Tour Delphi and Monasteries of Daphni - Where from and how

[Palarran]

My son and I have one day to tour Delphi and Daphni. I would be happy to rent a car and do the tours ourselves. In searching, I can't find any rental agencies in Itea or Antikyra. Do any of you have suggestions? We of course will need a safe harbor or quay.

 

[Palarran]

Sorry, I got the second one wrong. It's the Monastery of Hosios Loukas.

 

[JonJon]

We did it from Galaxidhi. Taxi up he comes back for you or waits while you go around
Cant rember how much but it was reasonable..

 

[Steve C Cronin]

We have done it twice from Galaxhidi where your boat can be reasonably safe. There is a bus service to Delphi from the town square but you need to change at Itea. Boat can be left at Itea Marina but if the wind is in the wrong direction it will get covered in red ore dust from the local iron workings. Delphi is a site not to be missed. Don't miss the walk up to the gymnasium either.

 

[duncan99210]

The boat will be OK in Galaxidi unless there is a very strong NE blowing. Car hire is available in the village (not cheap) - visit the chandlers and ask for help in booking it. The route to Delphi is easy, not sure about the other place you're talking about. As Steve says, there are buses but it is a bit of an exped as changes are needed and you'll spend most of the day travelling rather than pottering round the ruins and museum.

 

[RichardS]

Delphi is a site not to be missed. Don't miss the walk up to the gymnasium either.

Bit of thread drift but 30 years ago I visited Delphi in the heat of July (by motorbike rather than boat!) and came down all the steps to the road just as a coach full of American tourists pulled into the car park. A small group ask me whether it was worth walking up all the steps so I showed them the photos in the guide book I had bought to show them it was worth the climb and they said "OK, we've seen it now" and went off to sit on a bench by the coach!

They had probably come from Athens but I'd driven from the UK and a photo was never go to be enough for me.

Richard

 

[Palarran]

Bit of thread drift but 30 years ago I visited Delphi in the heat of July (by motorbike rather than boat!) and came down all the steps to the road just as a coach full of American tourists pulled into the car park. A small group ask me whether it was worth walking up all the steps so I showed them the photos in the guide book I had bought to show them it was worth the climb and they said "OK, we've seen it now" and went off to sit on a bench by the coach!

They had probably come from Athens but I'd driven from the UK and a photo was never go to be enough for me.

Richard

I'm ashamed to say I believe you. Another quick story, my parents brought friends on a trip to Italy. My mother arranged to get a gondola ride in Venice for them all. The other woman said she didn't want to go because she rode in the gondolas at the Venetian Casino in Las Vegas. I kid you not!!

Thanks for the info. I spent a few hours trying to figure out the logistics last night. I may be able to get a rental car from Avance, which has an office in Nafpaktos. They deliver them to Messolonghi for 30 euro so I'm thinking it should be around the same. So, if we are going to spend the night, it seems your votes are for Galaxidi instead of Itea. I'd actually prefer Antikyra but it doesn't look as secure weather wise and getting a car there would be really difficult and expensive.

Thanks, David.

 

[vyv_cox]

Itea is perfectly OK and you can catch a bus just up the road from the port. Usually plenty of berthing space and a nice town.

 

[1bobt]

I'm ashamed to say I believe you. Another quick story, my parents brought friends on a trip to Italy. My mother arranged to get a gondola ride in Venice for them all. The other woman said she didn't want to go because she rode in the gondolas at the Venetian Casino in Las Vegas. I kid you not!!

Thanks for the info. I spent a few hours trying to figure out the logistics last night. I may be able to get a rental car from Avance, which has an office in Nafpaktos. They deliver them to Messolonghi for 30 euro so I'm thinking it should be around the same. So, if we are going to spend the night, it seems your votes are for Galaxidi instead of Itea. I'd actually prefer Antikyra but it doesn't look as secure weather wise and getting a car there would be really difficult and expensive.

Thanks, David.

We were climbing up the Monovathia , that 4 mast cruise ship in the bay, there were American going up and down the rock. One American woman asked one coming down what was up there .She answered "just a pile of old rocks" so I put on a American accent and asked if there was a McDonalds? she replied no....

 

[Steve C Cronin]

I'm ashamed to say I believe you. Another quick story, my parents brought friends on a trip to Italy. My mother arranged to get a gondola ride in Venice for them all. The other woman said she didn't want to go because she rode in the gondolas at the Venetian Casino in Las Vegas. I kid you not!!

Thanks for the info. I spent a few hours trying to figure out the logistics last night. I may be able to get a rental car from Avance, which has an office in Nafpaktos. They deliver them to Messolonghi for 30 euro so I'm thinking it should be around the same. So, if we are going to spend the night, it seems your votes are for Galaxidi instead of Itea. I'd actually prefer Antikyra but it doesn't look as secure weather wise and getting a car there would be really difficult and expensive.

