We’ve
been on two flotilla holidays in the Southern Ionian, repeating Sunsail's Lefkas flotilla to better
understand variations encountered when cruising the
same area in different years. The following post amalgamates experience from
both years to provide a detailed account of a flotilla charter in the
Ionian.
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| The view from Panaramos Bar & Restaurant in Fiskhardo |
Arrival
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| Unpacking the navigation bag |
We're met at Preveza Airport and arrive at Lefkas Marina after a 40-minute coach transfer. Dozens of Sunsail staff whisk patrons along a pontoon
full of homogenised Sunsail yachts, guiding us to the boat that
will be our home and transport for the week. Briefings don’t commence until the
following day, so we’re handed a welcome pack, comprising marina maps,
codes for the shower block and, essentially, a boat & crew list for all of
the yachts on our flotilla.
Arriving
mid-evening, we've yet to eat, so we take
our annual opportunity to indulge in a Greek classic: chicken gyros - from Daltons, from the
best grill-house in town!
Briefings
The
Sunsail ‘package’ includes for breakfast at the marina’s Hotel Lanos: toast, cereals, pastries, bacon & eggs, fruit & hot drinks are laid out before us. At 09.00 we take our coffees outside for our flotilla briefing beside the hotel
swimming pool. The briefing is delivered by our lead crew who, after
introductions, provide an overview of the week’s
destinations & activities. The 45-minute briefing ends with passage information
for the afternoon’s sail to Meganissi.
Following
the briefing, we’ve an hour to buy provisions for the week – or the first
couple of days, at least. (Marina Market is the closest store and also the most
expensive: several alternative mini-markets are scattered along the quayside).
Then it’s back to the yacht for our boat briefing. The latter is
delivered individually, to each yacht crew, and consists of a short, guided
tour of the vessel and its systems. We’re also asked to verify the inventory
list and to sign a damage waiver (committing us to pay a modest sum if we break
anything!). On completion of the briefing, we’re ready to leave – a radio check
with the lead crew renders them on the pontoon, ready to slip our lines & wave us off.
Day 1
– Lefkas to Little Vathi
On
leaving the marina, we’re straight into the infamous Lefkas Canal, renowned for
the inconsistency of it’s dredging. So it is that, just minutes later, one of
our fellow flotilla boats has run aground in the middle of the supposedly dredged
channel. (To save any embarrassment, a Sunsail RIB is quickly dispatched to
nudge them back into deeper water). This is all standard practice for the
locals, who know the fallibilities of the dredging authorities and see yachts run
aground most days.
Once
clear of the canal, it’s head-to-wind to raise full sail for a downwind passage to
Little Vathi on the low-lying island of Meganissi. The sea state is reasonably
calm, the straight being protected from swell by the long island of Lefkada.
The only major hazard, apart from the risk that you forgot to buy ice for your first G&T (now imminent), is the Hieromiti Shoal, which lurks just below the
waterline north of Meganissi and is marked with a faded orange buoy no bigger
than a football.
Little
Vathi
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| Little Vathi on Meganissi |
The
popularity of the harbour in Little Vathi will determine where you moor. We’ve
been stern-to both in the old harbour and on the quay near the fishermen’s
moorings. Either way, the lead boat will be there, with crew ready to take your
lines for a comfortable first mooring.
After
a little exploring – or several more G&Ts in the nearest bar - it’s off to the Rose Garden for
a flotilla dinner. Attendance isn’t compulsory - very little on a flotilla is -
but most choose to go along & meet their fellow sailors. The Rose Garden is
a smashing restaurant, though our reading of reviews suggests that patrons from
the charter companies may be favoured over others in high season. In any case,
the fresh fish steaks are supurb and the most generous we’ve found in the
Ionain. Briefing for the next day is delivered between courses.
A quiet and picturesque road runs for 5km between Little Vathi and the
equally charming village of Spartochori. Climbing the hill up to Spartochori, you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views over the coastline and blue
sea below. Alternatively, walk along Little Vathi’s northernmost coast to discover quiet, unspoiled beaches. Look out for the Cessna aeroplane resting in the
shallows: it was towed here by a local fishing boat when it fell from the sky.
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| Panoramic views from Spartochori - the road from Little Vathi winds along the peninsula on the right-hand side |
Day 2
– Little Vathi to Vasiliki
The
lead crew are relatively easy regarding morning departures. We're up early
for a run, to work off the previous night’s excess. Following a 10km run to
Spartochori & back, we call up the lead boat on the VHF & advise that we’ll need no assistance in slipping our lines. We're off!
