Tag: harbour (page 1 of 3)

A springtime stroll at Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos

Share

uses at Skala Sykamineas village

Skala Sykaminias village

Trees on the seaside at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Mouria Tou Mirivili taverna

fishing boats and Panagia Gorgona church at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Scenes from our visit to Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos. From the top: Verdant mountainsides rise behind the village; a man relaxes on a bench near the fishing boats; spring wildflowers blanket the ground beneath a row of trees along the coast; harbourside tables at I Mouria Tou Mirivili taverna; fishing boats moored below the landmark church of Panagia Gorgona (the Mermaid Madonna).

 

“Skala Sykaminias is easily the most picturesque fishing port on Lesvos.” — The Rough Guide to the Dodecanese and East Aegean Islands (2005).

 

Seaside walkabout:  We have rather hazy memories of the several hours we spent exploring scenic Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos island during our last trip to Greece.

Just to be clear: by “hazy,” we aren’t suggesting we over-indulged in ouzo at one of the village’s portside cafes (we actually didn’t have anything to drink) — we’re referring to the lackluster sky and sunlight conditions that prevailed on that particular afternoon.

Either by sheer bad luck or complete coincidence, we had arrived in Greece four days earlier just as winds from the Sahara desert swept across the Mediterranean Sea and clouded the skies above Greece with minute particles of sand and dust. 

At Cape Sounion, where we spent the first two nights of our holiday, the dusty atmosphere dulled the day-time light, muted the normally vibrant colours of the sea, sky and landscapes, and obscured the breathtaking views from the historic Temple of Poseidon.  We had been hoping to experience one of the glorious Sounion sunsets we have seen pictured on Greece travel guides and postcards, but we couldn’t catch either a fleeting glimpse of the sun or its golden light; thanks to the dust, it was completely invisible.

Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos

A glimpse of Skala Sykaminias village, from a lookout point along the highway from Molyvos to Mantamados 

 

From Sounion we travelled to the town of Molyvos in northern Lesvos, hoping for clear skies and bright sunshine there. No such luck — the sky looked just as leaden, and the sun remained as elusive, as both had been back on the mainland. Our pleas for better weather were either not received or blatantly ignored by Zeus, the Greek god of the sky, because the haze persisted almost the entire week, including the day we drove to Skala Sykaminias to take a look at what’s considered to be the prettiest fishing harbour on the island, and one of the most charming in the entire country.

The village still looked lovely, of course, but we couldn’t help but feel a little let down that we weren’t experiencing its full visual beauty — with brilliant and clear blue skies,  the vibrant turquoise hues of the Aegean Sea, and the vivid colours of fishing boats, flowers and foliage.  

There were occasional moments when the sky suddenly seemed brighter and more clear, but those were merely a tease — the sunny periods were short-lived. But those brief breaks of brightness did give us a good impression of just how stunning Skala Sykaminias would look on a completely clear day. Admittedly, we do feel a bit of jealousy when we see crisp, clear and richly colourful photos of the village on Instagram and other social media. But those also make us look forward to a paying a return visit some day, hopefully under more auspicious weather conditions.

So, what was there to see at Skala Sykaminias on that hazy April afternoon?

The village was pleasantly quiet and peaceful, with probably no more than three dozen people out and about — including local residents and a small clutch of daytrippers, like us. We weren’t expecting crowds, though, since the summer tourist season hadn’t yet begun, and Greek Easter celebrations were still a few days away.

The village cafes and tavernas

Several cafes were open for business, including two that had placed chairs and painted tables right at the harbour’s edge. At Traverso Cafe, a young couple relaxed with coffees while their daughter eagerly tucked into a luscious chocolate crepe. At Kavos Cafe, staff were busy performing maintenance chores and setting up the seaside bar patio while the cafe’s mascot, a multilingual scarlet macaw named Dias, supervised their work.

