Summer is always the best season to enjoy as many on-water activities as possible and give yourself a break from all the stress at work. Instead, spend quality time with your beloved partner and family. That’s why sailing 1-2 weeks is a perfect plan. Have you thought about where you are going to spend this summer holiday? Throughout this summer, we want to pass on some of the greatest sailling spots recommended by our very own Seawind cat community. And if you do not own a Seawind cat, then many of these locations are accessible during a week or 2 week charter.
This week, we would like to introduce the top 3 destinations in the Mediterranean that you should sail to this summer:
1. Greece
You can’t miss Greece when sailing the Med. With 6,000 islands scattered all around the country, Greece is renown for its archipelagos – beautiful sun-baked beaches, turquoise water, rustic harbours and white-washed houses. It is definitely an ideal destination for a summer getaway with partner and family.
If you don’t have much time, then Santorini, Mykonos and Crete are must-visit in Greece. It might be packed with a lot of tourists during summer time, but here’s why you have less to worry about sailing with a catamaran. Catamaran cruising is accommodation-worry free: Seawinds are remarkably well ventilated – so the cabins are relatively cool at such a hot and calm time of year. Hull windows, vents and saloon windows are designed to draw cool air from the waters surface up through the boat. And Seawind offers a huge array of fans to help further. So a location that can be a little too hot at times feels more enjoyable. If you’re sailing only as a couple, then you’ll find the massive double bed in the saloon to be the perfect place – open the tri-fold doors and forward windows to get a cool night’s sleep. When morning arrives, you’ll be fresh and rested to explore a local fish or grocery or dairy market and treat yourself the best.
Many bays in Greece are full of anchorages, so you don’t have to worry about where you can dock your cat, even in the peak season – even better for staying cool as the land is even hotter than normal relative to the sea water temperature.
And if you want to stay away from the crowd, there are also plenty of hidden gems, such as Sikinos, Zakynthos and Delos. Each of them holds different charms. Sikinos is more peaceful and offers low-key beauty. Even though it is a small island, it has a few churches such as Panayia Pantohara, Pantanassa and Chrysopigi.
While walking around the area, you will likely walk into the Manalis Winery which is open to visitors.
The area also produces 4 different wine labels: En Lefko, The Rosé, En Thermo and Liosato. It is great to try all of them from the top and open sea view.
You can also enjoy Sikinos Festivities every summer with different workshops on choral music and Greek folk dancing lessons and even religious feast days, which always serve fresh and seasonal dishes. You can get to this small island from the port of Piraeus. Please note that the area only allows anchor and stern anchor.
Another island you might consider exploring this summer is Zakynthos. While you are out on the water, you will want to pay a visit to the Blue Cave. You can also enjoy scuba diving and snorkelling among the other 400 or more caves around the island. Then head over to Navigos beach, which is surrounded by 900ft cliff walls while the beach itself is covered in perfect white sand. Zakynthos offers on-water relaxation and a unique experience while being pretty and memorably photogenic.
A nature-lover will not want to miss the chance to sail to Zakynthos. This island is literally a nature paradise. At the Turtle Museum, you can see endangered sea turtle up close and how people are trying to protect and take care of them. If you are lucky enough, you can even get a chance to see eggs hatch. Sometimes while sailing you may see other endangered creatures, such as Mediterranean Monk Seal Monachus Monachus and dolphins, swim along the boat.
Next week, we will head to the largest Mediterraneance island. Leave a comment below if you know the answer and share with us your own favourite spots to sail this summer.
While waiting for our next article, you can read and consider other cruising destinations in Australia and Europe.
Read more:
A week with Seawind 1160 at Whitsundays