On
flotilla, you’re generally invited to choose your preferred route to that evening's destination. We rounded the northernmost part of Meganissi, then sailed south between the island and the larger landmass of Lefkada.
Nicholas’ Cave is located on the southern coast of Meganissi and offers the
opportunity to quite literally poke the bows into a large sea cave – be careful
not to hit the mast! We bottled it and instead took turns rowing the dinghy in.
The sandy inlet at Poros, on the south coast of Lefkada, is a popular lunch
stop and we spotted a huge pod of dolphins while anchored here.
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| Entering Vasiliki - the harbour is on the right-hand side |
Offshore
winds around Lefkada strengthen after lunchtime and, heading west towards the
open Mediterranean, the sea state builds. With livelier conditions, this stint
has delivered some of our most enjoyable sailing in the Ionian. Rounding a
headland on the south of the island, we turn north towards the water-sports
resort of Vasiliki, avoiding the westernmost area where wind- &
kite-surfers tear up the water.
At late
afternoon, a katabatic wind rolls down the mountains either side of Vasiliki
harbour, placing considerable windage on the hulls of mooring yachts. On
flotilla, the lead crew will be on hand with a tender, ready to nudge the bows
into place when mooring or, if it’s blowing too hard, take the helm and park
the boat for you. The harbour is also shallow in places and can be busy in high season: if you
can’t get in, anchoring in front of the wide, sandy beach is an option.
Vasiliki
Vasiliki
is the favoured venue for the flotilla punch party – a good opportunity to meet
those who were seated further afield at the previous night’s dinner.
Refreshments are at the discretion of the lead crew and range from sans alcohol to rocket fuel. Briefing for the next day is delivered at the
Sports Bar, where Steve – a traditionally-named Lefkadian local – provides
welcome hospitality. There are several quayside eateries at Vasiliki, none of
them noteworthy. It’s a good place to eat starter & desert on the boat,
perhaps heading out for a simple main course.
Day 3
– Vasiliki to Fiskhardo
After
radioing our intention to depart, it’s a line-of-sight sail towards Fiskhardo,
on the island of Cephalonia. The water in Vasiliki Bay is glassy and the breeze
non-existent – the antithesis of the previous evening’s katabatic wind.
Motoring is a good idea here: you’ll cross a busy shipping lane
with commercial traffic, including high-speed ferries that quickly appear from
behind Cape Lefkada before turning directly towards you.
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| Entering Foki Bay - the beach bar is hidden in the trees |
On
approaching the strait between Cephalonia and Ithaka, continue south, past Fiskhardo, and head into nearby Foki Bay. Arriving early
ensures you’re one of the several yachts able to rest up here. Foki Bay is a
stunning anchorage, with a small sandy beach and a rocky cave from which you
can jump into the sea. For the brave, the cave turns into a dark mineshaft that
can be explored with dinghy and torch. A bar serving refreshments is
located behind the beach, hidden amongst the trees.
From
Foki, it’s an easy 20-minute motor around to Fiskhardo. The harbour at
Fiskhardo is very popular, so flotillas often raft up on the northern bank of
the bay, with anchors set out ahead and long stern lines to the rocky shore.
The water is crystal clear and you’ll be able to see your anchor, several dozen
feet away.
Fiskhardo
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| Off exploring in Fiskhardo |
Fiskhardo
is a truly beautiful town and is protected under Greek law. It was Cephalonia’s
only major settlement to be spared devastation by the 1953 earthquake. The
quayside is packed with cafes, bars & restaurants but, to take in the
scenery, two are exceptional. The first, Panoramos, is located on cliffs
overlooking the entrance to the bay, a 5-minute walk from the main harbour. The
restaurant’s high terraces offer the perfect vantage point for a late-afternoon
aperitif while you spy your flotilla comrades coming in for the evening.
A nondescript cocktail bar hosts the evening briefing, at which the lead crew present numerous recommendations for the forthcoming 'free-sail' days. The only stipulations are that you keep away from the
lee shore on the west of Cephalonia and that you’re at the next rendezvous
point – Abelike Bay on Meganissi – some 48 hours later.
For
dinner, climb up to Nicholas Taverna on the northern banks, where Nicholas and
his son serve traditional Greek cuisine while you survey the pretty harbour as the sky
moves through blue, orange, pink, purple & red.
