Kalamos

The stretch of the Ionian Sea between the Greek peninsula and the islands of Lefkada, Kefalonia and Zakynthos is also called the “inland sea.” It is here that a number of islands and islets are found that are very popular in the warm season, by all boaters seeking good shelter for the night and a good starting point to continue sailing in this fascinating archipelago.

Such is the case with Kalamos, which is located southeast of Lefkada and, along with Meganisi and Kastos, is often taken by storm during summer weekends, by foreign tourists but also by many Greeks on a weekend getaway.

As is often the case in these areas, the island itself does not offer great tourist attractions, understood as towns to visit, museums, churches, or other buildings of special interest; however, of its own, it has a lush and beautiful nature, characterized by extensive patches of pine and eucalyptus trees, which can be crossed by one of the many paths that furrow the surface of the island. Fun fact: Some species of pine trees are native and found only here.

For that matter, the two inhabited centers of Kalamos are misucolous or nearly so. The town named after the island has not even 500 inhabitants; the other “inhabited” center, so to speak given its 60 or so residents, is Episkopi, on the north side of the island. Porto Leone, to the south, was abandoned following the earthquake that struck the island in the middle of the last century.

So if you plan a visit ashore, bring a pair of good shoes, a book to read and enjoy relaxing in nature and the somewhat timeless atmosphere that characterizes the whole island. The small village of Kalamos offers supermarket, bakery, a few bars and taverns. This includes George’s Tavern, which is famous and popular with boaters because, let’s say, it makes up for the lack of services for those arriving by boat. In fact, the tavern’s staff, in addition to helping with mooring often and frequently, offers shower and laundry services at derisory prices (as well as, of course, serving lavish meals).

Instead, south of the settlement is a beautiful sandy beach near a well-preserved windmill, mills that are not lacking in this part of the coast. In the upper part of the village of Kalamos you can find small bars that have not yet been affected by modern tourism, a glimpse of traditional Greece that is worth seeing.

Arriving at Kalamos by sea is fairly easy; the island rises nearly 800 meters above sea level and is easily spotted. Arriving from the south beware of the islet of Nisis Formikoula, the seabed is very shallow in the vicinity; keep your distance. Same if arriving from the north: no danger in particular but there are rocks close to the shore, keep at least 100 meters away and you will be safe. The channel between Kalamos and nearby Kastos can be treacherous in strong winds.

The entrance to the port is from the north, passing between the breakwater extending in a northeast direction and the small west pier: the depth here is 3, 5-4 meters, the entrance poses no particular difficulty. Inside, you will find about 30 berths between the inner side of the breakwater and the quay on the waterfront in the village of Kalamos. Depths inside the ports are around 2.5-3.5 meters. Beware that in one section of the breakwater, more or less in the outermost area (toward the entrance to the harbor), the depth is reduced to only one meter because of some very large rocks that are part of the structure: boats fishing more will have to anchor some distance away and pull a line or two up to the breakwater. In any case, for all moorings at the breakwater (but also for those at the village quay) you will have to resort to anchoring; the bottom is a good keeper with sand and mud anyway.

As mentioned earlier, there are no services at this small ports. No gas stations, no refueling, nothing at all except for the services offered by the tavern mentioned above.

Regarding winds and ridge: Kalamos port offers good shelter fromall but south and southeast winds. If these are strong, a very annoying current enters, causing the moorings not to hold. A problem that is most felt if you are moored at the end of the breakwater.

Since the port of Kalamos tends to fill up quickly in summer, best to take note of two alternative anchorages. The first is the very small port of Episkopi, on the north side of the island: there is only room for 5 or 6 boats because there are fishing boats here and the ferry that services the island, and besides, the port offers very bad shelter and should only be visited when the sea is calm and there is no wind.
The other alternative is Porto Leone, which used to be the island’s main port but was abandoned after the 1953 earthquake.

There is a bit more choice here: a cove north of the abandoned village, which offers good shelter from all winds, depth of 10-12 meters and good holding, another wider cove south of the village, depth of 6-7 meters and good shelter but also strong gusts towards evening coming from the heights of the island, and finally two wooden jetties right near the former settlement, at which a maximum of two boats can moor.
At Porto Leone the anchor holds well (sand and kelp) but the ridge is only offered for west and northwest winds, while with east and northeast winds there is a lot of dancing.