AEGEAN ADVENTURE

Thomas and Jutta Kittel prepare for their Mediterranean swansong as they commence the final leg of their Greek cruise, discovering some unspoilt gems amidst the busier holiday islands of the Northern Sporades

- Thomas Kittel

Finally, we are commencing the last leg of this year’s adventure, heading north up the eastern coast of mainland Greece. The good news is that the infamous Meltemi wind, which blows with monotonous regularity from July to September, is taking a break, giving us the chance to make a dash for the Northern Sporades. This archipelago is made up of more than 100 islands, of which the four largest and best known are Skyros, Alonnisos, Skopelos and Skiathos.

From Lavrion, southwest of Athens, we set out in perfectly calm waters bound for the southernmost island of Skyros. After rounding the tip of Euboea – the second largest Greek island after Crete – we start the long trek north along Euboea’s mountainous and inhospitable east coast

EXPLORING SKYROS

We reach Skyros in the late afternoon and start the search for a suitable berth. On the western side of Skyros, in a large sheltered bay, lies the small town of Linaria. The harbour here is dominated by the ferry linking the island to Kymi on Euboea and only has a few guest berths, all of which are occupied. After a few minutes of circling around, a dinghy comes towards us bearing the harbour master, who assigns us an alongside berth on the pier with a panoramic view of the bay and the mountains surrounding it. Up above us, a pristine white church glows in the warm light of the passing day.

“We reserve this berth for large yachts,” the harbour master explains as a cleaning machine passes up and down the pier, leaving it so spotless that you could eat off it. He then presents us with a folder of information about the island, in our home language of German, and explains how to use the many port facilities, including the disco shower!