to walk. It was a Waymarked route,
number 1a taking us up paths and lots
of steps before crossing the winding road
which the bus takes. If it’s hot and you
have doubts about your fi tness or health,
take the bus – the journey is well worth it
and the views are stunning. The old kastro
on top of Chora is quite breathtaking but
not great for vertigo sufferers!Chora
Inside Chora is a maze of narrow back
streets made up of tiny houses which
lead you to a small square with a handful
of pleasant cafés and tavernas and
a couple of arty shops. It’s lovely. Very
atmospheric and inviting, the staff at
the taverna we used couldn’t have
been more welcoming or helpful.
The walk back down gave us glimpses
inside tiny homes, which have seemingly
remained unchanged for generations.
Wild succulents and prickly pear cacti
adorned the hillside and lazy lizards
scampered slowly away across the
paths as we disturbed their sunbathing.
Serifos, I was told, has two populations,
the old who live in Chora on the hill, and
the incomers who run the businesses
in the port. Some of these incomers,
though, have been here a while. A waiter
told me if you drink the water, you’ll
always come back, but beware he said:
‘I drank it 20 years ago and never left!’
You can understand why. The new marina
makes the island a safe stopover for
a while or a good place to sit out a blow.We’ll be back
There are enough shops for provisions
and a good selection of tavernas in Chora.
The island’s interior walks keep you busy,
and if marinas and quayside aren’t your
thing, the bay has plenty of space in which
to swing. Ferries run to neighbouring
islands and local tripper boats run
excursions to isolated beaches too.
Serifos was pleasantly surprising with its
new marina, the friendly locals, a choice
of well-stocked shops and just the hint
of more to come. We’ll certainly be back.nearby and even a hardware shop in
the streets behind the seafront.
Livadi has a tourist information centre,
and the woman who runs it was keen
to extol the virtues of the island’s walks,
giving us free maps and advice. There
was a bus to the capital, Chora, up the hill
a couple of miles away but we chose
Send in your free
anchorages and win
a pack of PBO playing
cards for published
suggestions
Email [email protected]
or write to the address at the top of page 5Call 01202 440832 to order a pack:
just £4.99+P&PFree
anchorage!
Clifden, Co. Galway
Picture-perfect Clifden
Left, Serifos and its wonderful new marina,
and above, approaching Livadi MarinaNew service points still in their packaging
aleriasadventures.blogspot.co.ukhttp://www.pbo.co.ukIn association withhttp://www.pbo.co.ukSSANDFree anchorageBouley Bay, JerseyBcoast of Jersey. enter; a tidal harbour with deep water nestled under the cliffs on the north ouley Bay is a popular anchorage The (^) wide bay is easy to
school activity and rocks at the seaward moorings. Holding is good on sand south east of the pier. Beware local dive
end of the pier during low tides. The pebble beach shelves steeply. There are a few good pubs ashore.
channel islands
E
xperienced sailors Daria and
Alex Blackwell shared insight
into cruising the Wild Atlantic
Way on the west coast of Ireland at
PBO’s Ask the Experts Live event
at Beaulieu Boat Jumble 2017.
The second of the free anchorages
they recommended was Clifden,
in the heart of Connemara, County
Galway. It has a vast anchoring area,
but there’s a two-mile walk from
the harbour to the village. Although
there are a lot of services, including
shops, restaurants, pubs, hotels,
an AIB bank, plus a large and very
nice SuperValu supermarket right
at the fi rst intersection, they’re not
easily accessible from the anchorage.
The cruising guide says it’s a mile
away – don’t believe it!
Careful pilotage is required. Doolick
Rock is always showing but extends
two cables north of the part which
dries. Keep well clear of the
neighbourhood of Coghan Rocks
which dry at springs and lie seven
cables east of Carrigarana beacon.
Having passed between these rocks,
the approach is fairly clear.
The website http://www.connemara.net
describes Clifden as a vibrant town
known as the capital of Connemara,
situated in a ‘unique and picturesque
setting between the foothills of the
Twelve Bens and the Atlantic Ocean,’
it attracting thousands of visitors
every year.
■ Read more at http://www.connemara.net
■ Watch Alex and Daria’s talk video
at http://po.st/Wild_Atlantic_Way