sailaboutvic
Well-known member
Cyclades islands
We just about coming to an end of a tour of some of the Cyclades island , it been many years since the last time we visit them , and what a changes , some good and some not so .
Most of the fishing harbour that we visit are now mini Marinas , the charges so far are not that hight five or six Euros for an 12 mts boat without power and water which is extra , usually around five Euros ( April , May ) althoughI one did ask 16 Euros and another 25 I think he could tell by my look he wasn't going to get it , but I can see in time these charges will be a lot hight one guy wanted and extra 2 Euros per person for the use of the shower , we heard people complaining there wasn't any hot water .
Naxos outer harbour behind the NE wall was a good anchorage , now we told it a archeological site And you can't anchor , just a few hundred mts ferries roar in and out two or more an hour dropping their anchor and churning the sea bed , even all the chart and Pilot book show you that's it an anchorages , but you are now directed to the Marina , on the out side of the old fisherman quay where we use to go stern onto is now a no go area you are turned away by the PP .
Ios what a lovely island or should I say was , the beach where young holiday back packer use to lay there sleeping bag for the night , we left the yacht and slept there one night , is now coved in deck chairs and sun shade , the love quite Chora on the top now has clubs , bars and Irish pubs in almost every corner you turn in to , one sign saying free entry before 3am , thanks god the holiday trade haven't arrived yet , a Nescafé Will set you back four euros and a Greek coffee three ,
Mooring onto the harbour at your own risk , plenty of fenders are needed and check you mast with the next boat , when the ferries roar in damage can quite easier be done to top side and Mast , has fenders pop out and mast swing Wildly , lucky there some good anchorage around the island to avoid the mayhem of the harbour .
It not all doom and gloom , the Clift on Nisos Thira are well worth seeing , so many different colour and sheer drop into the sea , they just amazing .
Kea , it water front which come to life has the ferry arrive then turn back into a sleepily but lived in town , men playing backgammon , children's playing in the street and the women no doubt talking about the lazy men who play backgammon all day and drink coffee , I guess once the charter season get going it will be a different story .
the back track walk up to Chora has to be a must ,passing the big pussy cat craved into the Rock on the way up , it looked more like a sea lion to me , but what do I know , its winding street and no traffics it feels like you gone back hundreds of years , friendly local people when you see them .
Kithnos is another place well worth a visit if only for it hot water springs , and they are hot right up to where the meet the sea . The harbour master there charge us for one night then didn't bother us again , other then a chat . A few Small restaurant set back around the harbour , the walk up to the Chora is a good place to see the view .
Last but not less is Nisos Anafi , where we bobbing on anchor in a gently breezes watching the sun slowly set . I guess this is one place that won't change much , well off the bearing track for charter boats small sleepy fishing villages just one restaurant on the quay next to the ferry port and a small shop , if you feeling fit a one and a half K walk to the town on the top of the hill , I said fit because it all up hill , I shall leave that for another day .
The good news is there still plenty of bays and coves to anchor in some with fine sand where you can spend quiet night gently swaying back and fro in paradise .
So why have I writing this , the simple answer is to try and show some of new comes to Greece and there are quite a few heading this way , that the Greek islands don't start at corfu and end at Celphalonia the Ionian is a very small part of Greece and in my view not the best part . Enjoy it while you can ,
Next stop . The Dodecanese ... Follow by Turkey .
We just about coming to an end of a tour of some of the Cyclades island , it been many years since the last time we visit them , and what a changes , some good and some not so .
Most of the fishing harbour that we visit are now mini Marinas , the charges so far are not that hight five or six Euros for an 12 mts boat without power and water which is extra , usually around five Euros ( April , May ) althoughI one did ask 16 Euros and another 25 I think he could tell by my look he wasn't going to get it , but I can see in time these charges will be a lot hight one guy wanted and extra 2 Euros per person for the use of the shower , we heard people complaining there wasn't any hot water .
Naxos outer harbour behind the NE wall was a good anchorage , now we told it a archeological site And you can't anchor , just a few hundred mts ferries roar in and out two or more an hour dropping their anchor and churning the sea bed , even all the chart and Pilot book show you that's it an anchorages , but you are now directed to the Marina , on the out side of the old fisherman quay where we use to go stern onto is now a no go area you are turned away by the PP .
Ios what a lovely island or should I say was , the beach where young holiday back packer use to lay there sleeping bag for the night , we left the yacht and slept there one night , is now coved in deck chairs and sun shade , the love quite Chora on the top now has clubs , bars and Irish pubs in almost every corner you turn in to , one sign saying free entry before 3am , thanks god the holiday trade haven't arrived yet , a Nescafé Will set you back four euros and a Greek coffee three ,
Mooring onto the harbour at your own risk , plenty of fenders are needed and check you mast with the next boat , when the ferries roar in damage can quite easier be done to top side and Mast , has fenders pop out and mast swing Wildly , lucky there some good anchorage around the island to avoid the mayhem of the harbour .
It not all doom and gloom , the Clift on Nisos Thira are well worth seeing , so many different colour and sheer drop into the sea , they just amazing .
Kea , it water front which come to life has the ferry arrive then turn back into a sleepily but lived in town , men playing backgammon , children's playing in the street and the women no doubt talking about the lazy men who play backgammon all day and drink coffee , I guess once the charter season get going it will be a different story .
the back track walk up to Chora has to be a must ,passing the big pussy cat craved into the Rock on the way up , it looked more like a sea lion to me , but what do I know , its winding street and no traffics it feels like you gone back hundreds of years , friendly local people when you see them .
Kithnos is another place well worth a visit if only for it hot water springs , and they are hot right up to where the meet the sea . The harbour master there charge us for one night then didn't bother us again , other then a chat . A few Small restaurant set back around the harbour , the walk up to the Chora is a good place to see the view .
Last but not less is Nisos Anafi , where we bobbing on anchor in a gently breezes watching the sun slowly set . I guess this is one place that won't change much , well off the bearing track for charter boats small sleepy fishing villages just one restaurant on the quay next to the ferry port and a small shop , if you feeling fit a one and a half K walk to the town on the top of the hill , I said fit because it all up hill , I shall leave that for another day .
The good news is there still plenty of bays and coves to anchor in some with fine sand where you can spend quiet night gently swaying back and fro in paradise .
So why have I writing this , the simple answer is to try and show some of new comes to Greece and there are quite a few heading this way , that the Greek islands don't start at corfu and end at Celphalonia the Ionian is a very small part of Greece and in my view not the best part . Enjoy it while you can ,
Next stop . The Dodecanese ... Follow by Turkey .
