Greece

New Rhodes Marinas

The work on the new Marina in Rhodes started many years ago but then fell into a deep sleep. Because of problems with the authorities, all work stopped and the site lay idle for many years. Insiders from Rhodes even assumed that the marina would always remain unfinished. And in actual fact, nothing happened for a long time. The only yacht harbour was Mandraki Marina.

New Marina Rhodes

The new Rhodes Marina

In summer 2015 mySea users very unexpectedly reported that the marina was up and running. And as it is a rare event for a marina to open in Greece, mySea got onto a plane to Rhodes to get first-hand information. We arranged to meet Christoforos Charisis, the manager of Rhodes Marinas.
First things first: the new Marinas Rhodes has in fact commenced operations but it is far from being finished. There is still a lot of building work going on at the site. Many buildings are still shells, others are ready to move into. Apart from one yacht agency all of the premises are, however, still empty. There is still no bar, café or restaurant. However, you only have to cross the busy street to find various restaurants, a bakery and two supermarkets.

Rhodes Marina

Rhodes Marinas from the north

Christoforos Charisis assures me, however, that many of the premises in the new builds are either already let are about to be let. According to him, an exclusive restaurant, a coffee chain, various clothing stores, a gym with a spa area, a chandlery, service agencies as well as a rental company for vehicles and scooters will be moving in.
The sanitary facilities and the room for washing machines and dryers are, however, finished. The atmosphere is, as expected, modern and functional.

Reception of Marina Rhodes

Modern Reception of Marina Rhodes

80% of the berths have already been equipped with mooring lines, the missing 20% will be coming in winter. Water, electricity, Internet and TV connections are also available. At Rhodes Marina, free Wi-Fi (1 Mb/sec.) is standard. High-speed connections can be obtained for an additional charge. Wired LAN connections are available, too. Connections with the typical RJ-45 connectors have been integrated into the power points.
The marina has berths for up to 380 yachts. 10% of the berths are going to be available to charter companies. Yachts up to 60 m long can moor at the breakwater. CCTV cameras have already been installed there. The other berths are also going be fitted with a camera surveillance system. Therefore, yacht owners will be able to keep an eye on their yachts even during winter. The entire marina is fenced and monitored by security staff.

The new buildings of Marina Rhodes

The new buildings of Marina Rhodes

The new Rhodes Marina is located about 2.5 km from the old town, the town of Rhodes is about 4 km away. A taxi into town costs about 7 euros each way.
The fuel station located at the north mole is in fact ready but still has no operating licence. They are planning to open for the 2016 season. Until then, boaters have to fall back on the tankers as is otherwise customary in Greece.
There are no cranes in the marina at the moment. The area for dry berths has a capacity for about 220 yachts and should be ready by 2017. There will also be a powerful crane there by then.

The new Marina Rhodes

Marinas Rhodes

The completed facilities as well as the intended opening of exclusive stores and restaurants shows the direction the marina is taking: Rhodes Marinas is to become a resort for super and mega yachts. So far, the density of super and mega yachts in the Dodecanese is still comparatively low. If you go across to Turkey, it’s a different story. Here, many exclusive marinas have sprung up, such as the Palmarina in Yalikavak or the Club Marina in Gocek. Whether Rhodes Marinas’ strategy is successful and well-heeled customers moor here, remains to be seen.

Find out more about Marinas Rhodes on interactive cruising guide mySea.

 Posted by 16 Oct 2015 / 0 comments

The Minor Cyclades – Kato and Pano Koufonisi

The Minor Cyclades islands are also called “Erimonisia”, which more or less means “the deserted ones“ or “the lonely ones”. In fact, the islands are not really well-known among boaters and it is a lot less crowded than their more well-known sisters in the north and south.

