Pserimos

Another sufficiently remote and sparsely inhabited place to be rightfully placed off the main tourist routes, theisland of Pserimos (Cappari in Italian) lies between Calimnos and Coo, geographically in the center of an area of intense trade but, in practice, untraveled by major tourist flows.

This is certainly due to its small size, the fact that it has only a small village and just over 100 inhabitants, and fortunately the almost total absence of accommodation/commercial facilities. We say fortunately because Pserimos is a place of rare beauty, as far as nature and especially beaches are concerned, and that being the case one can still nowadays enjoy the magic of the place.

The island, however, is not remote at all: located in the Dodecanese, it is within voice shot of Turkey, attached to Coo and Kalymnos, reached daily by ferries unloading “day” tourists, that is, people who pack up and leave at 5 p.m. This is a great advantage for boaters aiming to spend a night on the island: from late afternoon onward, a few places become free in the small ports of the village of Avlakia, which overlooks the small bay of the same name, a truly enchanting place to spend a night in a relaxing, uncrowded, quiet environment.

As mentioned, Pserimos is known for its beautiful beaches. And for the peace: there is … nothing on the island, it is worth remembering. The only tourists are those unloaded twice a day from the caiques, there are three taverns, two small stores, there are no hotels but only a few room rentals, there are no paved roads, you move on foot within the barren landscape that smells of thyme and wild oregano. A paradise, practically! The superb sea and white sand complete the picture. In front of Avlakia is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island; the others can be reached by beautiful walks of just over 30 minutes.

Getting to Pserimos is not difficult; operations can only be made a little more difficult by the meltemi. Avlakia Bay is difficult to see unless arriving from the southwest; coming from the east, watch out for the shoal and rocks off Cape Sphuri, just before the entrance to the bay (they are easily seen, however). The bay offers excellent shelter from meltemi and all northerly winds, although some current still enters in strong winds; it is open to southwesterly winds, however.

Inside the bay, there is room for 5 or 6 boats at the two concrete piers, once the daily caiques have lifted their moorings you can moor aft by dropping anchor in the bay. Alternatively, you can drop anchor in the bay, the bottom is sand and kelp with a few rocks, it holds well but you usually have to insist a bit before the anchor takes perfectly. Depths are good, ranging from a minimum of 3 meters near the shore to an average of 6 meters in the center of the bay.
It is doubly advisable to check the mooring especially if you go ashore, ferries and gulets raise considerable waves, and this happens at least three or four times a day.

There are no water and electricity columns, and there is obviously no way to refuel. Drinking water you can find at the taverns: it is usually desalinated, or bottled. Also at the taverns and mini markets you find food and basic necessities. Otherwise, the people are extremely hospitable and will go out of their way to meet your needs. After that, a good pair of shoes and you visit the magical island on foot.

There is another bay to the east of the island, Vathi Bay, offers excellent shelter from the meltemi and the bottom holds very well. It is very popular with fishermen and has a beautiful beach. To stock up on provisions, you have to walk to Avlakia (about 35 minutes).