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This company is certified by the Greek Ministry of Maritime Affairs Registration no: F3344.1/616/2000 |
From Athens to Patra
(31 October - 7 November 2009)
The highlights of this cruise are a visit to the ancient theater of Epidavros, the crossing of the spectacular Corinthian Canal and the visit to the ancient site of Delphi. We will start from Athens (Piraeus) and finish a week later at the town of Patra. In the afternoons we will be stopping in a bay for lunch and sunbathing (you may find the sea a bit cold for swimming at this time of the year, although some people still enjoy the crystal clear waters). In the evenings we will be staying in different villages along the way.
Saturday 31st of October (Athens - Poros)
On Saturday it will be ideal if everyone arrives at Zea marina sometime in the afternoon, so that the cruise can start late afternoon/evening. This first day we will sail to the island of Poros with its picturesque little town.
Sunday 1st of November (Poros - Vathi)
From Poros we will sail to the tiny village of Vathi on the Methana Peninsula. The village is actually situated on the side of a volcano which is not active any more.
Monday 2nd of November (Vathi - ancient Epidavros - Korfos)
After breakfast we will head to the village of Epidavros which is only a few miles away, so anyone who is interested, can visit the famous ancient theater. That will be our swim stop as well, and after lunch we will continue to the small village of Korfos.
Tuesday 3rd of November (Korfos - Itea)
Today we will have an early start as this is the only day with a longer distance to be covered, and sail to the Corinthian Canal which connects the Aegean sea with the gulf of Corinth. We may have to wait up to one hour until we get permission to go through, and the crossing takes around 45-60 minutes. The destination for that day, will be the small town of Itea, which is the ideal starting point for a visit to ancient Delphi.
Wednesday 4th of November (Itea - Galaxidi)
In the morning we will spend a few hours in Itea, so those interested to visit the famous site of ancient Delphi, can take the local transport and spend a few hours there. It is around 50 km away. When everyone is back on the boat, we will sail to a bay for our swim stop and lunch and then sail to the nearby picturesque village of Galaxidi.
Thursday 5th of November (Galaxidi - Trizonia)
From Galaxidi we will continue our journey west through the gulf of Corinth and our destination for the day will be the tiny island of Trizonia. The village is small and very pretty and the locals really friendly.
Friday 6th of November (Trizonia - Nafpaktos - Patra)
There is a village called Nafpaktos which is really worth a visit, as the little harbour is inside the castle wall. It would be a nice lunch stop, however as the harbour is tiny, it will depend on the wind whether we can manouvre the yacht inside. Later we will pass under the longest suspended bridge in Europe, which connects the mainland Greece with the Peloponnese, before we arrive to Patra.
Saturday 7th of November
The cruise will end at 10a.m.
About the ancient theater at Epidauros
Reputed to be the birthplace of Apollo's son Asklepios, the healer, Epidaurus was known for his sanctuary situated about 8 kilometers from the town, as well as its theater, which is once again in use today.
The asclepieion at Epidaurus was the most celebrated healing center of the Classical world, the place where ill people went in the hope of being cured. To find out the right cure for their ailments, they spent a night in the 'enkoimitiria', a big sleeping hall. In their dreams, the god himself would advise them what they had to do to regain their health.
As is usual for Greek theaters (and as opposed to Roman ones), the view on a lush landscape behind the scene is an integral part of the theater itself and is not to be obscured. It seats up to 15,000 people.
The theater is marveled for its exceptional acoustics, which permit almost perfect intelligibility of un-amplified spoken word from the stage to all 15,000 spectators, regardless of their seating. Famously, tour guides have their groups scattered in the stands and show them how they can easily hear the sound of a match struck at center-stage. The rows of limestone seats filter out low-frequency sounds, such as the murmur of the crowd, and amplify/reflect high-frequency sounds from the stage.
About the Corinthian Canal
To get from the Aegean to the Ionian Sea in the old days, you had to sail all the way around the south of the Peloponnese which meant covering very big distances as well as negotiating the notorious cape Maleas which is famous for its violent gales. Another option was to have your ship carried over the 6 kilometer wide strip of land at Corinth, which connected the mainland with the Peloponnese. This second option involved the use of cylindrical tree trunks placed under the ship, while dozens of men or horses were pulling with ropes, and this option was obviously quite costly. The ancient stone path used for that purpose was called diolkos and can still be seen alongside the canal.
Last century the construction of the Corinthian Canal was completed (the first attempt was actually nearly three thousand years ago, in the 7th century BC), and although it is still costly with fees as high as 25000 Euro for a cruise liner, things are made a lot easier for shipping this way.
It is a breathtaking experience going with a yacht through this 'slit' of rock which is only 21 meters wide, 80 meters high above sea level and 6300 meters long!
About Ancient Delphi
The site of ancient Delphi is situated at the foot of the spectacular mount Parnasos and it was the most important oracle of ancient Greece. Its existence goes back to the prehistoric times and whole cities, kings as well as individuals would consult the priestesses, expressing their gratitude with great gifts and spreading its fame around the world.
Archaeological excavations began in 1860 (after having to move a whole village which was situated over the site!!!) and brought to the surface spectacular remains which can be seen there. It is a unique experience walking through the ancient structures and buildings which are surrounded by imposing mountains, as the views are really breathtaking. The museum is definitely worth a visit as well, because that is where all those thousands of objects and gifts to the oracle which were brought up by the excavation, are kept for safety.
The temple of Delphi was dedicated to god Apollo and it should be mentioned here that according to myth, every ship sailing past this area had to stop to pay their tribute. The ones who didn't, met a horrible death as Apollo launched his arrows against them from his temple high up in the mountains! Just in case, we have included in our itinerary a stop at the village of Galaxidi which is not far from Delphi, as you can never know with those ancient gods....!!!
Useful Tips
Flights
You would need to fly to Athens.
Transfers
Transfers between the yacht and the airport are not included in the price of your cruise.
At the beginning of the cruise, you can use the local transport system of Athens, as there is a good connection with the metro or buses between the airport and the marina in Piraeus.
At the end of the cruise you can take the train from Patra to Athens airport which takes around 3-4 hours and costs around 12 Euro.
Alternatively, you can take the coach to Athens which departs every 30 minutes (journey duration 2 hours 30 minutes, cost 15 Euro) and from the coach station take the city bus to the airport (journey duration 45-60 minutes, cost 3 Euro).
From the yacht in Patra, we will transfer you the the train or coach station.
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