Do you want to relive the adventures of the ancient Greeks or the Venetian merchants heading east? Join us between May and June: aboard a Bavaria 46 Holiday, a reliable and comfortable boat, together with two sailing instructors and, if necessary, excellent cooks. Treat yourself to a week on a sailing boat: you will learn to sail, you will share life on board and you will see the same views as Ulysses’ companions heading to Troy!
IL NOSTRO PROGRAMMA
05 May Corfu: the island with a Venetian soul
12 May Zakynthos: the island of Ugo Foscolo, the southernmost of the Ionian islands
Gone with the wind, Lefkada-Athens via the Peloponnese
We will start from the splendid setting of the headquarters of the Corfu Sailing Club, inside the Old Venetian Fortress built on the promontory that divides the Gulf of Kerkyra and the Bay of Garitsa. It will be a 150 mile long week that will take us along all the Ionian islands: Paxos, just south of Corfu, Lefkada, from where crossing its channel we will enter the sea stretch of Meganisi, Kalamos, Kefalonia, the mythical Ithaca and then Zakynthos , leaving Patras on the left.
Corfu town is easily accessible by plane and ferry both from Italy and from the nearby port of Igoumenista; Zakynthos can be reached by plane from Italy and from the nearby islands by ferry. Another communication point is Patras on the mainland, from which you can possibly continue by ferry to Italy.
12 May Zakynthos: the island of Ugo Foscolo, the southernmost of the Ionian islands
19 May Kalamata: capital of Messenia, famous throughout the world for its olives
South-eastern route, towards the Peloponnese starting from Zakynthos and sailing between historical places and beautiful panoramas such as the bay of Pylos protected by a very high cliff. Here in 1827 the naval battle of Navarino took place, a very important episode in the Greek war of independence. The next destination will be Methoni: a Venetian fortress built at sea level along the promontory that borders the bay is its conspicuous point. The arrival will be spectacular: from the open sea, with its waves, to the shallow bay with calm waters with the small village in the background. From here we will go up the first of the three southern “fingers” of the Peloponnese passing through Koroni, another Venetian fort, and then even further north: up to Kalamata, our point of arrival. It will be 90 miles driven by the mistral wind. Kalamata can be reached by plane from Italy and by bus from Athens, which is just over 5 hours away.
19 May Kalamata: capital of Messenia, famous throughout the world for its olives
26 May Gythio: the ancient port of Sparta
The exploration of the second “finger” of the Peloponnese will take us to Gythio, the port of Sparta, at the extreme north of the Mani peninsula: inaccessible and difficult places where the last Spartans took refuge. The Mani region has always been a difficult place, populated by proud people fleeing from various foreign rulers. 70 miles for this journey which will take us around Cape Matapan. This point is located at a more southern latitude than Tunis and is a sadly famous place for the Italian Navy: here, during the first part of the Second World War, our navy suffered a crushing defeat by the English navy. Bays with crystal clear waters, small taverns and places foreign to mass tourism will be waiting for us!
26 May Gythio: the ancient port of Sparta
02 June Neapolis: the extreme tip of the Peloponnese to the east
From Gythio we will sail for 40 miles and Neapolis will be our destination: a beautiful and quiet town protected by an ancient Byzantine tower. Before the final destination, a few miles west of the town, we will find the island of Elafonisos: for some, one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean with its white sand and the Caretta caretta turtles that nest here. Neapolis can be reached by bus from Athens in about 6 hours and ferries leave from its pier for the island of Kithira, 40 miles north of Crete.
02 June Neapolis: the extreme tip of the Peloponnese to the east
09 June Nafplio: the first capital of modern Greece
From Neapolis we will descend south towards Cape Malea and then go up north visiting the beautiful village of Gerakas. Invisible from the sea, this ancient village is located inside a small fjord: arrival will be a pleasant discovery. The high cliffs hide the entrance and the ancient remains of the acropolis are only visible once inside. Absolutely one of the places that is worth the trip! Our final destination will be Nafplio, at the far north of the Argolic Gulf. A gulf always generous with wind that ends in this beautiful town protected by three ancient fortresses. Narrow streets and colorful houses, bougainvillea plants and small local craft shops are the calling card of this place. From here, for history buffs, you can visit Tiryns, Epidaurus and Mycenae with its Lions Gate. 90 miles of ancient history up to this town connected, in just over 2 hours, to Athens thanks to the bus lines.
09 June Nafplio: the first capital of modern Greece
16 Aegina: capital of Messenia, famous throughout the world for its pistachios
From Nafplio to Aegina, like Agamemnon towards Troy to the island of Spetze and then eastwards, with the island of Hydra on the right. Hydra is now a very famous island, considered a national monument and without cars: here we move on foot or carried by donkeys. Sailing along the channel that the island creates with the mainland we will arrive at the Saronic Gulf with the island of Aegina in the centre. Splendid island, 40 minutes by ferry from Piraeus, the port of Athens, famous in antiquity and competitor of the capital. The conspicuous point that awaits us in the main port of the island is an ancient column of a now collapsed temple. Sailing along these coasts with these views is, to say the least, exciting. The capital of the island embraces the port with restaurants, taverns and pistachio kiosks, one of the island’s typical products. In the interior of the island you can visit a beautiful ancient temple from which you can see Athens, the island of Salamis and the Saronic Gulf. An exciting week of sailing, thanks to the winds always present in the area, and of history, with its memories visible from the sea.
16 Aegina: capital of Messenia, famous throughout the world for its olives
23 Messolongi: southern bank of a cable-stayed bridge, a modern engineering marvel almost 3 kilometers long
Starting from Aegina we will head towards the Strait of Corinth. We will leave the island of Salamis, with the memory of its naval battle between the Athenians and Persians in the 5th century BC, on our right and head towards the eastern mouth of the Strait of Corinth. A canal of a few miles, about 7 meters deep and less than 25 wide, with walls overlooking the water level, in short: exciting. At the western outlet we will find the city of Corinth, full of archaeological sites and vestiges of the past. Along our navigation in this gulf that reminds us of a lake, we will find the island of Trizonia: do you know the island from the film Mediterraneo? An island so small that it doesn’t find space in many guides, with its taverns overlooking the sea and a daily life that flows slowly and peacefully: you will feel like you are reliving scenes from the film. From here we will sail towards Nafpaktos, the ancient Lepanto and base of the Ottoman fleet during the famous battle of 1571, arriving in Messolongi, our final half, after 90 miles, located on the edge of a splendid lagoon. Messolongi can be reached by bus from Athens in 3 and a half hours and from Patras in one hour by bus.