A WEEK AFLOAT NORTHERN SPORADES, GREECE

Blue water, rich culture and charming fishing villages are all waiting to be discovered in these Greek islands, says Lu Heikell.

- Lu Heikell

DO YOU ONLY HAVE A WEEK TO SPARE?

For those of us who are time-poor but who want to seize the moment, either on our own boat or on a charter, it is reassuring to know that there are plenty of cruising hubs from where we can enjoy some of the best of the region in only a few days. This new series, A Week Afloat, commissioned by Yachting Monthly and Imray, visits some ideal destinations and suggests a one-week itinerary. Each article, complete with expanded information about cruising each area, will be available as a PDF download via Imray’s website or Google Play Books. The Sporades – meaning scattered or sown – are in fact divided into two distinct groups, the Northern Sporades covered here, and the Eastern Sporades lying along the coast of Asia Minor. The northern group are better known as a tourist destination and are often simply referred to as The Sporades.

The islands lie like gems, curving gently up from the Trikeri Channel, which divides the island of Evia from mainland Greece, northwards to the tiny sea-washed islet of Psathoura. Forty miles north of here, Mount Athos rises out of the sea at the bottom of the Khalkidiki. The island of Skiros lies to the southeast of the main Sporades group and is somewhat isolated.

Skiathos is the most southerly island and being closest to mainland Greece also serves as the travel hub. Moving from here along the chain, the islands become progressively less visited and the National Marine Park of the Northern Sporades covers all the islands from Alonnisos out to Psathoura. Mediterranean monk seals, dolphins, turtles and rare birds are all protected inhabitants of the islands.