South Pelepponese

catmandoo

catmandoo

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Anybody have recent experience of South Pelepponese ?
From what I hear it's a little off the beaten track . Not much written about it
Only Jim Barselman does an excellent write up but how recent is that ?
I get the impression from the web that Kalamata is a little run down and that apart from it there is only one place to leave a boat safely
For example how does it compare with the Dodecanese in facilities , anchorages ,services security etc apart from being easier to get there in winter
 
It's a lovely area wit not many yachts and lots of bays, and rarely for Greece, some with sand, also tavernas in many bays. The only issue is three depression tracks meet there so gales are frequent, Sunsail closed a base there after six months. We listened to the Greek forecast and went to a sheltered bay, when we wanted to go north we used a gale to get there fast.
 
Jim is an excellent source of information about the area as he lives down there. We found Kalamata a lovely town with very good facilities, the main shopping area is someway back from the front and an excellent market even further back. It was well worth the visit we made last year.
 
The Methoni / Koroni area is relaxing with sheltered beaches to anchor off. But the Mani is a bit bleak with a few windswept anchorages, Porto Kayio being the exception.
Also you can moor at Gytheio and visit Sparta and Mystras. There's also shelter from the northerlies at Elafonisos and Monemvasia on the eastern arm.
Cape Maleas can be an effort to sail round! Circumnavigating the Peloponnese is a great trip but I've never lingered!
Mind you I will always remember the pod of sperm whales we came across just west of the Mani. We just stopped and drifted with them, video to prove it too!!
 
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The Peloponnese are best described as under inhabited. There are long stretches of the coast where there are no villages and not much in the way of tavernas or anything else.

We've now been round them twice plus a sort of half way round trip when we headed South from Plyos to Crete.

I tend to think of the Peloponnese proper starting at Pylos. It's a lovely little town with just about anything you might need. You can anchor off in most winds or find a berth alongside in the 'marina' or on the town quay. The bay of Navarino, scene of the naval battle that really marks the start of Greek independence, is worth exploring.

Methoni is lovely and safe enough in anything except a southerly wind. Koroni is the next town round, lying to the north en route to Kalamata. Anchor off in most winds: Heikell reckons you might be able to get berth on the quay but there are now far too many little local boats there! Visit the castle whilst you're there.

Kalamata is a busy town: choose between the main harbour or marina. You can anchor off but only of the wind is from the north. Southerly winds funnel up towards the town and make anchoring off difficult. The town is the main stay of the area and you can get just about anything there. As said above, you need to go inland to find the main shopping areas and market.

There's not a lot carrying on round to the East until you get to Yithion in terms of provisions. There are plenty of places to anchor off and you can find somewhere sheltered no matter where the winds coming from. Porto Kayio is an amazing looking anchorage which can get quite crowded and the holding over hard sand can be tricky. There's a couple of tavernas ashore but nothing else.

We've not been to Yithion. We spent a good few days in the bay at Plitra waiting for the Meltimi to die away so we could round Maleas. Good holding and fine in most winds but there's nothing much there apart from the odd taverna. We found a small shop with tinned goods and a truck selling watermelon and that we it!

Elefanisos is OK but we came to the conclusion that in a strong northerly it was not tenable and it was better to wait in Plitra or Kayo the off the beach on the island.

Round Maleas Monemvasia is a great place to stop. Anchor off, use the marina to the South of the headland (free with water on the quay) or use the old ferry port to the north (water and power). Good shops in town and visit the old town on the 'island'.

Looking back to the OPs question, the only place to leave a boat for anything than a couple of days is Kalamata marina.

If you're looking for more detail, look in our blogs for summer 2011 at the address below.
 
While it might be interesting to experience a few good gales .i am old enough not to want the experience of direction changes in the middle of the night . Had enough of strong southerlies in the Dodecanese last year . And while a desolate coastline with nobody about for miles and frequent gales might be Ok when passing through it does not turn me on when considering staying in the area for a year or two . I note the CA does not even have much in the way of updates to the Greek pilot for this are which makes me suspicious that others shied away.
Anybody willing to convince me otherwise?
 
catmandoo said:
And while a desolate coastline with nobody about for miles and frequent gales might be Ok when passing through it does not turn me on when considering staying in the area for a year or two.
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I think you may have formed a false impression: the area is not especially gale-prone (although it can get nasty, but that's true of almost anywhere). Cape Malea has a bit of a reputation, but I've motored round it once in flat seas, and sailed round at about three knots the other time. It's not extensive enough for me to wish to spend "a year or two" there (although I wouldn't rule out overwintering in Kalamata), but it's as unspoilt as coastal Greece gets and well worth a leisurely visit. A lovely neck of the woods, particularly compared to the madness of high season in the Ionian.
 
I agree that the South Peloponse is well worth it, especially if you are in no hurry and want a change from the usual haunts. Yes we had some bad weather but we just sat it out. A different feel to the Ionian and some lovely quiet and historic places to visit.
 
We stayed there throughout last August, to get away from the charter fleets and the overcrowded harbours and anchorages of the Ionian.

A great choice, as it's an excellent cruising ground in its own right with loads of places to visit. Plenty of space. Only Navarino Bay had significant numbers of visiting yachts. The south coast is a little windier than the Ionian, though, apart from capes Matapan and Maleas, generally part-sheltered with calm seas. Kalamata is now a little run down specially just outside the marina, but still a very pleasant destination, handy for a visit to the fascinating Byzantine village of Mystra.
 
