From 29th April to 2nd May I was lucky enough to spend 3 nights on board S/Y Nomad travelling from the tiny island of Poros, around the Argolid Peninsula and Saronic islands before returning to her base in Lavrio which is within an hour of Athens airport. I got to know the crew, sampled the food and tested the watersports gear.
It was myself and 4 other brokers onboard and we were looked after by Captain Ilias, Chef Antonis and Stewardess/deckhand Natalia who did a great job at making sure we were hydrated, well fed and entertained throughout our time on board.
For those who need to work whilst travelling we had uninterrupted internet and enough space around the aft dining table to host 5 laptops! When not catching up on emails we were able to spend time on the flybridge getting to know the crew or on the foredeck soaking up the early summer sun and; whenever the wind picked up, I only needed to think of feeling a little chilly and a crew member would emerge with some blankets.
Below is our itinerary which includes some of the places you may expect to explore when booking a charter out of Athens.
29th April:
We departed the island of Poros at 10.30 and got the sails up as soon as we were clear of the headland, we harnessed the breeze for a couple of hours even with the engine off for a while.
At lunchtime, we anchored close to the beach in Metochi Bay , the quiet bay and rustic scenery felt like an island even though we were next to Karafotaiika on the mainland. Not yet brave enough to swim we soaked up the atmosphere and enjoyed our first lunch on board. Spicy tomato pasta with king prawns and a perfectly dressed green salad.
Later that afternoon we sailed around the peninsula into Porto Cheli where we anchored for our overnight stop. Wanting to make the most of being in a the glorious waters of Greece I couldn’t resist a quick jump in the water before we took a water taxi to the beautiful island of Spetses. A short hop from Porto Cheli, Spetses is a charming island with a wealth of history, home to the heroine of Spetses; Laskarina Bouboulina, who was a prominent and pivotal figure during the Greek war of Independence. The house she lived in has been preserved in Spetses and her memory honoured by signs outside; she is commemorated throughout Greece with many roads named after her. Aside from the rich history the town is host to many gorgeous shops and cocktail bars.
We returned for our first dinner on board which was rounded off with a spectacular dessert (see photo below), raspberry and vanilla crémeux with a pistachio crumb and honeycomb biscuit.
30th April:
Waking up feeling refreshed we departed Porto Cheli to anchor in a bay on the island of Dokos, inhabited by one elderly Greek lady and her donkeys it was the perfect spot for watersports. We tested Ilias’ tender driving skills whilst we took it in turns wakeboarding. It was such a privilege to spend a working afternoon flying around a beautiful bay on a wakeboard.
Later that afternoon we headed into the port of Ermioni and took the ferry over to the Saronic Island of Hydra. Famously Hydra has no motorised vehicles on the island and instead donkeys are used to carry supplies and tourist suitcases from the port to the hotels.
Hydra is full of charm and lovely local shops selling beautiful clothing and jewellery. There are art galleries and walks a plenty so the 3 hours we were there were easily spent.
That evening we returned to Nomad for another delicious meal before heading to Genny for a party on the flybridge. The crew really brought the energy and did a great job of hosting for the night.
1st May
We were slow to rise after the night before so enjoyed a gentle meandering journey back to Poros for a swim and a lunch stop where we enjoyed my favourite of chef Antonis’ culinary delights, which was a creamed celeriac purée topped with a lemon and tomato salsa and grilled sea bass.
Before long we were at our final stop of Agistri where we headed ashore for a dinner with all the brokers and crews. It was the perfect way to round off a wonderful few days on board.
2nd May
Fortunate for those of us that had late flights we got to enjoy the long journey back to Lavrio and en route Ilias paused in the bay adjacent to the ancient Temple of Poseidon to allow Jurko to get some amazing drone shots overlooking the bay from the ancient ruins. ( The thumbnail image and drone shot are credited to Yurko Anzulovic)
Be sure to leave room in your luggage for a wonderful departing gift from Nomad Yachting, a lovely way to say goodbye and we look forward to seeing the crews again next year!
