We had a good sail north with the crew really enjoying themselves with a good wind.

In Poros on the way north and we anchored quite close to the ferry terminal and then the anchored dragged slightly when the wind reversed in the middle of the night. We would not want to be any closer.!!

The next stop was Effimia – a great little town.

After the windy ride, there was a little shopping and a relaxing night. The other option was Sami but the wind was blowing from the wrong direction and so Effimia it was.

We wanted to spend a day on land and visit the famous Melassani Lake caves where the water crosses from one side of the island to the other – Argostoli to Sami.

Because there were busloads of tourist we first went to the Drogarati stalactite caves which were good to see though only the main cavern was open.

We also convinced to go to a children’s zoo which had all the stories of Odysseus – even a trojan horse – did not rate for adults!!

We were also going to visit the Naval Museum( which was supposed to be very good), but ran out of time so next stop was the Melanisi Cave. It was very beautiful and peaceful but very touristy – more so than anywhere else we had seen in the Greek islands so far. Unfortunately the guides knew little of the mechanics or the geology of the phenomenon. The inside temperature was much cooler than outside so nice on a warm day.

A well earned dinner. 

The next stop on the plan was Ithaca.

Ithaca – East Coast – Marmakas – north of Frikes. We thought it looked perfect for an anchorage but as normal the wind changed in the middle of the night and it was not as peaceful. the little church on the island was great with its own mini grottos.

The next day it was up early and on to the west coast of Meganisi which has one of the more famous grottos. This time the story was that a Greek submarine hid in the big cave during WWII – not sure but one of the caves at least is big enough( deep and wide) but shallow and not as interesting as some of the others we had seen. Last chance at cave diving for some of the crew.

The  first nights anchorage on Meganisi was  at  Abelake Bay and the second night at Port Atherinos. Both on the northern coast which is very pretty and filled with lots of places to park. Here we came across SV Katherine – friends of Rob and Virginia’s.

Early the second day we visited Scorpios Island which is actually two islands previously owned by Onassis and has a beach house that Jackie Kennedy used when she was there. He left it to the Greek government but his daughter has currently rented it out to a Russian Princess. Very beautiful little island but heavily guarded.

The last stop was Fiskardo and in the morning Mark, Barb, Chris and Virginia all went around to the cave that Mark had found on the way south when we were last in Fiskardo. It was huge and on further examination, we decided it was an old white clay mine. For some reason, it was now deserted.

The last night for the group of eight was at Fiskardo.

Rob, Virginia, Chris, and Mark all departed by taxi the next morning for Argostoli airport.

These 10 days with eight onboard have been really interesting. All eight are sailors and all enjoy sailing and boating and swimming and all able and willing to help. It has been a very social time. Many people have asked how we could cope with so many, but when everyone helps and is keen and enthusiastic it is easy.

Rob and Virginia were our next guests and since they arrived late in the day we stayed at Agia Pelagia and all went out for dinner in the nearby taverna under a windmill. A beautiful evening to welcome them onto the yacht.

The next day it was off to Zakynthos and the famous Shipwreck Beach – a must-see on all the Greece travel guides. Well, the beach and cove are beautiful, it has spectacular cliffs and a cave to swim through, but it is swarming with visitors – thousands each day coming in ferry loads of over 200 a time!!!! Ourselves and the other yachts all got in early and then you could see the motorboats coming down the coast with their wakes – ferries of all sizes, and the big ones have their own spot on the bach. There is a roped-off area so you can sit down if you want to! the bigger ferries all feel they have to blow their horns going in and out!! The chaos and noise are hard to describe. Private boats coming squeeze in where they can on one side – some far too close to others and the ferries hoot at anyone they think is in their way – even if they are not!! I have tried to capture it all below but probably should have taken a video.

From there we slowly meandered our way down the west coast of Zakynthos looking at all the lovely inlets and beaches for those above the water.

All the great caves for those in the water. Many of the caves have names e.g. Heart Cave, Poseidon’s Face, Secret blue cave. The above water crew often got as beautiful colours as the swimmers. The swimmers could have spent all day going down the coast and go back again – it was great.

The yacht crew had to keep an eye when picking us up as we could be in 15 m of water and then suddenly there would be a pinnacle. This one was just outside of one of the cave complexes in the gap between an island and the mainland.

We looked into Porto Vromi but too full, then we pulled into the north inlet of a tiny harbour of Porto Steniti for lunch, tour boats were dropping people off here but not so many. Beautifully clear water.

Following lunch, we also tried to stop for a swim in Porto Limnionas but full of people and although two inlets there it was full of swimmers and roped off below the taverna so more set up for land swimmers than yachts. Where the was space it was too deep.

The final cave swim for the day was in the south side thorough one cave and then back through another for Barb and Di.

We missed the tiny Korakonsi port and its cave as it was getting late in the day.

That night we stopped at the edge of the Marine Park at the southern end of Zakynthos, near Keri and hoped to see some turtles but didn’t see any – they seem very shy.

Next morning it was off to Kefalonia east coast on the way north again.