Thanks, David.

A VERY strong wind blows incessantly in the approach to Andikiron and the number of visitors berths is very limited. When we were there, we had the best berth just inside the lighthouse which is nearly bomb-proof and the local commercial tugboat berth gives additional shelter but that is just about the only totally sheltered berth. The katabatic wind on the approach will nearly turn you onto your beam ends.


View of Andikiron from west. We are the white yacht next to the lighthouse



You will be far better in Galaxhidi.

 

[charles_reed]

We have done it twice from Galaxhidi where your boat can be reasonably safe. There is a bus service to Delphi from the town square but you need to change at Itea. Boat can be left at Itea Marina but if the wind is in the wrong direction it will get covered in red ore dust from the local iron workings. Delphi is a site not to be missed. Don't miss the walk up to the gymnasium either.

The Galixidi bus stops in Itea, where you have to change (or it has the last 3 times I've visited). Steve must be very unlucky (though it's one of Rod Heikell's plaints) as the ironworks haven't been worked since 2010 and even then the muck was only drifting when they were loading a freighter.
I'd prefer to leave a boat tied up (or at anchor) in Galaxidi, than in Itea, mainly due to the number of boats in the former and the likelihood of more watching eyes.
There is no car-rental place in Galixidi or Itea - I hired in Korinthos and got an exceptionally good price. Lots to see, besides the Omphalos, round Kolpos Korinthos and Delphi is excessively overcrowded.

 

[Steve C Cronin]

The Galixidi bus stops in Itea, where you have to change (or it has the last 3 times I've visited). Steve must be very unlucky (though it's one of Rod Heikell's plaints) as the ironworks haven't been worked since 2010 and even then the muck was only drifting when they were loading a freighter.
I'd prefer to leave a boat tied up (or at anchor) in Galaxidi, than in Itea, mainly due to the number of boats in the former and the likelihood of more watching eyes.
There is no car-rental place in Galixidi or Itea - I hired in Korinthos and got an exceptionally good price. Lots to see, besides the Omphalos, round Kolpos Korinthos and Delphi is excessively overcrowded.

Just about everyone I know talks about getting red dust all over their boat in Itea, Chares. BTW, why did you feel it necessary to repeat almost exactly what I said about changing buses in Itea? Just because Dephi gets crowded in the afternoons, is that a reason to avoid it? It is a massive place and needs a lot of time to do it properly.

 

[1bobt]

If you want to see how austerity does not affect the rich in Greece ,go to the ski resort town on your way back to Corinth from Delphi .

 

[Palarran]

Thank you all for the great information. I think I will try Itea first. Avance will deliver and pick up a car for one full day for 80 euro. While it's expensive, it will be much easier for us then taking the bus so I'm going to book it. This way we can visit both Unesco sites. This year we will be able to tour many of them in the Aegean and Turkey.

 

[Borden]

Galaxhidi is the best place. Safe on the quay whist you hire a car and visit amazing Dilphi. Don't miss out on going to the top of the mountain at Delphi to see the stadium. Many people give up on a hot day and miss this amazing sight and view from the top.

 

[vyv_cox]

Galaxhidi is the best place. Safe on the quay ......

Maybe it's different now compared with four or five years ago. Galixhidi was far from safe to leave a boat then. Everyone on anchor, lots of wind across the boats, no way I would leave the boat for a day. Whereas at Itea we were all alongside with good warps bow and stern. No lunatic could trip all our anchors there.

 

[Steve C Cronin]

Maybe it's different now compared with four or five years ago. Galixhidi was far from safe to leave a boat then. Everyone on anchor, lots of wind across the boats, no way I would leave the boat for a day. Whereas at Itea we were all alongside with good warps bow and stern. No lunatic could trip all our anchors there.

Vyv,

The same could be said of most med harbours.

 

[vyv_cox]

Vyv,

The same could be said of most med harbours.

Of course, hence my choice. Few places where a boat can be left not at anchor and Itea is one of them.

 

[Steve C Cronin]

Of course, hence my choice. Few places where a boat can be left not at anchor and Itea is one of them.

"Alongside" is the favourite mooring style of ONE population, at least. The RAT population!

At Galaxhidi, give Bazilos five euros and he'll scare anyone away from your boat all day!

 

[vyv_cox]

"Alongside" is the favourite mooring style of ONE population, at least. The RAT population!

That could certainly be considered to be a valid point, but strangely, the only time we had a rat aboard, on two successive nights, or it could have been two different rats we were berthed on a shore line at Meganisi. Last year our cruise took us to many ports where we berthed alongside, quite unusually for Greece, and we were not troubled by them.