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CRUISING NOTES
and as the sun slid inexorably to the
horizon we took the dinghy ashore and
walked the short distance uphill to
Katomeri. This is a Greek village where the
traditions of the ages are observed – men
gather at the kafenion (cafe) for an
evening drink and women weave blankets
and tablecloths on traditional looms.
Hidden gem
Further afi eld, but also in the Ionian, is
the popular sailing area of mainland
Greece approximately 30 miles north of
the Lefkas canal.
Many cruisers will head for Sivota (also
known as Mourtos), opposite the southern
tip of Corfu, or to Parga further south. We
found these anchorages very busy in July
and August, so instead we headed north
of Parga and Igoumenitsa to the very
tranquil surroundings of what is offi cially
known as Ormiskos Valtou, but we call it
‘Iggy Creek’.
This peaceful anchorage is often used
as a bolthole in very bad weather as it is
sheltered on all sides. When we were
there towards the end of August, the
weather was calm and we had the
anchorage to ourselves. We had a very
pleasant walk around the bay to a huge
expanse of golden sand known as
Drepano beach. There were very few
people about, despite it being the peak
holiday season in Greece. With a couple
of beach bars on miles of gently shelving
sand, this was truly a hidden gem, even
though it was only 20 miles north of the
crowded beaches and hotspots of Parga.
We also explored the little-known area
fi ve miles south-east of Parga where the
Acheron River fl ows into the bay at Fanari.
The entrance of the river is south of the
popular beach, where a low stone
breakwater leads you into this almost
hidden waterway, edged by thick reeds
and bulrushes. In the distance we saw the
rooftops of the waterside village of
Ammoudia. This is a popular holiday
destination for Greeks, as well as tourists
from many other European countries, but
very few British visitors come here. As we
carefully approached the riverside
buildings, the river narrowed and the chart
indicated depths of 1.5 to 1.7m, but we
never found the depth to be less than 2m.
A little way past the main village, we saw
several yachts moored on pontoons. It
appeared that some used these as theirpermanent mooring, a fact confi rmed by
the pontoon owner. There was, however,
space for us to moor overnight for the
modest fee of 10 euros, which included
fresh water.Out of this world
We took our dinghy upriver to explore this
historic waterway. The Acheron is a
tributary of the Styx, the boundary
between earth and the underworld. The
Styx had special powers that could make
people invulnerable. This is where Achilles
was immersed, all apart from his heel!
In Greek mythology, the ferryman
Charon transported the souls of the newly
dead across the river Styx into the
underworld. It was believed that placing a
coin in the mouth of the deceased would
pay the toll for the ferry to cross the river.
While exploring the river, we were
delighted by the wildlife we encountered:
kingfi shers darted back and forth, their
glistening blue bodies refl ecting in the
water. We also saw the delicate hanging
nests of nightingales.
Eventually the river became obstructed
with fl oating branches and debris, so we
turned back and returned to Fandancer.
On the last bend of the river, we saw a
large creature near the bank and were
later told that it was a beaver, which are,
apparently, common visitors to that spot.
The next morning we left the pontoon
and carefully manoeuvred a 180° turn in
the river, before heading downstream and
back into the Ionian Sea.NLEFKASGREECEPrevezaLefkasMEGANISIKALAMOSElia
BayAbelike
Bay
Port Athene
BayLefkas
ChannelLefkas
CanalTo
Ormiskos
ValtouPort Leone
BaySpartachoriVathiKatomeri
KalamosEpiscopiPort Spiliakilometres0 6PrevezaIonian
SeaAcheron RiverDrepano beachLEFKASCORFUPAXOS
ANTIPAXOSALBANIAGREECEIONIAN
ISLANDSSivota
Parga
FanariAmmoudiaIgoumenitsaOrmiskos ValtouKalamosVathiParga’s colourful quayside
We found Episcopi to be calm and quiet
Fandancer placid in Port Leone