The Southern Peloponnesus, from personal experience, is far more comfortable and less windy than the Dodecanese, but has slightly fewer anchorages, though the good ones are considerably better than anything you'll find in the Dodecanese (I'm thinking specifically of Methoni and Elephantiasis) .
It's considerably less popular than the Dodecanese, therefore less crowded and less expensive.
Kalamata marina is not quite as polished as Gouvia or Levkas, but the market there is streets ahead of those Ionian islands and, if you need anything technical it can usually be found locally without reference to Athens.
We'd rather people didn't go there and spoil it, so promulgate rumours of the excitements off Malea, the monsters of Hades and the likelihood of falling off the end of the earth. Personally, I've found Dodecanese seas and winds considerably less comfortable, and many more challenging headlands in that area.
Jim Baersalman actually lives there and whilst he doesn't sail round there (his current boat is a Toyota Avensis) - he's absolutely up-to-date with what's going on there - unlike me he hasn't reached senesence.

PS I was there @ the end of August 2014, having sailed down through the Dodecanese, along the N Crete coast from Kavala and on my way back to Thassos.
 
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catmandoo said:
Anybody have recent experience of South Pelepponese ?
From what I hear it's a little off the beaten track . Not much written about it
Only Jim Barselman does an excellent write up but how recent is that ?
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Thanks, glad you like the write-up! Very safe harbours in all conditions: Kiparrissia, Pylos, Kalamata.

I usually remember to put the last revsion date at the bottom of each page. Forgot for the S Pelops! Anyway, my last tour around the harbours on the north of the west coast, as late August 2014, the South coast Late September, together with the southern coasts of the Gulfs of Patras and Corinth. My daughter reported Monemvassia and northwards to Porto Heli in August 2014. No reports on Poros since Sep 2013, but lots of stuff about the rest of the regions around Athens this year.

For example how does it compare with the Dodecanese in facilities , anchorages ,services security etc apart from being easier to get there in winter
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3hr to 3hr 30 by bus from Athens along good motorways to Kalamata. Kalamata can fabricate all "non-branded" items. Yanni at the chandlers speaks fluent American (after many years working there) and will arrange for any branded supplies to be forwarded from Athens. A highly reliable man. It's easy for anyone to walk around any of the pontoons, but I've not hear of any reports of theft from boats . . . this is country Greece, where people leave parcels at bus stops for addressees to pick up in their own time. One day that will change . . .

Summary, less crowded than Dodecs, more spread out, less tourism, very rewarding for trips ashore, more convenient for yacht support.

In summer forget depressions. Winds are predominantly W or NW, so on the S coast it's usually flat water except off the big headlands. We rarely see rain from from late May to late September. In forecasts of F5 or more, gusts in the lee of the big headlands are exciting - just watch for the lanes of white water. Many of the best anchorages in Greece here . . . empty of civilisation, or off small villages, or off small towns. No charterers.

I've organised a couple of Cruising Association meets from Katokolon (lovely vineyard tour 4km north) down to Kalamata. Navarino bay the highlight . . . briefs for the walks attached to the S Pelops page.

There's a good reason we bought a holiday place in Finikounda after roaming all Europe's coastlines!
 
...to get away from the charter fleets and the overcrowded harbours and anchorages of the Ionian...

+1. It's a lovely area for a month or two; as for the 'fearsome' capes at Matapan and Ak Maleas, we've rounded Matapan three times, with the severest weather being A F4/three foot seas and in five passages around Ak Maleas, the worst has been F2/6" seas; I'm sure that they both get dog-rough when a weather system's passing and if you're daft enough to sail around them on a poor forecast, you deserve to get thumped, but if you pick your day, they're as flat/easy as anywhere else - if going west especially, try to avoid rounding them in the afternoon.
 
BobnLesley said:
...to get away from the charter fleets and the overcrowded harbours and anchorages of the Ionian...

+1. It's a lovely area for a month or two; as for the 'fearsome' capes at Matapan and Ak Maleas, we've rounded Matapan three times, with the severest weather being A F4/three foot seas and in five passages around Ak Maleas, the worst has been F2/6" seas; I'm sure that they both get dog-rough when a weather system's passing and if you're daft enough to sail around them on a poor forecast, you deserve to get thumped, but if you pick your day, they're as flat/easy as anywhere else - if going west especially, try to avoid rounding them in the afternoon.
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We left Diakofti on Kithera a few years back in practically no wind and motor-sailed to Cape Malea heading for Monemvasia. (We waved at the monks but didn't see any waving back). On the eastern side of the cape it was blowing hard (a good F6) and gusting stronger, fortunately we'd seen the yacht ahead of us blown hard over as she rounded and we were able to shorten sail. The problem with any cape, but especially those long ones, is that they don't read the weather forecasts! :)
 
Tony Cross said:
We left Diakofti on Kithera a few years back in practically no wind and motor-sailed to Cape Malea heading for Monemvasia. (We waved at the monks but didn't see any waving back). On the eastern side of the cape it was blowing hard (a good F6) and gusting stronger, fortunately we'd seen the yacht ahead of us blown hard over as she rounded and we were able to shorten sail. The problem with any cape, but especially those long ones, is that they don't read the weather forecasts! :)
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What month was that?
 
There been a lot writen about Cape Malea and Sir Rod dont help with his comments , the way some go on about it one would think it Cape horn and not Cape Malea they where talking about ,we have sailed around it many time over the years and twices this year , both time in Oct , West to East was a very easy sail , East to West was a bit more of a challenging but notahing that most yachtmen shouldnt be able to handle .
The Peleponses are a great cruising ground with some lovely anchoring spot , it a shame it missed out because of what some have wrote about it .
like every thing else you just have to pick your weather .

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
 
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