Nisos Kythira - Kapsali
03 November 2023
Jane Paulson
Ormos Kapsali
We had the perfect weather window to get around the Rodopou peninsula from Kolimvari and cross to Kythira. I have to confess that I was not sorry to leave.
Nisos Kythira and the small neighbouring island of Andikythira form an island bridge between the Peloponnese and Crete. The two islands have played an important part as stepping stones on the ancient trade routes around the Peloponnese to the Agean and east along Crete. On the south of Kythira, a Minoan trading post – c.2000 to 1450BC - has been excavated.
The islands other claim to fame is that Aphrodite was born here, although other islands, notably Cyprus, also lay claim to the goddess.
Our plan was to break the 53 mile passage by stopping off at the tiny island of Andikythira for a night. Our pilot book said there was a small quay big enough for a couple of yachts and it was also possible to anchor.
We arrived and did not like what we saw. The quay was very small, the water was shallow and the bay was also very narrow. It just didn't feel right. A team talk : Kythira was 20 miles further on. We could make it hopefully before it got dark if we got a shimmy on.
We actually arrived shortly after the sun went down and it started to get dark, expecting to anchor in the bay. To our delight, there was a long quay, very well lit with just one catamaran tied up alongside. We were met by “Bruno” who very kindly took our lines and immediately invited us on board his Cat for coffee. Bruno was a French/Italian, his wife Croatian, both spoke impeccable English and we enjoyed excellent coffee, biscuits and conversation for an hour or so. They were heading off early the next morning to where we had just come from (Kolimvari) and were due to be lifted out in Kiladhia a few days after us.
Kythira is a beautiful island. The bay of Ormos Kapsali was very sheltered and the beach was beautiful and long with a few cafes and tavernas still open. We actually did 10 days here as we loved it so much. We hired a car for a day and did some exploring, then enjoyed chilling on the beach, swimming and reading but also sat out a couple of days of rubbish weather.
Now, we had to get our heads around the fact that we were starting to head home. From Kythira we would make our way to the Peloponnese mainland, working our way up to our final destination of Kiladhia.
Inspirational thought for this post: to some people, it's just sand and water. To us it's where we regain our sanity.