Kato Koufonisi:

Kato Koufonisi is a long, virtually uninhabited island with an impressive bizarre south coast. Kato KoufonisiA few dropouts and cattle breeders live in Kato Koufonisi but only in summer, the rest of the year the island is uninhabited. There is absolutely nowhere to buy provisions and most of the anchorages can only be recommended when the weather is calm. But this is why they are even more spectacular. When the weather is totally calm, the visibility conditions good and you approach very carefully, you can anchor on the south side between the rocks, which look like they are forming streaks in the water. Land lines are imperative. You moor here between sand-coloured rock layers sloping towards the sea at the ends of which small caves have been eroded into the rock. There are small pebble beaches at the waterfront. The water is crystal clear. Simply glorious.

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 Posted by 12 Dec 2013 / 0 comments

The Minor Cyclades

The archipelago south-east of Naxos consists of four inhabited islands and a few smaller uninhabited isles. Most crews usually ignore this group of islands on their way to Ios, Santorini or Naxos. If looking for unspoilt nature, sheltered bays with long, not overcrowded sandy beaches and the original Greece, then include the Lesser Cyclades in your itinerary.

YachtThe Lesser Cyclades islands are also called “Erimonisia”, which more or less means “the deserted ones“ or “the lonely ones”. In fact, the islands are not really well-known among boaters and it is a lot less crowded than their more well-known sisters in the north and south. Numerous yachts bustle around here only in high summer, bringing turmoil to the otherwise so tranquil way of life of the locals. Iraklia and Schoinousa in detail (Kato Koufonisi and Pano Koufonisi are presented in the second part of this article):

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 Posted by 12 Dec 2013 / 0 comments

Harbours, anchorages and selected restaurants in Kea – island Kea

The first part of this article you will find here. To follow all links, you have to log in to mySea.

Anchorages in the north and east of the island of Kea

An alternative to the large bay of Ag. Nikolaos is Otzias Bay, slightly further north. The long bay is always a little rough when there is a north wind, and there is an obvious swell in the bay. When there are NE winds, the bay is untenable and visitors need to look for another option as soon as possible.

The crescent-shaped bay can accommodate a whole range of yachts, which anchor here on a sandy seabed in front of the cordoned-off swimming area. If visitors do not feel like cooking, they will find two taverns on shore. The “Annas” tavern is open all year round and has a glorious view of the bay from its upper terrace.

In the north-east, Ormos Kalydonychi cuts into the steep rocky shore of Kea. The bay is also known as Spathi, as that is the name of the nearby cape. The bay provides shelter from the Meltemi even though there is a slight swell and gusts may blow through the river valley. Yachts anchor swinging freely on the hook without a shore line at a water depth of 3-8 m above a sandy seabed with good holding. On shore, a lovely sandy beach stretches out and it is often empty, behind that a few scattered holiday homes and fields. A small tavern is open in the summer. The bay is isolated and can only be reached by boat. There is a footpath into the valley but it is extremely winding and a struggle to walk on.

There are a number of small bays with crystal-clear water, some with lovely sandy beaches, along the steep coast towards the south. But the bays are all quite deep and do not provide enough protection. Visitors hoping to enjoy some peace and quiet should certainly explore the small bays when the weather is calm.

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 Posted by 27 Nov 2013 / 0 comments

Harbours, anchorages and selected restaurants in Kea – Vourkari and Korissia

Kea is the island closest to the tip of Attica. Located only 12 nautical miles east of Cape Sounion, the hilly and fertile island is a popular destination especially for Athenians. 80% of the tourists here come from Athens. It takes no time at all to get to this island in the Cyclades in a yacht or a fast speedboat. We are going to give you an overview of sheltered anchorages and good restaurants in two articles.

Ormos Ag. Nikolaos is a large bay in the north-west of the island and is made up of the two smaller bays of Ormos Leivadi in the south-west and Ormos Vourkari in the east.

In Vourkari the harbour of the same name is very popular with sailors as it protects from the prevailing winds and there is less swell there compared to the ferry port in Korrisia. (Sailing)Yachts normally moor here bow-to as the rock-fill directly at the quay could damage (deep) rudder blades. To make the descent over the pulpit easier, some taverns and a small furniture dealer have built wooden steps.

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 Posted by 13 Nov 2013 / 0 comments