Kavos Cafe at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

The harbour-facing side of Kavos Cafe

 

Kavos Cafe at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

macaw at Kavos Cafe in Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Above: a table on the back patio of Kavos Cafe, and Dias, the restaurant’s resident macaw 

 

cafe tables on the harbourside at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Cafe tables line the harbour’s edge in front of Kavos Cafe and Traverso Cafe

 

Traverso Cafe at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

The hand-painted sign at Traverso Cafe depicts a sailboat arriving at Skala Sykaminias

 

Traverso cafe  at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Tables on the patio at the front of Traverso Cafe

 

cafe table at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

cafe table at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Above: two of the beautifully painted tables at the Kavos and Traverso cafes.  Images of mermaids adorned several tabletops at both cafes, artistically acknowledging the Panagia Gorgona (Mermaid Madonna) church and local lore about the village’s encounters with the mythical sirens of the sea.

 

At the nearby taverna I Mouria Tis Mirivili,  we saw two long rows of tables readied for dinner time customers, along with some of the seafood delicacies awaiting them — octopus tentacles dangling from a line, and crustaceans crawling inside a large glass tank.  The taverna is probably the most well-known eatery on the island, since it’s reputedly where noted Greek novelist Stratis Myrivilis would sit and write, under the shade of what is now a 130-year-old mulberry tree, while enjoying views of the village landmark, the Panagia Gorgona church.  (The restaurant name translates as “Mirivili’s Mulberry.” You can read more about both the writer and the legendary church in our post The Mermaid Madonna church at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos.) 

Next door, Anemoussa Restaurant wasn’t yet open, but several octopus were hung from a line strung above the shoreside where the taverna sets up tables and chairs when it’s operating.

Also open for shopping and browsing were a mini market, Art Shop Niki at the village square, and a craft and jewellery shop beside Kavos cafe.

taverna tables at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Mouria Tou Mirivile taverna at Skala Sykaminias

Octopus hanging at Mouria Tou Mirivili taverna at Skala Sykaminias

Above: I Mouria Tou Myrivili taverna, where customers can watch the fishing boats and admire Panagia Gorgona church while dining on fresh fish, seafood and traditional Greek cuisine. 

 

octopus drying on a line at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos

Above: Octopus hang on a line near Anemoussa restaurant, while tourists browse the jewellery and craft displays at Art Shop Niki. Below: photos of the central square and some of the village houses and buildings.

 

Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos

buildings in Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos island

a building in Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos

Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos

Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos

Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos

Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos

buildings at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

 

The iconic harbour

Next up was a stroll around the Skala Sykaminias harbour, which travel guidebooks and tourist brochures say is the prettiest on the island.  With an array of fishing and motor boats moored in the U-shaped port, and the gleaming white Panagia Gorgona church standing sentry on a large rock next to the mole, the harbour certainly appears as charming and picturesque as the travel guides claim.

On this afternoon, it was as serene as the rest of the village. The water was calm and there wasn’t any  maritime traffic — no boats coming into or leaving the port, at least not while we were there. We saw four fishermen chatting as they mended nets and worked on their adjacent vessels,  a few tourists strolling along the pier, and a local man sitting on one of the harbourside benches, but that was as crowded as it got. Even the Panagia Gorgona was relatively undisturbed, with just a handful of people climbing its stairs to look at the church and enjoy its port, sea and village vistas.

Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos

harbour at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

fishing boats in the harbour at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

fishing boats at Panagia Gorgona church at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Skala Sykaminias harbour on Lesvos

outside Panagia Gorgona church at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Above: Various views of the harbour, fishing boats and Panagia Gorgona church

 

Along the coast road 

After a meandering stroll around the village and harbour, we took a long walk down a road that winds along the coast to Eftalou, the location of a popular thermal spring near Molyvos. Just outside the village, a long line of trees separates the road from the rocky shoreline. Benches provide shaded spots to relax and gaze at the sea and the distant coast of Turkey; underfoot, the ground was covered with white and pink wildflowers. We walked about 45 minutes before retracing our steps to the village. We had the road all to ourselves most of the time, seeing only three other people — one man walking, two others driving vehicles — during our trek.

