Cerigo

A mythological place, no doubt about it: it is said that from the waters of Cerigo (or Kythira) was born none other than the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. But also a place of peace, absolutely untouched by tourism, an island where nature still predominates and glimpses of traditional Greece can be admired.

Located just south of the Peloponnese peninsula, the island straddles the Ionian and Aegean Seas and is easily accessible by boat. For this reason, in past centuries it has been a favorite target of pirates and an outpost of war. The approach to Cerigo is not particularly problematic, some care is required only in case of strong currents (but as everywhere else, for that matter).

Cerigo’s history is troubled, to say the least, and that is what makes it unique: Normans, Ottomans, Byzantines, Venetians, and English took turns in dominating this little natural paradise, leaving ample evidence of this in the architecture.

So here then, today in Cerigo you can admire and visit Venetian fortresses, Byzantine monuments, country churches and quaint, picturesque villages, far from the standardization and “typecasting” of places with a high tourist vocation.
All this is immersed in a sometimes rugged nature, characterized by mountainous reliefs and anchorages of vegetation.
It goes without saying that if you are looking for great sea and beaches, you will find them in Cerigo.

However, the island is not rich in landings for the yachtsman. On the contrary. The only port worth mentioning for pleasure boaters is Kapsali, right at the southern end of the island. However, Kapsali presents problems: first, it is completely open to the south, and in strong winds from this quadrant it is useless to try, the mooring does not hold. Strong westerly winds are also a problem as insidious currents develop.
The ports offers shelter from the meltemi, however, and that is something. However, it is almost never without some current in it; the mooring is not at risk in light winds, but perhaps the experience is not the most pleasant.

The seabed of sands and seaweed, with the addition of a few rocks here and there, is not a very good keeper: in view of what has been said about the winds, check the mooring very well and do it quite frequently.
The harbor facilities are limited to docked banks and a small breakwater; this is where you moor, laterally is the best option if there is room, because of the aforementioned currents. Depths are not exciting and in some places come close to a meter; watch out for some sandbars in the northern part of the ports basin.

As services there is not much but it must be said that it is almost more than in other much larger and more renowned ports: at least water and fuel can be found, they are delivered directly to the port upon request, ask the coast guard (+30 2736 311 164). There is no drinking water at the docks. Taverns and (small) supermarkets can be found in the village.

Other anchorage options on the island, as an alternative to this small port, there are. The first is on the east coast near the new Diakofti ferry terminal (at one time the only terminal was right in Kapsali). The terminal is on the small island of Makronisi, opposite the village of Diakofti, and here you can drop anchor to the north; the shelter from the south and southwest is excellent, from the meltemi–almost nil. The bottom is sandy and holds fairly well.

A little further south, still on the east coast, we find the narrow bay of Ayios Nikolaos, which has a small port but is only for fishing boats. The sandy bay to the west of this one, however, provides good bottoms and good shelter from westerly winds. In the village you will find taverns and nothing more.

Finally, still on the east coast, there is Ayia Pelagia, a very small port that offers a few places (maybe, if you can find them) but suffers from strong southwesterly and southerly currents.