Many people cite sailing around the Greek Islands as a dream trip; in fairness, I have only been to the Ionian three times, and so this piece is based on my experiences. I must be upfront and say that I’m not a very keen sailor and my partner, whose boat we travel on, is. I must also confess to not being someone who likes to relax nor lounge around. I like to have something to do during my waking hours – which are 18 or so a day.
This year, with time being more limited and my passion for swing dancing slowly taking over my life, I had two separate trips on Lefkada staying only in Lefkas and Sivota. In previous years, we have visited other islands – too numerous to mention – but some of which I will tell you more about.
One thing I will say is that not much has changed between visits; yes, a few more houses have been / are being built into the hillsides, but the scenery overall, the numbers of boats and people, the restaurants and their offerings and the shops, have pretty much stayed the same. As in, much of the same stuff is on stock – handy when you liked something …..
The food is interesting with traditional fare being on offer in most establishments. You will find a variety of breakfasts (our favourite being the Eggs Benedict at Liotrivi on Sivota) and of course burgers, pizza and pasta. By far in my humble opinion, the best restaurant we have found and eated at repeatedly on every trip is Thimari in Lefkas. If they opened in Malta, I’d be there weekly. The duck with berries combined with a watermelon and feta salad – was this year’s repeat order.
The sailing itself is a bit ‘eck’.
Mostly because I prefer to sleep in a marina and then the said breakfasts delay us getting out – and then the afternoon winds that pick up as early as 14:00, mean a quick swim after a quick lunch and you’re heading back in. This for proper sailors like John, is a bit frustrating – though they do get to be entertained by what we call ‘Boat TV’, watching the charters coming in, thinking they can handle the weather conditions and berthing an unfamiliar craft in an unfamiliar manrina all while all the savvy boat owners are watching (with fenders in hand if the poor charter boat is coming in close to them).
It also has to be said that the islands really are much of a muchness. OK, there’s one with pigs on that swim in the sea. And a couple with (modern) shipwrecks. But all that seems to differ otherwise, is how many restaurants there are. Am I sounding spoilt? Read on.
If you are after a Greek experience – outside of the food – good luck. There’s little to see and do that isn’t water-based, and there are SO many Maltese, quite frankly, you could be in Gozo. We wanted to hire a car, but no-one could tell us (not even Tripadvisor) what to visit.
Getting here is a bit of trek too. Two flights and a taxi will take you the best part of a day. I do miss Universal Air. If you are visiting friends on a boat – don’t bring a hard suitcase as your cabin will struggle to store it for the duration. Soft bags and no-iron clothes are a must.
However, Lefkas Marina and the town have a bit more going on, after dinner, you can find lively bars like the Cuban one, nestled in a back street, inviting you in to compare sandals and sailing stories over cocktails. You will also find the usual services like a laundrette, barber shop, spa etc – so on those windy afternoons, you don’t need to nap. There are also some quaint churches that provide interest and shade.
Ithica – and particularly the village of Varty -is John’s favourite. The main square is exactly what you expect from a picture postcard and a good choice of good eateries and artisan shops selling different things to the bigger towns is refreshing. I have to say the most interesting marina/berthing is on Paxos where goats greet you from the hillside! a tip – get as far into the creek as possible as the fishermen and the ferries will disturb your sleep otherwise!
Corfu was a complete surprise; I had imagined it being chavtastic and loud but it’s got the most darling architecture and a friendly atmosphere and lots of little streets to explore. Flying into here is much easier than getting to the smaller islands and really worth a visit.
Now with grandchildren as new crew, we will probably head to different shores next year, but I’m sure we will be back in the future, for more of the same.