Day 4
– Free-sail day (Fiskhardo to Kioni and Fiskhardo to Port Kastos)
Departure
from Fiskhardo follows the same course as other days – call up the lead crew,
who will assist insofar as required. Some choose to stay within the picturesque confines of
Fiskhardo and enjoy a day exploring Cephalonia. Others, like us, go in search
of destinations new. Our chosen locations have included Kioni, on the
neighbouring island of Ithaka, and Kastos, on the island of the same name.
Kioni
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| Kioni, on Ithaka, is the prettiest destination we've visited |
We
lost no time in sailing around to Kioni on the eastern coast of Ithaka,
anchoring in a bay en route for a
Greek salad lunch. Tucked away in a protected natural harbour, Kioni is the
most beautifil destination we’ve visited in the Ionian. Motoring into the
steep sided inlet, we found the small, inner harbour to be full, so resorted to our
back-up option of anchoring with a long line ashore on the rocky southern
coastline. This turned out to be a superb choice, giving us both proximity to
the village and a degree of tranquility that may have been lost on a quayside
mooring.
We
struggled to find an outstanding eatery in Kioni – they were all standard Greek
restaurants, perfectly agreeable but unremarkable. The real draw of Kioni is
the attractiveness of its environment and this is no better experienced than from the terrace
at En Plo Roof Bar. We ascended for an after-dinner digestif and, under a star-filled sky, gazed out at warm harbour
lights reflecting in the water.
Port
Kastos
Port
Kastos, on the southern coast of Kastos island, is a modest habitation served
by a relatively large, but non-commercial harbour. The village is rustic and
houses only a few bars & restaurants. On arrival, we anchored in the outer harbour with long lines ashore tied to mooring rings.
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| Taverna Belos, in Port Kastos, is rustic but serves great fish |
Within
a couple of minutes a dinghy appeared and a scruffy British guy in a muscle
vest called over, demanding that his incoming flotilla should moor right where we were. Should we move, having just settled in &
secured the lines? No – there was plenty of space around the harbour. We
advised that we’d be present while others moored around us and that we’d expect their assistance in the morning if they’d crossed our anchor. We’re all for
cruisers’ goodwill, but no single yacht or organisation owns the water. The Italian
motorboat moored to our starboard side wasn’t having any of it, either, and
waved them off with an internationally-understood gesticulation.
Once
we were suitably surrounded by moored boats, we ventured off to explore the
village, stopping first in Mylos, a windmill come cocktail bar on the headland.
Dinner that evening was at Taverna Belos, a simple fish restaurant on the
waterfront, followed by a nightcap at El.a Café Bar, with it’s elevated terrace.
Day 5
– Free-sail day (Port Kastos to Abaliki)
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| George's Restaurant at Port Kalamos |
The following
day, we motored over to the neighbouring island of Kalamos where we found
plenty of space to moor stern-to in Port Kalamos. This visit was really a recce
for future cruising: George’s Restaurant had been recommended and we fancied
checking it out. The cuisine looked excellent and
the setting, at the end of the main breakwater, was spectacular. Received
wisdom suggests that George practically owns the outer breakwater: those
mooring against it can expect a cheery welcome and assistance with their lines in return for dining in his restaurant. We found time to anchor for lunch on Kalamos’
northern coast before heading across to rejoin the flotilla at Meganissi.
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| Atoko Island has the quintessential island shape, from some angles |
An
alternative option, en route to the
evening rendezvous, is the uninhabited island of Atoko. We’ve previously
explored Three Cliffs Bay and One House Bay, finding ourselves alone in both
instances and feeling comfortably isolated within this relatively active
cruising ground.
On
entering Abalike Bay, sailors are presented with a several fingers of water. We
radio the lead boat and find our flotilla in the northernmost inlet, which is
used by the Lefkas flotilla unless space limitations determine otherwise. Having
anchored and maneuvered alongside the raft of boats, we secure a line to the
shore before drinks are handed over the guardrails and we join our neighbours
to exchange stories of our free-sail days. Minutes later, we’re all jumping
into the water for a refreshing swim.
A
large fire is constructed on the beach that evening,with a rustic barbeque
supplied and tended by the lead crew. Effi at the Rose Garden has provided
whopping fish and meat steaks, served up with salads and a range of
accompaniments. Everyone is full of stories and experiences –
good & embarrassing – drawing laughs from new friends. Finally, the lead crew
pluck up courage to initiate the cocktail competition and mixtures, supplied by each boat, are judged for taste, strength, and flammability.
