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| Two Weeks Starting Preveza
a. Day one arrival. Capn Dex will pick you up with the minibus at Preveza airport – where its only five minutes to Cleopatras Marina. Capn Dex will show you round the boat and leave you to settle in and enjoy your first beer at the marina taberna. Dinner will be at a traditional greek restaurant at either Aktion, Vonitsa (picture opposite) or Preveza where you will get your first taste of the best of the local cooking.
b. Day two Preveza: A short trip to get you used to the boat, taking in the pleasures of the Amvrakios inner sea, hopefully some dolphins, and stopping at Preveza the principal town of the area. The harbour, shops, banks and tabernas will be very busy, but a welcoming town with as much variety as one would wish. It was near here that the famous battle between Mark Anthony and Octavius took place. The extensive remains of Mark Anthonys castle are only a little way out of town and still relatively undiscovered.
c. Day three Port Gaios, Paxos. Weather permitting a medium days sail across the Mediterranean to the beautiful island of Paxos and it’s the totally protected and secluded principal town of Port Gaios. An absolute delight of a town with exciting shops and first class tabernas.
d. Day four Port Gaios – Paxos. A day off from sailing and an opportunity to discover the still largely unspoilt island of Paxos with its wonderful walks, scenery and villages steeped in Venetian history.
e. Day five Corfu - A short sail up to the southern town of Poros at the foot of Corfu. Still very much a fishing village with a few shops. A very friendly place with a fine Taberna.
f. Day six Mourtos (Sivota). A medium sail across to the mainland to the port of Mourtos, a small but lively place just south of the port of Igoumenitsa. Lovely shops and excellent tabernas
g. Day seven – Preveza. A medium sail back south, first through the bays and islands close to Mourtos and then following the first rugged and then flat coastline back to Preveza.
 h. Day eight Nikiana – medium sail. We continue to take on the Mediterranean as we head south to the Levkas canal and the idiosyncrasies of the swing/lifting bridge. Then we head past the major town and marina of Levkas town before motoring down the canal with its once salt marshes on either side with a possible view of the pelicans before the canal opens out into the Ionian inner sea. From here its only a little way down the coast before arriving at the little port of Nikiana on the east coast of the island of Levkas. The harbour at Nikiana is very small with its mixture of pleasure boats and local fishing boats, with two excellent tabernas. From here it’s only a short walk to the main street with a couple of small supermarkets and cafes.
i. Day nine Nidri. A short relaxing days sailing just a few miles down the coast of the Ionian inner sea to the bustling port of Nidri with its wide range of shops and tabernas. A chance to get off the boat and enjoy everything this busy holiday resort has to offer. For the more adventurous and energetic Nidri hosts alternative water sports like banana boats and parascending – you can even hire a fast motor boat for a couple of hours if one still hasn’t seen enough of the water.
j. Day ten Sivota. A short days sail as we head south passed the Onasis island of Skorpios, and down the Meganissi strait between the towering cliffs of Levkas and the wooded slopes of the island of Meganissi. Out into the Mediterranean for a little way before pulling into the hidden and totally secluded bay which houses the port of Sivota. A favourite place with the flotillas but we should get in somewhere, as there are places to moor all around the bay along with the excellent tabernas and small shops.
 k. Day eleven Kastos. A medium days sail back to the mouth of the Meganissi strait before heading down the long narrow part of Meganissi with its huge caves. At the bottom we will see the two relatively uninhabited islands of Kalamos and Kastos. Our target today is the much smaller and flatter island of Kastos beyond Kalamos. The harbour at Kastos is delightful, surrounded by some old houses and tabernas. This is a very popular harbour with the flotillas and we will need to be in early. Once ashore the island offers some interesting walks discovering a life and culture of a bygone age.
l. Day twelve Little Vathi – Meganissi. A short day’s sail round the north ends of Kastos and Kalamos past the little town of Mitika and across the inner sea to the north end of the island of Meganissi and on to its main, but still tiny port of Little Vathi. Another popular visit for the flotillas with its delightful tabernas and local walks. A very pretty little harbour.
m. Day thirteen Levkas town or Preveza: It’s time to head back north, so either a long days sail back though the Ionian inner sea, through the Levkas canal, past Levkas town to await for the swing bridge and then on into the Mediterranean and on to the town of Preveza.
 If the weather allows we may stop at the town of Levkas and risk the short run north across the Mediterranean to Preveza the following morning. Levkas town is a busy but exciting place with an excellent array of shops, supermarkets, cafes and discos. Lots of tabernas, the best and the cheapest to be found down the tiny backstreets of houses with their upper stories made of corrugated iron (this is earthquake country).
n. Day fourteen Vonitsa: A gentle sail back to Vonitsa from Preveza or a medium days sailing from Levkas town. You will have lots of opportunity to do last minute shopping and maybe to explore the castle or the island with its tiny chapel. Dinner at a traditional greek cafe on the waterfront.
o. Day fifteen. An early start sail back to Cleopatras marina where Capn Dex will take you back to the airport in the minibus in plenty of time for your flight back to the UK.
Crew wanted, Greece, sunny sailing, sailing, greek sailing, sailing adventure, ionian, ionian sailing, greek islands, | |
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