Greek Island Sailing - Opa!

Greece, historically also known as Hellas is a country in southeastern Europe, made up of both a mainland and an array of islands. Athens is the nation's capital and largest city, closely followed by Thessaloniki. Greece is strategically located at the crossroads of the continents - Europe, Asia, and Africa. Situated on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, Greece shares land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria, and Turkey.

The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, the Cretan Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline of the Mediterranean measuring in at 13,676 km in length, featuring a vast number of islands, of which 227 are inhabited - making it the perfect place for sailing.

Greece is often considered the cradle of Western civilization, being the birthplace of democracy, western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature, historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama. From the eighth century BC, the Greeks were organised into various independent city-states, known as polis. Philip of Macedon united most of the Greek mainland in the fourth century BC, with his son 'Alexander the Great rapidly conquering much of the ancient world, spreading Greek culture and science.

Corfu is a large Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands and, including its small satellite islands, forms the northwesternmost part of Greece. The island is bound up with the history of Greece from the beginnings of Greek mythology. Its history is full of battles and conquests. Castles are dotted along in strategic locations across the island are a legacy of these struggles. Two of these castles encompass Corfus capital, which is the only city in Greece to be surrounded in such a way.

We boarded an overnight ferry from Ancona. Ancona was founded by Greek settlers from Syracuse in about 387 BC, who gave it its name: Ancona stems from the Greek word Αγκων, meaning 'elbow'; the harbour to the east of the town was originally protected only by the promontory on the north, shaped like an elbow.

We landed in Igoumenitsa which is a coastal city in north-western Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Thesprotia. Igoumenitsa is the chief port of Thesprotia and Epirus, and one of the largest passenger ports of Greece, connecting northwestern Mainland Greece with the Ionian Islands, Croatia and Italy. The 670 km long Egnatia Highway, which serves northern Greece, terminates at Igoumenitsa, making it a popular starting point for tourists coming from Europe and ending point for trucks from Turkey.

Plataria is a coastal village and resort in Thesprotia, and after a quick drive from Igoumenitsa we boarded our yachts here.
Plataria is a classic example of a highly developed touristic area with many beautiful features. The Plataria bay stretches from very near the start of Egnatia Highway and terminates close to Syvota.

Our first night was spent in Syvota – the Ionian fjord! Βlue and green, lacy shores, luscious green inlets, long sheltered beaches with crystal clear waters and secret coves, are just some of the settlement’s characteristics that Syvota has to offer. Syvota is considered as one of the most exotic destinations within Greece.

After mooring on an island with waterslides and a bar for the night, dining on chargrilled peppers and drinking copious amounts of Ouzo... (we may have had a cheeky group skinny dip). The following day we visited the historical sea cave of Papanikolis, during the Second World War Greek naval battle ships hid underneath the light house there.
After, we cruised around many small picturesque islands, then stopped in at the blue lagoon. Drinking, Swimming, Snorkelling and playing on our inflatables.

Our second night was in Petriti, which is a fishing village located on the south east coast of Corfu, Greece, about thirty kilometers south of Corfu Town. The village is the largest fishing port on the island and the five tavernas on the sea front all specialise in seafood. I dined on Moussaka before we commenced on with some Greek dancing and red wine.
The dancing involved lifting tables with your mouth and dancing over ethanol-lit flames - no smashing of crockery though

On our third day sailing, we visited Dassia which is located on the northwest coast of Corfu Island. Dassia used to be one of the first villages on the island which became an organised holiday resort. It is a very popular destination for its sea sports. It is a narrow beach with a great extent, covered by sand and pebbles. Opposite to the coast, the mountains of Albania and the Greek mainland rise. We tried our hand at Parasailing and were dunked for our efforts - there was also jetski's and luges for rent. As well as donuts to be towed behind jet-boats.