Sailing Greece - Part 3

Tuesday, 7.5.2019

After yesterday's hard sailing, the long-awaited shelter offered by the cape of Kefalonia was a perfect place to rest in the cove of Foki beach near Fiskardo. Even in the shelter, the wind was still howling down the hill, so that at times the wind gauge showed over 20 knots of wind. I didn't worry, as the Wasi anchor and enough chain provided a safe anchorage.

In the morning after a well-deserved coffee, the time came, the anchor was back in place, and the first genoa sail fluttered in a fairly strong wind, but not for long, as the wind quickly filled it, and Timy just jumped with the wind to half stern. The destination was a good 12 NM away, where the second largest city on Kefalonia is located. It is called Sami, where there is also a "police port" where I will complete the entry formalities. Timy is quickly approaching the destination with a good 8 knots, and the waves are again rolling and foaming. I sail into the harbor, drop anchor and tie up backwards to the pier. I visit the officials to complete the registration, I have to buy a DEKPO, which costs 50 euros and an hour of waiting.

Given the weather forecast and the policeman, the decision prevails for Timy to stay in a safe harbor, and for us to see the island by car. I want to go to the highest peak, which is a little higher than our Vršič. I arrange to rent a Hyundai i10 for 24 hours, which costs €40. Immediately from the town of Sami, the first viewing point was the "Drogarati cave". The entrance fee to the cave is €5. The entrance to the cave is via steep stairs down. After a few 10m descent, a cave opens up, which resembles a large hall. The cave has many stalagmites and stalactites, and as in any cave, it is quite humid.

The drive around the island is beautiful, as everything is green, there is not much traffic, but there are many goats walking either on the road or directly next to it. The road is good but very winding, and there is almost no flat area, sometimes steeply up or down. The views are simply fantastic, and I can't wait to conquer the highest mountain, Ainos Oros, which lies 1628 above sea level, and which has a beautiful asphalt road that reaches almost to the top. Unfortunately, the mountain range is shrouded in dark clouds, but given the clouds that move very quickly, there is a minimal chance that we will still see a beautiful view. The closer we get to the top, the colder and windier it becomes, and piles of unmelted snow are already visible along the road. At the top where I leave the car, there are various antennas, and a macadam road to the viewpoint. Since I don't want to puncture the tires and damage the car, we walk this 1 km. The nature is very beautiful, and very overgrown, piles of snow lie in individual parts. Unfortunately, the view won't be good, but for a brief moment the coast also showed through the cloud. Since the temperatures and wind are not pleasant, and the island is large, we head back to the valley, where fantastic views open up.

The path led to the capital of the island, which is called Argostoli. The walk through the streets was interesting, all full of bars, shops, and full of traffic. The price of a coffee with milk costs 2€. After a short tour, the path led to a new viewing point, namely the lighthouse "Saint Theodore Lantern". As the day was slowly getting shorter, it was time to see a few more sandy beaches on this part of the island. The first on the way was Kalamia beach.

A few km further on lies a beautiful beach, Makris Gialos Beach, or as the locals call it, Costa Costa. A beautiful sandy beach, with sun loungers and a beach bar. It is most beautiful when the waves roll and foam on the shore, a loud roar is heard, and in the background the sun disappears behind the horizon. Thus ended the adventure around one part of the island for that day.

Wednesday, 8.5.2019

A new day, new tours of the island. The weather is still not favorable, it is cloudy and still very windy. Today, the other paradise beaches are in order, and the first on the way was Myrtos Beach, which looked fantastic from the viewpoint above the beach itself. The turquoise blue sea takes you away. The serpentine road leads to the beach, and I had to film this beach with a drone. The season has not started yet, so these beaches are fairly or almost completely empty. Since the car was rented and I had to return it by 3 pm, I was in a hurry to make the most of the tour of the island.

The next destination was at the very end of the island, where there is a sandy beach, but this beach is not like the usual one, because there is a red sea. The beach is called "Xi Beach".

With very little time left and quite a few kilometers still on the road, there really wasn't time for long enjoyment. The next and last beach to visit was "Petani Beach". It is similar to Myrtos Beach, where it is adorned with turquoise blue water, surrounded by cliffs and high mountains.

There was little time left, but enough for the last attraction, which was in the immediate vicinity of the mooring. "Melissani Lake Cave", is essentially a cave with a lake, with an opening to the sky. The entrance fee is 7€, and you enter by going down a steep corridor, where an incredible scene and boats with guides await you. The water in the lake is a mixture of salt and fresh water, very clean, up to 15m deep, the water temperature is 14 degrees. At the right angle of the sun through the opening, it conjures up incredible colors. The guide led us through the lake in his boat and into the cave. The tour lasts about 15 minutes, but it is worth seeing this natural beauty. I returned the car, and considering the wind, which was still blowing over 20 knots, I decided that Timy would stay another night, and in the morning continue the journey back to Corfu.