Had we continued a couple kilometers farther, we could have seen a natural hot spring which we later learned about while reading the Skala Sykaminias page on the molyvos.eu website.  Based on a map the website provided to pinpoint the spring’s location, we figure we had walked more than halfway there before turning around.

Below are some of the photos we took along the way.

along the coast at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

wildflowers on the coast at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

near Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

a property at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

near Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos

a road at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

coast road from Skala Sykaminias to Eftalou on Lesvos

along the coast near Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos island

along the coast road at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

along the coast road at Skala Sykaminias

along the coast road at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

view along the coast road at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

coast near Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

along the coast road near Skala Sykaminias

 

The Mermaid Madonna church at Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

Share

Panagia Gorgona church of the Mermaid Gorgona on Lesvos

Panagia Gorgona church on Lesvos island

Panagia Gorgona Church on Lesvos

Three views of the church of Panagia Gorgona (the Mermaid Madonna), in photos from our visit to Skala Sykaminias on Lesvos

 

Greek island icon: Sometimes we learn fascinating facts and interesting background details about places we’ve been to in Greece long after we get home from holidays, rather than while we’re there in person, and this certainly proved to be the case for Skala Sykaminias village on Lesvos.

Mid-spring of 2019 found us staying in the beautiful town of Molyvos at the beginning of our first-ever Lesvos vacation — which coincidentally wound up being our last trip to Greece before the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted our annual travels.

During breakfast one morning, we were mulling where to go on a sightseeing drive that day. Our maps and guide books described nearby Skala Sykaminias as one of the most picturesque fishing villages on Lesvos, and other travellers at our hotel in Molyvos agreed, effusively praising it as “lovely,”  “charming,” and “not to be missed.” Since it was an easy, short drive from our accommodations, we decided to make the village our first stop.

We thought it was just as pretty as people had promised, in large part thanks to a quaint whitewashed chapel that gives the harbour much of its unique character and photogenic appeal. Built atop a large rock formation on one side of the port, the small, simple church is the standout feature of the Skala Sykaminias seafront.

 Like the handful of other tourists wandering around the village that late April afternoon, we made a point of popping by for a closer look at the little church. The door was locked tight, so we couldn’t look around inside, but we did enjoy pausing to take in the impressive views of the sea, harbour and village from the elevated position of the building and its adjacent terrace.

Panagia Gorgona Church on Lesvos

Panagia Gorgona church

Skala Sykamineas village on Lesvos

Top: Approaching steps leading from the harbour mole to Panagia Gorgona church. Center: Terrace view of the chapel, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Bottom: Terrace view of the harbour.

 

Some of our travel guides said the church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and called Panagia Gorgona (the Mermaid Madonna), but they didn’t explain how or why it got that name. In fact, they didn’t provide any information about the village’s signature attraction at all, and very little about Skala Sykaminia, either, apart from saying it’s famous for its fish tavernas. During our various travels in Greece, we have seen shops, hotels and tavernas named Gorgona, so it didn’t strike us as odd that a seaside chapel might be called that, too.

It wasn’t until months after we returned home from our holiday that I came across some curious stories and interesting information about Panagia Gorgona and the Skala Sykaminias settlement, and learned that both owe much of their tourist fame to a novel published in 1949 by a locally-born writer, Stratis Myrivilis.

I had never heard of Myrivilis until I noticed his name in the excellent photography book, Aeolian Lesvos (Liza Evert, Constellation Books Athens, 1995), which I had purchased on the island as a personal souvenir from our trip. Captions for two of the book’s beautiful photos of Skala Sykaminias were excerpts from Myrivilis’s novel, The Mermaid Madonna, which is regarded as the writer’s best-known work.

The quote in one of the photo captions described how a group of masons had been travelling by boat to a village in northern Lesvos, where they were scheduled to construct a soap factory. En route, they encountered a sudden storm squall that nearly capsized their vessel. When the masons noticed a rocky crag on the nearby coast, they said a prayer: “Save us and we’ll build you a chapel.” The weather settled immediately, and the masons and boat crew safely reached the shore at Skala Sykaminias. “They tied up the vessel and carried out their vow. That’s why the little chapel looks so like a small oil shop.”

