Preveza

Preveza is a small town located at a “crucial” point on the west coast of Greece, very close to the island of Lefkas (Lefkas) and not far from Corfu, Paxos and Antipaxos. It therefore represents a good intermediate stop for those who are sailing in this sea area and are moving north or south.

We say intermediate stop because, in itself, Preveza is not of particular tourist importance; however, it resides at the entrance to the enclosed gulf of Arta (Ambracia), a gulf that is easy and pleasant to navigate, rich in marine life(dolphins and turtles are almost the order of the day) and full of coves and creeks to shelter in, all of which offer excellent shelter from all winds.

Beware, however, of the fact that the gulf is also known for its shallow depths: especially along the north coast, they often touch 2 meters and there are numerous sandbars; there are many, in fact, rivers that flow here and over the years have accumulated debris that contributes to “distorting” the depths shown on most nautical charts. Caution and active shipboard alarms where present.

The same applies to the channel that leads into the gulf, which is then the same channel that must be traveled when going to the ports of Preveza. The channel is well marked by pairs of buoys, is half a mile long, and is full of sandbars. Complicating the situation are the currents, some strong and coming from all directions, that are often experienced within the channel: it is not uncommon to be pulled by the currents out of the channel marked by the buoys.
Once you reach Preveza, the depth increases rapidly and in the waterfront area of the town is about 10 meters.

Past the canal we find ourselves in the Preveza area. And already two possibilities open up: on the west side, the town with its quayside and, at the north end of this, a never-completed marina offering some 50 berths. On the east bank, on the other hand, is Aktion, an area with no less than three shipyards one of which offers 100 berths in a small private marina.

Let’s talk first about the public ports, that is, the cemented quay that runs along the west bank, right at the foot of the town. The south dock extends from just beyond the end of the channel to the small pier that marks the entrance to the never-completed marina. Depths here are minimal: they range from 1.5 meters to 3 meters about halfway along this section. The dock is quite high, so an area – marked in yellow – with lowered height has been provided to accommodate all boats.

The northern area of the banked shore is the most popular, both because of the depths (it quickly rises to 8-10 meters) and because it offers the best shelter from the northwest breeze that blows more or less every night. There is always a little bit of dancing, however, since some easterly wind always manages to get in, but the bottom is good holding (a thick layer of mud) and there are no major dangers. Of note, the southern part of the dock offers no services of any kind; the northern part has water and electricity.

The other option Preveza offers is to moor inside the marina whose construction work was never completed, at the north end of the city’s quay, alongside the commercial harbor dock (to the east). It offers five concrete piers along which one can moor only sideways. Recommended to put the bow to the west since the aforementioned afternoon breeze blows from the northwest. The marina offers a fair amount of shelter, with winds from the south and southwest inevitably dancing not a little.
The only services offered are water and electricity; daily rates are around 15-20 euros.

If you head east at the end of the canal, however, you can go to the small private Cleopatra Marina, which is mainly a beautiful shipyard offering 100 berths for boats up to 30 meters in length, in an average depth of 8 meters.

Access to the marina seems easy but … it is not: you have to make a tight turn to enter the certainly not wide access between the breakwater and the jetty, as mentioned the currents here are often strong, do not go it alone but imperatively call the marina on channel 67 before attempting access.
Berths are located on the inner side of the breakwater and on movable docks. There is a fuel station, water and electricity through pillars, toilets, showers, laundry, and most importantly a wealth of repair and maintenance services.

The shipyard behind Cleopatra Marina can count on 1,000 dry berths, two travel lifts (300 and 50 tons), a crane (10 tons), and plenty of shipbuilding services, with technical staff on site.
The marina’s rates are in line with the services offered: for a boat over 10 meters we are around 40 euros per day in high season.

At the marina, within walking distance, are bars restaurants and taverns, stores and nautical supplies. For everything else you go to Preveza, of course without moving the boat: an underground tunnel connects the two sides of the canal, there are buses running daily but also boats shuttling between the two banks.