Armchair planning - Gulf of Patras / Corinth - any experiences to share??

[Airscrew]

Hi All. Its that time of year again.

We will have a number of weeks in Greece next year. I am starting to plan a leisurely 3 weeks in Patras / Corinth.
We know the South Ionian very well, and hope to avoid the increasing popularity there in high season by heading to the Gulfs.

We will probably enter from Ithaca, and return west to Lefkada.
I now have my fresh Heikell 'Greek Waters' to enjoy, and will obviously read it carefully.

If any of you know the area well, are there any 'must see / must visit locations.
And perhaps more helpfully, any avoid / not worth it locations.

Any advice on Inland trips?
Is Delphi worth a day out to stretch the legs?
We wont use the canal, (we explored Athens and the Saronic last year) so is it worth heading all the way to the end?
Any other local advice.?

Many thanks in advance.

J.

 

[CJ13]

Delphi is definitely worth visiting- go as early as possible to avoid the worst of the crowd. Use the free harbour at ITEA- no pretty but convenient.
The one place I’d avoid is Patras. It’s the harbour is noisy and rolly. It’s a long walk into town along a hot busy main road. Probably the only place in Greece we’d never return to!

 

[pmartin127]

You may have already done it - but if not a slight diversion south, before you go into Patras Gulf, to Katakolo to spend a day visiting Olympia is a must.

 

[Irish Rover]

Haven't been there since 2018 but I agree about Patras. It's a dump. I would strongly recommend a visit to Galaxidhi. A really nice village with good tavernas. If you hire a car for a day it's a good base for visiting Delphi. Corinth is a nice town but the harbour is also a dump.

 

[AndrewB]

From Patras, a must-do is the Odontos Rack Railway through the Voirakos gorge up to Kalavrita. Regular bus service from Patras to Diakopto where it starts. (Get the bus from the main station in Patras, short walk from the marina).

Other than that, the best sailing is on the north side of the Gulf. Worthwhile destinations with secure harbours (from W to E) include Messalonghi, Trizonia Island, Galaxidhi, Itea (for Delphi), Andikyra. Navpaktos is well worth visiting, but it is hard to get into the harbour, soanchor outside. The Alkionedes islands is another interesting anchorage in calm weather. There are a number of other quiet bays with worthwhile anchorages.

The south side has a fewer good harbours and is more exposed in the generally NW or NE summer winds which are occasionally brisk. However the ancient city of Corinth can be visited from Corinth or Kiato.

Don't forget that you must report as you approach the Rion bridge for permission to go through.

 

[mjcoon]

We were there back in 2012 on a flotilla delivery trip headed (eventually) for the Sporades. So don't remember much detail. Didn't think Corinth itself was so nice. But there are a number of places on the north coast that we didn't have nearly long enough to explore properly. Worth learning about the Rion/Antirion bridge (at least if interested in engineering). There was a TV programme about its construction. I imagine passing underneath it is as controlled as it was when we went, though they were coping with a flotilla then!

 

[RupertW]

Patras is fantastic for getting things made or done. It was where we would always stop whatever tasks we hadn’t succeeded in getting somebody to fix,make or do. An agent will appear within minutes and within an hour we would have a fuel tanker, the laundry taken away, and appointments for engineer, metal fabricator, canvas repair person and all good quality low cost stuff. I’ve never been anywhere that felt more dodgy but paid off by trusting them. Galaxhidi and Delphi are a must. Galaxidi is one of those harbours where you need to arrive between 11 and 3 to grab a slot as a boat leaves. Once had an awful night anchoring outside (anchor held perfectly but windy, too close to objects and waves) as we left it too late.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Make sure the canal is open.

 

[AndrewB]

Make sure the canal is open.

Even if it is, horribly expensive to do in your own boat, just for the experience (the OP is not planning to sail on the Aegean side). It's certainly interesting, but just to see it I'd recommend taking the tourist ferry that goes back and forth in summer. However, it starts from Isthmia at the eastern end of the canal.

 

[Clancy Moped]

We were there back in 2012 on a flotilla delivery trip headed (eventually) for the Sporades. So don't remember much detail. Didn't think Corinth itself was so nice. But there are a number of places on the north coast that we didn't have nearly long enough to explore properly. Worth learning about the Rion/Antirion bridge (at least if interested in engineering). There was a TV programme about its construction. I imagine passing underneath it is as controlled as it was when we went, though they were coping with a flotilla then!

We followed a couple under the bridge under instructions from the control, but they lost there keel, and all merry hell broke out..

 

[Caladh]

Messalonghi, Trizonia is a “must visit” as is Galaxidi and also our favourite Itia - easy bust trip to Delphi. We used Kiato as a stop to get to/from the canal - about 15 miles.
Beware strong breezes in both the gulfs. Call the bridge a few miles off before proceeding, they’ll advise which arch to use. Arrange a second mortgage for the canal payment……..