Intrigued, I searched online for more information about Myrivilis, and found an informative PowerPoint presentation that students at the junior high school in Petra, Lesvos, had prepared for an Erasmus+ project entitled Every child matters: refugees and immigrants in education (Ermasmus+ is an EU governmental program for education, training, youth and sport).

Greek writer Stratis Myrivilis and the cover of his book The Mermaid Madonna

Photos of Greek writer Stratis Myrivilis and the cover of his popular 1949 novel, The Mermaid Madonna, are seen in an image from a presentation the Junior High School in Petra, Lesvos prepared for an EU educational program

 

The slideshow provides a brief biography of Myrivilis, a 3-time nominee for the Nobel literature prize, and includes a synopsis of The Mermaid Madonna, the novel he named after the little chapel in Skala Sykaminias. The book tells gripping stories based upon the harrowing refugee crisis that took place in 1922, when Turks torched the coastal city of Smyrna and forced more than a million native Greeks to flee the Anatolia region (Smyrna was part of what is now the Turkish city of Izmir). Besides describing the arrival of refugees at Skala Sykaminias, Myrivilis tells the tale of the masons who built Panagia Gorgona, and recounts some local legends about mermaids and village residents.

One story relates how village inhabitants reacted to a little green-eyed girl who was discovered in a fishing boat, and believed to be the daughter of a mermaid who had seduced a fisherman. Elsewhere, the book describes how villagers began to worship a mural that a sea captain purportedly painted inside the church, depicting the Virgin Mary with a mermaid’s tale. (The painting disappeared from the church decades ago, if it even existed in the first place.)

 

Cafe table painting of Mermaid Madonna Church

The Mermaid Madonna church is depicted in a table-top painting at a harbourside taverna in Skala Sykaminias

 

I felt dismayed that we hadn’t known about Myrivilis and his captivating stories, or the Smyrna refugee connection to Skala Sykaminias, before going to Lesvos. I’m convinced all the background information I discovered afterwards would have enhanced our visit, giving us a much better appreciation for the history of the church and village. We probably would have scoured the seaside for signs of mermaids, and peered through the chapel window to try and spot where the famous mural may have been painted!

Though we didn’t realize it at the time, we obviously had fallen under the siren’s spell simply by going there.

As an insightful article in the Lesvos-based blog Smitaki Boulevard News observes, “Skala Sykaminia is the village of the mermaid, who in modern times, continues her ancient craft, by seducing tourists.” Indeed — her charms had certainly worked their magic on us. I can still feel them sometimes, gently trying to lure us back.

If a trip to Lesvos is in your future plans, be sure to heed the siren’s call and pay Skala Sykaminias a visit.

For more information and photos of the church and village, here are links to several online articles and social media posts:

♦   A detailed description of the Stratis Myrivilis story about the church is outlined in The Mermaid of Sykaminia post on the blog Smitaki Boulevard News Lesvos, which we mentiioned above;

♦ Photos of the chapel, including three pictures of its interior, can be seen on the Ι .Ν. Panagia tis Gorgonas – North Aegean Islands page of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens website of Religious Tourism Destinations;

The Mermaid Madonna post on the NixPixMix blog includes several photos of the church (inside and out) and the Skala Sykaminias harbour, as well as a modern painting that depicts how the legendary mermaid Madonna fresco may have looked;

♦ A few Instagram photos and brief descriptions of the stories about the church are included in the Travelgirl blog post The church of Panagia Gorgona on Lesvos became famous from the novel by Myrivilis.

