Ithaka Island, Greece
This morning we got underway from our anchorage outside of Vathi harbor and repositioned into the main port of Ithaka Island. According to Homer’s epic The Odyssey, this island was home to Odysseus. Archaeological finds on this island date back 3,000 to 4,000 years and it was once a capital for the other islands in this area.
After breakfast we boarded our coaches and headed out to explore the island. Our first stop was high atop the ridge just to the North and opposite of where the Panorama was moored. We had a great view of the town, the surrounding waters and the Southern part of the island stretching behind. Our Greek guides, Sophia and Elleni guided us through the monastery constructed on this picturesque spot and advised us of its history.
Stavros is the largest village on Northern Ithaca and it was our next stop for the morning tour. There was time to sit at a local café and wander the streets and alleyways of this charming place.
We returned to the ship and got underway during lunch to a beautiful anchorage just around the corner from the port. Not long after arriving, the Zodiacs and kayaks were in the water and we were off to a beach very close to the ship’s anchorage. The rest of the afternoon was spent kayaking, snorkeling and swimming from the beach and there was a small group of guests that chose to swim from the stern of the ship. It was fine way to spend the afternoon. The water temperature was ideal for our first dip in the Ionian Sea.
The end of our day was marked by a Greek cocktail party that offered chilled ouzo and freshly grilled octopus. This was followed immediately with a Greek buffet of local specialties prepared by our chefs.
After dinner we got underway for our first port call in Albanian waters.
