The Cyclades
Traveling by sailboat, you are always at the mercy of the wind. Up until today, every day had been nearly windless, thus making sailing nearly impossible, while allowing for great conditions for swimming and kayaking. Well today finally was windy enough for us to sail and explore a calm, sheltered cove.
All morning was spent sailing to the south of Naxos Island. We finally had some wind, so the Captain and crew raised the sails and throttled back on the engines. For a while we were doing nearly eight knots, and then the wind backed off and we slowed to around four. It was gorgeous being on deck with the light breeze and mild seas, surrounded by small islands. A few fishing boats passed and a few shearwaters flew by, but for the most part it was only us sailing along. What a relaxing way to spend the morning.
Towards lunch time the wind died completely and the Captain brought us in to a perfect, turquoise bay on Koufinissi Island. After lunch some of us went ashore to enjoy the tranquil beach, while others had a leisurely kayak among the caves on the shoreline. Surely the most popular activity was swimming off the fantail. The sea was flat, clear, and slightly warmer than the last few days, so many floated along in this turquoise bay.
Late in the afternoon we repositioned to a sheltered dock on the island of Schinousa. We went ashore to stretch our legs and walked the one-kilometer up to the village in the center of the island. Idyllic churches and stunning vistas finished off this wonderful day of exploration in the center of the Cyclades.
Traveling by sailboat, you are always at the mercy of the wind. Up until today, every day had been nearly windless, thus making sailing nearly impossible, while allowing for great conditions for swimming and kayaking. Well today finally was windy enough for us to sail and explore a calm, sheltered cove.
All morning was spent sailing to the south of Naxos Island. We finally had some wind, so the Captain and crew raised the sails and throttled back on the engines. For a while we were doing nearly eight knots, and then the wind backed off and we slowed to around four. It was gorgeous being on deck with the light breeze and mild seas, surrounded by small islands. A few fishing boats passed and a few shearwaters flew by, but for the most part it was only us sailing along. What a relaxing way to spend the morning.
Towards lunch time the wind died completely and the Captain brought us in to a perfect, turquoise bay on Koufinissi Island. After lunch some of us went ashore to enjoy the tranquil beach, while others had a leisurely kayak among the caves on the shoreline. Surely the most popular activity was swimming off the fantail. The sea was flat, clear, and slightly warmer than the last few days, so many floated along in this turquoise bay.
Late in the afternoon we repositioned to a sheltered dock on the island of Schinousa. We went ashore to stretch our legs and walked the one-kilometer up to the village in the center of the island. Idyllic churches and stunning vistas finished off this wonderful day of exploration in the center of the Cyclades.