Below are several more of our photos of the church and harbour:

Panagia Gorgona Church on Lesvos

Panagia Gorgona church

Panagia Gorgona Church on Lesvos

Panagia Gorgona Church on Lesvos

Panagia Gorgona Church on Lesvos

Church bell at Panagia Gorgona Church on Lesvos

Panagia Gorgona Church on Lesvos

Panagia Gorgona Church on Lesvos

 

Moments in Molyvos: Sights & scenes from the marvellous castle town on Lesvos island

Share

View of the town of Molyvos on Lesvos island

Beach view of Molyvos town on Lesvos island

Harbour view of the town of Molyvos on Lesvos island

Views of Molyvos from a highway lookout point two kilometers south (top), from the local beach (center) and from the harbour jetty (bottom). Also known as Mithimna, the town is situated near the northern tip of Lesvos, and is one of the island’s premier attractions and visitor destinations. 

 

Cobblestone streets and lanes. Elegant stone and wood buildings with red-tiled roofs. Cozy cafes, bustling bars and traditional tavernas. Charming shops, chapels and churches. A picturesque fishing boat harbour and a long sandy beach. Byzantine and Ottoman-era historical influences. An imposing hilltop castle. Lovely views of the Lesvos coastline and the Northeast Aegean Sea, plus parts of the nearby Çanakkale province of northwest Turkey. Molyvos has all this and more — everything you’d expect from a town that dates back to 700 B.C.

This year, we visited Lesvos, and spent the first half of our island holiday — 8 full days and nights — at Molyvos. Initially, we were concerned this might be too long, but friends and regular Lesvos visitors assured us we wouldn’t get bored.  They were right, of course:  Molyvos suited us to a T. Its sublime natural and architectural beauty, comfortable atmosphere, historic character and friendly locals quickly showed us why Molvyos has legions of fans who faithfully return year after year. Molyvos has such an alluring charm, you just can’t help but fall in love with it.

If you haven’t been to Molyvos before, my collection of photos on page 2 of this post will give you a good impression of what you could expect to see while wandering around this marvellous town.

Please click on the link below to begin your tour of Molyvos!

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Pages: 1 2

A video tour of Hydra

Share

With help from a mini drone, filmmaker PanoVerino guides you on a quick tour of Hydra island

 

Quick introduction: If you haven’t been to Hydra yet, a recently-released video by PanoVerino will quickly bring you up to speed on the scenic highlights and attractions of the popular Saronic island.

The clip by the Athens-based filmmaker clocks in at just under two minutes, but covers a lot of ground — and air — with its exciting whirlwind pace, showing exactly what you can expect to see in and around Hydra Town, the island’s port and main settlement.

We spent a brief but very pleasurable 24 hours on Hydra during our 2016 Greek holiday, and recognized many of the sights and scenes the video spotlights. In fact, it made us instantly remember walking many of the same cobblestone paths, climbing the same flights of stairs, and seeing the same boats, buildings, donkeys, cafes, harbourside, hillsides and coastal scenery.  I find the film enjoyable not just for its exhilarating views and perspectives, but also for its briskness and brevity —  it doesn’t dwell on certain scenes for prolonged, drawn-out periods that will make you feel like you have to fast-forward before you fall asleep, as I find happens frequently when I watch drone videos. 

If you have been to Hydra yourself, the film will probably take you on a similar trip down memory lane. For those of you who haven’t yet been there, this quick look-around with PanoVerino may encourage you to consider Hydra for a future island-hopping holiday.

Greece, Greek islands, Saronic islands, Argosaronic islands, island, Hydra, Hydra island, Hydra Greece, Ydra, Ydra island, Hydra Town, town, village, harbour, hillside

Want to see more of Hydra? Have a look through the albums in our Hydra photo collection on Flickr.

The captivating coast, beach and village scenery at Kokkari on Samos

Share

Kokkari Village 2016 features breathtaking bird’s eye views of the scenic seafronts and harbour at Kokkari village on Samos 

 

Picture-postcard perfect:  We’ve got a lot of happy memories from our trip to Samos six years ago, and some of the best are from our visit to Kokkari one afternoon.

We had rented mountain bikes in Vathy for a day, and cycled to Kokkari to get a first-hand look at the village mainly because an online acquaintance had recommended it as a “must see” spot on the island. She warned me that it’s “super-popular” with tourists, but said we would love it nonetheless because “it’s just so gosh-darned pretty and picturesque — everything looks like a picture on a postcard.”

