Alonnisos & the Sporades National Park

Having spent a wonderful day and 2 peaceful nights on anchor in the bay outside the Port of Linaria on Skyros, we had a wonderful close haul sail for 46NM across the Aegean to the start of the Northern Sporades, which includes Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonnisos, and the group of tiny islands that make up the national park in this area, a couple of which we were not allowed to go near! Forty miles north of these islands Mt Athos rises out of the sea in the distance.

The Island of Alonnisos

Our first stop was the Island of Alonnosis, a hilly wooded island that still relies on donkeys and caiques as much as on motor vehicles, not that we saw any! We found a tiny bay, Ormos Rousoumi, with a little resort at its head, just north of the main port of Patitiri, and dropped our pick for what we hoped would be a peaceful night given the northerlie winds were still blowing quite strong just beyond its mouth.

The night was peaceful-ish, and David was certainly not allowed to consider it one of the permitted 3 rolly-polly nights a season, after all our pots and pans and everything else did not rattle inside the boat, but it wasn’t comfortable enough to contemplate a second night! So after a leisurely mooring we raised the anchor and went to have a nose at the next bay along, Votsi, where the water was turquoise and calm and we had wished we had found that one first! Certainly one to remember.

We didn’t stop in Votsi, instead started to head to the main port so we could explore the 2 towns of the island, Patitiri and the Old Chora, knowing Seaclusion was all safe and sound tied up to the quay. Our timing sucked a little however as the high speed ferry rapidly approached and took up station outside the port entrance. From our point of view it looked like it had taken up the whole entrance, so we sat still and waited for half an hour for it to disgorge its passengers and cargo before departing.

Alonnisos Port – Patitri

And finally we were in and moored up safely.

Patitri, a pleasant little spot, surrounded by sea on one side, cliffs on the other and pine clad hills behind. It is now the official capital of the island, having moved down the hill from the Old Chora. We soon found our way around, sussing out the supermarkets and butchers, (why do they always put them at the top of the hill), ready for the morning, ending up with a freddo cappucino gazing out past the harbour.

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That evening, we decided to hop in a taxi (there didn’t seem any point hiring a car as the only 2 places to visit were Patitiri and the Chora), to go visit the Chora, taking some piccies before the sun set and had a wonderful dinner out with fantastic views. A nice bottle of Malbec, well it was a Argentinian restaurant and an introduction into Deep House music that was being played in the background. We have subsequently added a couple of Deep House playlists on Spotify, which blocks out the noise of the engine when motoring !

Alonnosis Old Town (Chora)

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The following day, we set sail again, in 18 knots of wind and tacked our way over to the uninhabited island of Nisos Peristeri. and to the aptly named bay of Ormos Peristera, where we became the entertainment for a couple of hours whilst we tried to anchor with a long line ashore in a cross wind, not once but twice!.

The first time wasn’t so bad, and in fact we did it first time, with one line, however it cut off access to a couple of small local fishing boats and they were not happy, to say the least! With hindsight we should have just ignored them, got our second line on, pulled up the anchor a bit to right ourselves and all would have been fine, but we didn’t, we got flustered, so went to try again in a different place. Big Mistake!

The second attempt just found the wind taking our stern away from the shore that David was so valiantly trying to swim to, long line in his hand, until finally we ran out of our very very long line and gave up! Can I just say at this point that I doubt Michael Phelps in his prime would have made it to shore before we ran out of line! We pulled it all back on boat, picked up the anchor and just dumped it and ourselves in the middle of the bay where we stayed for 2 days!!!

Nisos Peristeri

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After 2 days of bliss and entertainment we decided to depart our little haven and sail up to Nisos Panayia, first stopping in a tiny place called Steni Vala, half way up the coast of Alonnosis, for some extra water and bits and bobs.

Stena Vala, Alonnisos

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Nisos Kira Panayia & Ormos Planitis

We started with a great sail until the wind petered out and we motored to the north of Nisos Kira Panayia & Ormos Planitis. Kira Panayia lies 4 miles to the NE of Alonnosis, and is deserted except for a large herd of goats, cows, some horses, a big black bull and a guardian, again not that we say any of them!.

Ormos Planitis is a large landlocked bay with a tiny entrance, not one any sensible sailor would attempt to enter or leave in a howling northerly gale, but thankfully for us, we only had 6 knots of wind!

And how peaceful it was, a cool breeze, calm seas, and we spent the evening paddle boarding, swimming and eating on board with a lovely bottle of vino!

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It was so peaceful we were tempted to stay another day and night, but we had the last of the winds for a least week, so in the morning we made our way out of the entrance, and set sail on a broad reach all the way to Skopelos.

27th July 2021