Ormos Vathi

Astipalea is a small island, but thanks to its conformation and the nature of its coastline, it offers numerous mooring and anchoring possibilities. It is precisely its curious “butterfly” shape that allows it to offer different possibilities for sheltering depending on the wind from which one seeks shelter; for this reason, although Astipalea remains outside the main tourist flows and, perhaps, even of the most beaten routes, it is still a viable option for a stop for those who find themselves sailing in this stretch of sea.

The island, in spite of the airport, has remained virtually untouched, and perhaps because it offers no major tourist attractions, it has managed to retain its personality. This can be, for many boaters, a reason for attraction; the other side of the coin is the scarcity of services, dedicated to boating, starting with ports and dedicated infrastructure, which are practically nil with the sole exception of Skala, the port of the capital Chora. For the rest, you make do on your own: this may not be a bad thing, since many boaters like to do so, and in this case you have the security of being in almost pristine and uncrowded environments, a rarity in this sea area.

The bay we are now talking about is that of Ormos Vathi, which is located in the northeastern part of the island, almost in the middle of what one can imagine the eastern wing of the “butterfly” the island represents. A bay with a very peculiar shape: it looks like an inland lake, narrow and long, accessed by a fairly narrow channel that is also quite narrow, which is especially a bit difficult to see from a distance.
Passage a bit tricky to make, despite the fair depths (just under 3 meters), when westerly winds are blowing.

Vathi Bay offers excellent shelter from all winds, only with the most vigorous meltemi do a few gusts manage to disturb the interior of the bay, but it is still a small matter.
Inland, you can anchor just about anywhere: the three busiest spots are at the east end (where, however, the seagrass-rich seabed disturbs anchoring a bit), the southeast corner (always popular with fishermen), and the northern part just in front of the small village.
Here, a tavern offers a dock where you can moor (sideways), you can use it as long as you find it free of local boats (depth around 2 meters or slightly below). There is room for 2, 3 boats maximum.
Throughout the bay, depths range from an average of 3 to a maximum of 10 meters.

What to do in Vathi? Well, considering that Vathi, from land, can be reached only after long and arduous journey…. enjoy the tranquility of the place. At the taverna you can eat well, excellent dishes of fresh local fish that couldn’t be more local. Next to the tavern is a lovely little beach. Otherwise, you can watch the fishermen, sleep, sunbathe, etc. There is no tourism to be had, not even in the surrounding area: the roads leading to Vathi are unpaved and quite difficult to navigate, the only noteworthy site nearby is a former military area, and there are no population centers within tens of kilometers.
The magic of Vathi, however, lies here: a place a bit out of this world