Cerigo 

General Data

Features

Dock Services

Description

Kythira, also known as Cerigo, is first of all a mythological place: it is said, in fact, to be the birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. But it's also a quiet place, far from the mass tourism flows, entirely dominated by nature and a traditional Greek atmosphere.

Located just south of the Peloponnese peninsula, between the Ionian and Aegian Sea, the island is easily accessible by boat. This is why it was a crossroads of pirates and conquerors in the past. Approaching Cerigo is not difficult but be careful, as usual, in case of strong winds and streams.

Cerigo has had a long and varied history and has been influenced by many civilisations and cultures: Normans, Ottomans, Byzantines, Venetians and even British.

The result is that today the city offers Venetian fortresses, Byzantine buildings, country churches and many picturesque traditional villages. Everything is plunged in an unspoiled, sometimes rugged, nature, characterized by mountains and sparse vegetation.

So, if you're looking for breath-taking sea and beaches, Cerigo is the right place for you!

However, the island doesn't offer many opportunities for yachtsmen. The only port is Kapsali, located on the southern edge of the insland. It's completely exposed on its southern side, so it's completely unsafe in case of strong winds. Western winds, too, represent a serious problem since they generate insidious streams.

Nevertheless, the port offers a good shelter from Meltemi wind, which is not bad.

The seabottom, composed by seaweeds, sand and rocks, is not a good holding ground.

The port consists just of some quays and a small breakwater; you can moor there laterally. Depth is not excellent and it can even reach 1 metre in some points. Pay attention to some sandbanks located north of the port basin, too.

The structure offers very essential services: just some water and fuel can be asked to the Coast Guard (+30 2736 311 164). The quay offers no drinkable water. You can find some taverns and restaurants in the city centre.

As an alternative, there's a small anchorage area on the eastern coast, near the new Diakofti ferries terminal, on Makronisi island, opposite the little town of Diakofti. It offers a good shelter from southern and south-western winds.

Always on the eastern coats, there's the narrow bay of Ayios Nikolaos, which offers a small port but exclusively reserved for fishing boats. The sandy bay, however, offers a good shelter from western winds. The village offers just few tavers.
Finally, always on the eastern coast, there's Ayia Pelagia, a very small port equipped with few mooring places and offering a good shelter from southern and south-western winds

 

 

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