Abalike
Bay
Abalike
is a quiet, tree-lined bay with a small, sandy beach. A path from the beach
leads to dirt tracks that can be followed to Little Vathi, our very first port of
call. It takes around 30 minutes to walk over the peninsula.
Day 6
– Abalike to Lefkas
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| Abalike Bay, the morning after the night before |
All
boats are well acquainted by this point and it’s typical to see people enjoying
coffee together in the morning sunshine. One-by-one, yachts slip away from the
raft and head off for their final day on the water. On both of our trips, we’ve
motored around the corner to the Rose Garden in Little Vathi, for a Greek breakfast of fruit, honey
& yogurt – we’re yet to find a better one!
The
day offers a chance to sail into Spartochori, on the north of the island, and
climb up to the elevated village. For ease of mooring, head towards the pontoon
at Porto Spilia, where staff from the Porto Spilia Café & Bar will take your
stern lines and pass lazy lines for the bow cleat. You’re expected to use
the facilities in return - a coffee as you go off exploring will suffice.
A
little north of Meganissi is Skorpios, an island privately owned by the daughter
of a Russian billionaire - though better associated with it's previous ownership by
the Greek shipping magnate who married Jackie Kennedy following the
assassination of JFK. Landing ashore is forbidden, and there are regular security
patrols to deter uninvited explorers, but anchoring in certain bays is
permitted. We dropped the hook in Chakis Bay, where Jackie was snapped by paparazzi photographers while she practiced yoga in the nude. It was a little
too busy on our visit to celebrate her free spirit and swim au naturale.
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| Sailing back towards Lefkas in a stiff breeze |
The
last stop for many is the large, sandy bay at Varko, on the mainland. From
here, it’s an upwind tack in the strait between Lefkada & the mainland,
with the afternoon offshore wind providing good sailing conditions.
Passing
back up the Lefkas Canal, we call up the Sunsail fuel dock and are placed in a
queue, which involves loitering in a shallow bowl of water trying not to
run aground while avoiding other yachts doing the same. Eventually, we’re
called up and attach stern lines to the dock while Sunsail staff refuel the
boat. Thereafter, we’re allocated a berth and motor into the marina, parking
the boat under the instruction of our lead crew, who zip up & down the
pontoon directing several boats at a time.
Debrief
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| The debrief at Lanos Hotel bar |
The
flotilla debrief is held early evening at the marina’s Lanos hotel or a nearby
bar. Anecdotes are shared and each boat singled out for praise and
encouragement by the lead crew. It’s a fun and reassuring way to complete the
week cruising. Lefkas town has plenty of options for dinner and we’ve enjoyed
spending the evening with other flotilla sailors and, later, with the Sunsail
team in the Pirates Bar – off-duty, of course.
Final
day – land lubbers again!
It’s
typically expected that the boats will be vacated by mid-morning, allowing
cleaning crews to prepare them for the next week’s charter. Bags & cases can
be left in safe storage at the marina’s Lanos Hotel, while the lead crew will
be grateful for any surplus provisions – alcohol and toilet roll is always
appreciated!
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| Scooter rental is cheap in Greece & offers great potential for exploring |
Most
people fly back home from nearby Preveza. Flights to UK destinations are often
late afternoon or evening departures, so many fill the final day with
land-based activities. Our preference is to rent a 150cc moped – only €15 per
day – and explore Lefkada's mountainous landscape. Some of the western
beaches are also worth visiting.
Coach transfers leave from the marina, allowing ample time to check-in. The
departure hall at Preveza is a rotten place, with a single shop and a hole-in-the-wall
outlet serving snacks. Our advice is to check-in and then head across the road
to Jimmy’s restaurant, where beverages can be enjoyed in the colourful gardens
before returning to the airport and passing through security.
Our
thoughts on flotilla holidays
All
in all, a flotilla is an excellent holiday for cruising sailors, new and experienced. Flotillas offer an invaluable opportunity to cruise in different yachts and to share experiences of, and practice, boat handling, without worrying (too much) about the
consequences. Top this off with the social pleasures and
friendships made along the way and you’ve the makings for a great week on the water.
We’d
like to thank Tom, Colin & Dave, Laura, Reuben, Emily & Alisha for their energy & unwavering professionalism, leading our Ionian flotillas. Fair winds!
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| The Cessna aeroplane at Little Vathi - do you dare swim down & sit in the cockpit? |
