LEFKAS
Tourist and Nautical Info

Nautical Info

To give you a general idea, an afternoon we were returning in Nidri from a beach in the mainland (Etoloakarnania). The winds were blowing from N-NW directions and the sea had some low waves (as I mentioned in other pages the sea surge in Lefkas bay is never high). As we approached Nidri bay, a point in the sea started to became visible where the rough navy  blue color of the surged sea differentiated from the lighter blue color of the calm sea.

And really, when we reached this point, in just 50 meters the sea became perfectly calm. That's Nidri bay, it's the perfect mooring point.

It's a big harbour of tourist boats (of cource sail boats outnumber any other kind by far) with a good boat slide that you can locate easilly. As you cross Nidri towards Vasiliki, on the central road, a few hundred meters before the exit of the city, there is a sign pointing right to the harbour (the sign is in Greek and says "LIMANI"). After 100 meters, as you enter the harbour, you'll see it in front of you.

The slide has two disadvantages: a) It's very slippery and you can easily fall down and b) most of the times (especially during the summer) cars park in front of it. Fortunately, this year (2004) the coast guard enclosured the place with ropes and I suppose that the parked cars will not be a problem any more. 

And now, some tips about the winds, the weather and the sea in Lefkas island. The 2 years I stayed there, I noticed :

• In the noon (after 14:00 - 15:00) winds from south directions are blowing in all Lefkas bay. The winds are particullary distinctable in the chanels beetween Lefkas and Meganisi islands and Meganisi and Kalamos islands. The reason of this phenomenon is propably the sea breeze towards the mainland (Etoloakarnania). The winds calm gradually after 17:00 - 18:00.
• During the same hours winds from West directions blow in Lefkas Channel (the channel beetween Lefkas, Kefalonia and Ithaki Islands).  This phenomenon creates high waves coming from the open Ionian Sea and discomforted us during our trips with our speedboat to Porto Katsiki and Agiofili beaches as I explain in more details the relevant pages. I also confirmed this phenomenon during our daily cruise to Kefalonia and Ithaki islnads.
• In Lefkas Channel you have to be very carefull. This was a tip from the captain of the cruise boat. It may be deadly calm in the morning and in the afternoon full of high waves. It don't suggest to cross it with a small speedboat in order to visit Kefalonia or Ithaki unless yoy start early in the morning and return late in the afternoon. But always remember: We are taliking about open sea out there.

• You can not make any kind of estimation about the weather in Lefkas bay and the Ionian sea when you are standing in Nidri bay. So when you make your plans for the day, do not take the direction and strongness of the winds that are blowing in Nidri for granded.

In the links below you will find detailed info about all the beaches we visited with our speedboat.

Δημιουργία : George /ComputerGuy/ Kontogiannis
2004
a4racergr@yahoo.gr