Karavostasis

Polycander is a small “hidden” treasure in the Cyclades archipelago . Not far from Ios and Sikinos, the small island is ignored by most – although “mass” tourism has recently discovered it: in summer the population triples – partly because of connections that are not exactly frequent or convenient. All the better for boaters, who have a unique opportunity to enjoy a place where time seems perfunctorily to have stopped a few years ago.

Small, barren, and mountainous, Policandro offers magnificent views, a few beautiful beaches, and genuine traditional food; it is a place to relax, enjoy the passage of time, and take beautiful walks inland, perhaps to visit one of the few but very interesting tourist attractions Policandro has to offer. Its barren hills and shrubby landscape have a special charm that is hard to remain indifferent to.

The island’s capital is Chora, a quaint Cycladic village with architecture that is fascinating, to say the least: you know the typical white, irregular, quaint, sometimes crooked little houses decorated with bougainvillea and hibiscus, giving the impression that they are “stuck” on top of each other? Here, Chora is like that. Narrow, winding alleys trace paths within the settlement and around the fortress, at every corner a surprise, something distinctive, all topped off with breathtaking views thanks to the fact that Chora, in keeping with tradition, is built high up on the cliff.

Not far from Chora, reached on foot by a long path, is the church of Panaghia Paliokastro. The visit is worth it if only for the wonderful views from here. Below the church, as the crow flies, reachable from the sea (but not visitable, unfortunately), is the Golden Cave, full of stalactites and ancient rock inscriptions. Barbarossa is said to have hidden his treasure here…it has never been found though, so the advice is not to try to look for it!

The only ports on the island of Polycander are located in Karavostasis, southeast, 4 km away from Chora. The ports, Chora, and the only other population center on the island (Pano Meria) are connected by a single road. Karavostasis is a small fishing village, but being the arrival point of tourist ferries, as well as the departure point of the boats that daily take Tourists to the island’s most beautiful beaches, it is well equipped as services. Hotels, bars, restaurants, small stores of various kinds are not lacking here. From the pier begins the road to Chora, and from here a bus leaves daily to shuttle to the main town. A beautiful and quiet sandy beach is located near the village.

The marina is easy to locate from a distance and offers good shelter from winds, suffering only with strong winds from the east. The end of the breakwater is for use by ferries, while for pleasure boats there is the dock in front of the village and the small pier that departs in a southerly direction from the breakwater. At the dock you moor at the stern and there is room for eight to ten boats at most. There is the best shelter here in all wind conditions, but in moderate or strong southerly winds, it is better to opt for the dock. It must be said that the dock is only usable when local boats leave room…
Even at the dock we moor aft, about 4 meters deep, on the outer side. The bottom is composed of sand and rocks and does not exactly hold up well; it is advisable to check the anchor well before leaving for Chora or other destinations.
Alternatively, you can also anchor inside the bay: the same considerations for the bottom apply, while for the sheltering we point out that in case of meltemi inside the bay you are not as sheltered as in the small port.

Fifty meters east of the pier a rock is marked right at the water’s edge; other rocks are present here and there and sometimes not marked on the charts; be careful when moving within the bay.
There are water and electricity columns in the ports but the latest reports have them not working; turn to some waterfront taverns for basic services.