She wasn’t kidding when she cautioned us about the “touristy” side to Kokkari — we couldn’t believe the astounding number of bar, cafe and taverna signs we saw on the popular dining strip along the village harbour. (Take a quick peek at the photos in my posts Kokkari’s waterfront restaurant row, and What’s cooking in Kokkari? and you’ll see what I mean.) Although the signage suggested there might be cutthroat competition between the village’s dozens of eateries, we found Kokkari had a surprisingly laid-back atmosphere, and we didn’t encounter any of those annoying restaurant touts who try to coax and cajole people into patronizing some establishments on Naxos, Kos and Mykonos.

Gorgeous scenery and photo opps galore

My friend was absolutely right about the village’s picture-postcard appeal, too. There was gorgeous scenery all around, and photo opportunities galore — striking beach and coastal scenery, quaint lanes and alleys, the colourful village harbour, and the impressive backdrop of Mount Karvouris. We’ll certainly pay Kokkari another visit next time we’re on Samos.

The video I posted above, which was produced by the aerial photography firm Reel Drone, shows much of the village and coastal scenery that we found so captivating back in 2010 — even though it is, of course, filmed from a completely different perspective than tourists get to see while strolling around the area.

If you have been to Kokkari before, the video will probably bring back pleasant memories of your own. If you haven’t visited it yet (or haven’t even been to Samos), I’m sure you’ll enjoy the 2-minute aerial tour and find it inspiring for future holiday planning.

Kokkari website links

And just in case you might be thinking about a trip to Samos, the people at Reel Drone have offered the following helpful links to online information about Kokkari:

♦  https://www.facebook.com/Κοκκαρι-Δημοτικη-Κοινοτητα-1411154232520­339/

http://www.kokkari.gr/

 

Kalymnos island rocks!

Share

Marvellous mountain & coastal scenery plays a starring role in Kalymnos, an exhilarating rock climbing video that film maker Kieran Duncan shot on the rugged Dodecanese island last year

 

— Updated June 2 2021 with a link to a Kalymnos rock climbing guide —

 

Sheer excitement: I’ve had Kalymnos on my mind all week after watching a splendid short video that was shot on the island by Kieran Duncan, an adventurous film maker from Scotland.

Duncan’s nearly 4-minute-long film follows four young Scots who visit Kalymnos to test their skills at climbing some of its world-famous mountain cliffs and rock formations. Besides exhilarating and spine-tingling scenes of the lads scaling perilously steep rock walls, the film showcases the island’s marvellous mountain and coastal scenery, and gives viewers an impression of what it’s actually like to drive around the island. It also includes underwater scenes from a scuba diving session, and shows several spectacular sunsets.

I haven’t set foot on Kalymnos yet, but I have seen parts of its coast as well as its main port town, Pothia, during a ferry ride from Kos to Patmos in 2010.  At the time, I knew little about the island, apart from being vaguely aware of its long and storied history of sponge diving. I later learned that Kalymnos is nowadays more noteworthy as a challenging rock climbing destination for adventure sports enthusiasts from around the world.

 

______________________________

Want to learn more about climbing on Kalymnos? Be sure to check out the Ultimate guide to rock climbing at Kalymnos island Greece on the excellent adventure travel, rock climbing and exotic travel website Lydiascapes by Lydia Yang.

______________________________

 

I haven’t done any rock climbing since I was a kid, and wouldn’t plan a holiday in Greece just to give it another try. But after discovering Duncan’s film earlier this week, I couldn’t get the captivating Kalymnos scenery out of my head. From quick online research, I Iearned that the island offers excellent hiking opportunities in addition to its popular climbing, diving and water sports activities. Since my partner and I are avid Greek island walkers, this information instantly made Kalymnos even more appealing as a destination for us to include on a future island-hopping trip in the Dodecanese.

