Kythera | May 1st – May 3rd
Kythera was a quick stop enroute to Crete but a very pleasant one. We anchored in one of the twin bays at Kapsali with the Venetian Castle towering above us which was lit up dramatically at night.
We enjoyed stretching our legs with a walk up to the Castle and Chora (town), although being early in the season very little was open, so we had to wait until we were back at the bay for a refreshing iced coffee.
It seemed that Kythera was a staging area for other cruisers getting ready to do the hop across Crete and Rhodes to get to Türkiye. We ended up crossing paths with a few of them over the coming weeks; Brits, Californians, Kiwis and Aussie’s – all with different boats, different budgets and different schedules but as we’ve found with cruisers, you can always find a commonality.
We got chatting to some people on a yacht on the town quay and ended up grabbing a coffee with them at one of the waterfront cafes. Whiled away a few hours sat in the shade with a great view, good coffee and pleasant company.
They were on a RYA training yacht, doing a 2 week trip to build up their sailing hours and experience with a qualified RYA skipper on board to oversee things. Jak the skipper was only young and yet already seemed to have a lifetime worth of sailing experience and knowledge. He reminded me of some of the sailors I got to know during the BT Global Challenge and the New World Challenge back in the 90’s.
Even though we were only there for a few days, Kapsali made a good impression on us and we were both a little sad to depart since we will likely not come back this way. Still. Onwards!
Thank you for wonderful stories and the pictures. It brings back fantastic memories.
You guys are awesome to take the time to spend with other cruisers and grab a coffee. Thank you for reaching out to us in the same way and keep the stories coming!
Brad, I hope you are enjoying summer back at home and making new plans for next season on Side by Each.
Wonderful that you’re meeting up with fellow yachters, and trading experiences. Keep up the terrific impressions, observations, and descriptions of your travels.
Great to hear you folks enjoyed Kythera. Some of John’s family are from there and we attended a magical wedding in the main town long ago.
We will be in Greece for October. I am hopeful to sign up for a Greek immersion course on Naxos Oct. 1-9. My goal is to at least finally be able to understand some of what John’s family members who don’t speak English are saying! Karen & John
Karen, keep in touch with your plans, there’s a reasonable chance we will still be in the Cyclades that first week of October and it would be wonderful to meet up.