mooring near the village, so unpopular with many yotties.
>
> >c) Touristy but pretty places where you can get a tacky touristy
> >(pizza, steak and chips) meal out & shower and shop for sure. (with
> >tacky night club?)
>
> Forget beef steaks! When available they're tough as old nails and cooked to
> a cinder. 'Biftek' will give you a hamburger, made with beef mince.
> Otherwide: Fiscardo (get in before 15:00), Vathi (Meganisi), Nidri (if you
> can handle the restaurant touts), definitely Vassiliki.
>
> Argostoli and Zante are really going to be out of your reach in just one
> week, and Zante offers yachtsmen very little.

Many thanks for a great response! All noted.

News f2s

"toad" <toad_oftoadhall@yahoo.co.uk
> . However, South Ionian looks tempting for this time.

> It looks to me like the kind of Scotland-esque sort
> of place where you might find some pretty spectacular anchorages to
> yourself - is that a false assumption?

Yes.

Killini (ferry port for Zante and Ceffalinia) to Katakolon (gawp port for
Olympia, good marina) is a low sandy peninsula. From Katakolon to Kiparissia
is the longest beach in Greece - 25nm. Kiparissia sits on the side of a
mountain range which drops steeply into the sea. It has newly constructed
harbour walls which provide good shelter (pilot books are out of date), but
it's a busy town.

Kiparrisia to Navarino bay is mostly steep to until you reach a small island
with a rather exposed anchorage - then there are beaches and coves - but
they're all rather exposed to the NW swell.

From Navarino bay southwards is heaven . . . you'd love Pylos, Yialova,
Methoni, Finikounda . . .

JimB
www.jimbaerselman.f2s.com/ has just been updated for this area (as well as
the Inland Ionian Sea)

Martin

On Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:02:17 +0100, "News f2s" <nomail@jimb.f2s.com> wrote:

>
>"toad" <toad_oftoadhall@yahoo.co.uk
>> . However, South Ionian looks tempting for this time.
>
>> It looks to me like the kind of Scotland-esque sort
>> of place where you might find some pretty spectacular anchorages to
>> yourself - is that a false assumption?
>
>Yes.
>
>Killini (ferry port for Zante and Ceffalinia) to Katakolon (gawp port for
>Olympia, good marina) is a low sandy peninsula. From Katakolon to Kiparissia
>is the longest beach in Greece - 25nm. Kiparissia sits on the side of a
>mountain range which drops steeply into the sea. It has newly constructed
>harbour walls which provide good shelter (pilot books are out of date), but
>it's a busy town.
>
>Kiparrisia to Navarino bay is mostly steep to until you reach a small island
>with a rather exposed anchorage - then there are beaches and coves - but
>they're all rather exposed to the NW swell.
>
>From Navarino bay southwards is heaven . . . you'd love Pylos, Yialova,
>Methoni, Finikounda . . .

On another group somebody on my recommendation stayed in Pension Zoe in Gialova,
He complained about the distance to the beach. I think he thought Voidikhilia
was the nearest beach.
--

Martin

Keith

In message <f9scl4$4bo$1@news.freedom2surf.net>, News f2s
<nomail@jimb.f2s.com> writes
>
>
>Killini (ferry port for Zante and Ceffalinia) to Katakolon (gawp port for
>Olympia, good marina) is a low sandy peninsula. From Katakolon to Kiparissia
>is the longest beach in Greece - 25nm. Kiparissia sits on the side of a
>mountain range which drops steeply into the sea. It has newly constructed
>harbour walls which provide good shelter (pilot books are out of date), but
>it's a busy town.
>
>Kiparrisia to Navarino bay is mostly steep to until you reach a small island
>with a rather exposed anchorage - then there are beaches and coves - but
>they're all rather exposed to the NW swell.
>
>From Navarino bay southwards is heaven . . . you'd love Pylos, Yialova,
>Methoni, Finikounda . . .
>
Jim, I can't find a lot regarding the East Peloponnese on your website.

Is this because it's boring? Or is there some other reason, like I'm
looking in the wrong place?
--
Keith replace nospam with ilf0rd

News f2s

"Keith" <keith@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:XTNuzzAABcwGFwBV@ilf0rd.co.uk...
> Jim, I can't find a lot regarding the East Peloponnese on your website.
>
> Is this because it's boring? Or is there some other reason, like I'm
> looking in the wrong place?

Probably looking in the wrong place. The site isn't brilliantly laid out I'm
afraid. Grew like Topsy. Started as a site to tell family and friends how to
find us in Greece - then I got carried away answering Q's about cruising
areas, and thought I'd do something definitive.

Complete navigation and menu re-vamp due in December - if I can teach myself
XHTML and CSS in time.

Go 'Sailing', then down the left column click the 'Greece' link. At the map
click on E Pelops or just scroll down the page.

Or, on the 'About Us' page, scroll down to the 'Site Contents' and click on
'3.2 Greece Detail'

JimB,
Google 'jimb sail', or go www.jimbaerselman.f2s.com
Compares the cruise areas of Europe

Phasmatis

Kefallonia
- Euphemia - My trip to the South Ionian would not be complete without
visiting Euphemia, this is where the Film crew stayed during filming of
Captain Correlli's Mandolin. My fav restaurant - turn right walk 500m last
bit slightly uphill and you will see a wonderful restaurant on your right,
the overhead cover all covered in vines. This was apparrently Penelope
Cruise' fav restaurant too. The food is fantastic and the atmosphere is very
romantic.

- Sami - I tend to avoid this busy ferry port.

Atoko - this island looks great suitable for an over night?
- One House Bay - I have anchored off here before for the night, from what I
can remember the holding was good.

Mainland
- Astakos - I always stop off here because you see very few yachties and it
is by far the cheapest place to stock up on all your provisions. Cheapest
beer in Greece!