A village on Kalymnos seen in photo from Discover Greece

This photo, from the Kalymnos page of the Discover Greece website, captures quintessential Greek island scenery — the deep blue sea, a beach, a village, mountains and a blue-domed church

 

But what really “sold” me on Kalymnos were comments Duncan included on the Vimeo page for his film

“4 pale Scots went to Greece in search of some world class rock climbing, but found so much more!” he wrote.  “The island’s incredible presence, locals, food, scenery, and adventurous opportunities make it one of my favourite destinations yet. I hope this film will inspire you to check it out, you won’t regret it!”

Duncan’s film has certainly encouraged me to consider travelling to Kalymnos sometime. If his video has similarly inspired you, here are a few websites to bookmark for future reference and trip planning assistance:

Kalymnos — The real island experience is the official tourist website operated by the Municipality of Kalymnos. It features dozens of photos along with helpful information about the island’s history, arts and culture, traditional products, places to visit, and sports activities. 

Kalymnos Info is a travel guide loaded with details about activities, accommodations, dining, excursions, transportation, and more.

Climb Kalymnos is an excellent online resource and practical guide for rock climbing enthusiasts, with a climbing route database and regular news updates.

Kalymnos Climbing is a commercial site that offers guided rock climbing and climbing courses on Kalymnos. It has a dedicated section describing available hiking and trekking holidays on the island.

♦ The Kalymnos page on the Discover Greece travel portal lists island highlights and must-see attractions, and includes a number of beautiful photos. 

♦  Diving the Skafandro suit, by Sandra Hendrikse and André Merks, is a fascinating article about the rise and decline of the island’s historic sponge fishing business.

 

Pothia the main port of Kalymnos island

A mountain looms large behind Pothia, the main port of Kalymnos island. I snapped this photo during a brief ferry stop in May 2010, when we were travelling from Kos to Patmos.

Soar with the bedazzling beauty of Mykonos

Share

I love this fab drone aerial video of Mykonos, my first and still one of my all-time favourite Greek islands.  The 4-minute film features some of the island’s most picturesque places, including the Mykonos Town harbour, the rustic Little Venice seafront, Paraportiani church, the world-famous windmills, and gorgeous Psarou and Super Paradise beaches.  (The ultra-luxe hotel with the private plunge pools is the Grecotel Mykonos Blu resort at Psarou, in case you were wondering.) Click the arrow to admire the Mykonos beauty from above.

Two hot days on Crete

Share

beach on Crete

Fodele beach on the north coast of Crete, about 25 km west of Heraklion. It was empty when we were here in 2004, but I’ve seen recent photos showing the beach lined with umbrellas and lounge chairs.

 

Frostbite flashback: We had perfect hypothermia weather in Toronto today. Although it was gloriously sunny, the outdoor temperature was a frosty minus 24 Celsius — minus 40 with wind chill.  My face nearly froze while I was walking outside this afternoon, and for some reason I started remembering our one and only brief visit to Crete back in early June of 2004. Perhaps I was subconsciously trying to warm myself up by thinking about being somewhere hot instead of standing on a city street corner, shivering in the firm grip of a frigid Arctic air mass.

Once back home, I sorted through photos we shot while on Crete. There weren’t many pictures to review, primarily since we had a whirlwind visit of just three nights and two full days. (It didn’t help that a malfunction with my camera’s memory card wiped out dozens of images we did manage to shoot.)

We were in Greece on our first-ever island hopping holiday, a 2-week package tour that took us to Mykonos, Rhodes, Crete, Santorini and Athens. It was a great introduction to Greece, but the Crete segment of our itinerary was way too short and rushed. On an island as vast as Crete, two days gives you time to merely glimpse a few sites and attractions. With a visit so short and hectic, there’s no opportunity to soak up the island’s atmosphere, or to experience the local life and culture. Nevertheless, we felt our fleeting look at the sights and scenery was better than not making it to Crete at all. Next time, we’ll follow the advice of regular Crete visitors who advise spending one, two or more weeks just to explore one specific part of the island.

Click on the link below to continue reading my mini trip report on page 2, where I have posted a few of the photos we shot during our quick stop on Crete.

 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Pages: 1 2

Older posts