Peloponnese Flotilla Holiday

En route be sure to sail close to spectacular Hydra, for some great photography. Ermioni is a charming traditional fishing village popular with Greek tourists seeking the authentic.

We are really getting off the beaten track now and Kiparissi is a charming remote fishing hamlet where the locals will appreciate our visit and extend a warm welcome.

The truly atmospheric fortified medieval town is linked to the mainland by a causeway and has been well preserved . The ‘Rock of Monemvasia’ has been the landmark of this safe haven since antiquity, also regarded as the birthplace of Aphrodite, according to Homer.

An ‘aristocratic’ island with fine Seafaring traditions, well off the regular tourist trail and something of a secret amongst those ‘in the know’. Well worth the visit.

An easier day today and a chance to linger off one of the best beaches in the Mediterranean at Elaphonissos, the small fishing village ashore has an authentic charm.

A longer voyage today, which should be downwind and a
pleasant sail. Historic Messolonghi is different to everywhere else we will visit. The lagoon is home to diverse bird life which includes pelicans, as well as seals and turtles. The characteristic stilted fishermen’s houses could easily be in Vietnam or Thailand. The town is where Lord Byron left his last breath during the Greek war of independence and he is honoured with a notable small museum.

We sail under the Rion Bridge, one of the world’s longest, joining the Peloponese to the mainland. En route we also pass historic Nafpaktos, site of the historic naval battle of Lepanto. Then island of TRizoniais an undiscovered gem, home to a few fishermen and holiday homes, plus the obligatory and most authentic fish tavernas.

A truly delightful old Seafaring town, noted for its’ listed ‘Kapetanospitta’ or court yarded Captain’s houses, many of which have been lovingly restored. We organise an optional visit by road to the famous Ancient Oracle of Delphi 40 minutes away.

We overnight in this historic town, before transiting the spectacular Corinth Canal, A long term project conceived and commenced in classical times and finally completed in 1888. These days it is too small for modern super tankers and mega ships, though still enjoying regular shipping and yachting traffic.

Return to Athens and the end of our spectacular journey. We organise a farewell dinner in the shadow of the Acropolis in the Old Plaka district of Athens.

Kalamata, a candidate for the European city of culture for 2021, is the regional capital, and quite chic and sophisticated. A sheltered harbour with good shopping and facilities ashore.

After the demise of Byzantium this was an outpost of the Venetian maritime empire that has left its mark in notable coastal fortifications and elements of the local cuisine

The beach resort of Finikounda is on our way, Methoni the second historic Venetian outpost and important staging post on the ancient trading routes from
Venice to the east. The village is dominated by an imposing castle

We visit the offshore island of Sapientza with its famous Venetian lighthouse before continuing to the historic town of Pylos, in the scenic and sheltered Navarino bay, site of the famous naval battle of the same name of 1827, when the joint fleets of Britain, France and Russia destroyed the Ottoman fleet. In the afternoon, an optional visit by motor boat to the spectacular bay and beach of Voidokilia.

Today a true adventure as we voyage to the desert islands of Strofades, steeped in legend and history. There is an medieval monastery, previously looked after by a solitary monk, who sadly died in 2014.