EMBARKATION: PATRA
DISEMBARKATION: PATRA
PATRA is the largest city in the Peloponnese and the third largest in Greece. The city and harbor are noisy and grubby but lively. The wine from the region is excellent including the ubiquitous "demestica" - a visit to the Achia- Klauss wine factory is well worth while. Historically the city has always been important as a commercial center and the western gateway to Greece.
ZAKINTHOS is the southwesternmost of the Heptanesoi. Like a bowl holding something precious, the mountains of Zakinthos enclose the fertile central plain. The Venetians called Zakinthos "the flower of the Levant." Until its total destruction in the 1953 earthquake the towns consisted largely of Venetian buildings. In the rebuilding of the island, a Venetian aura has been retained - spacious boulevards, arcaded shops, and imposing public buildings. A museum houses some of the relics, particularly some fine icons. The island offers some spectacular scenery.
KEFALONIA is the largest in area of the Ionian islands. The slopes on the eastern side of the island are covered with pine forests that run down to the sea. In ancient times Kefalonia formed part of the kingdom of Odysseus and here at least archaeologists have been able to find evidence of Mycenean tombs in Greece. Kefalonia produces the excellent Robola white and red wine and for those who like a rose, the Manzavino is very good. The village of Poros is set in a spectacular position on a strip of flat land between a precipitous gorge and the sea. The major earthquake of 1953 effectively demolished every town on Cephalonia except Fiskardho. The picturesque 19th-century houses set amid green pine groves remain pretty much original. The village is named after Robert Guiscard (thus Guiscardo/Phiscardo/Fiscardho) a Norman adventurer who briefly ruled these parts.
LEFKAS is an island only because of the canal which separates it from the mainland. The island takes its name from a precipitous white cliff called Leukatas, which is presumed to be Sappho's Leap and from which Sappho of Lesvos, the famous lyric poetess of the 6th century B.C. is supposed to have flung herself. The area is the setting for Hammond Innes' novel "Lefkas Man".
PREVEZA is a commercial port surrounded by lush orchards and market gardens. It is a likable working town with interesting shops and workshops in the back streets. Three miles north of the town are the ruins of Nikopolis built by Octavian to commemorate his victory over Antony in the Battle of Actium. The ruins are well worth a visit: a large theater, a villa, and the city walls are well preserved and a small museum houses an interesting collection of artifacts.
MEGANISI lies immediately east of Lefkas. The strait between Meganisi and Lefkas is one of the loveliest channels in the Ionian. The island has several natural harbors and numerous enclosed bays fringed by olive and cypress with clear blue water. The southwest coast is lined with caves, the most famous being Papanicolis rumored to be the hiding place of a Greek submarine during the second World War. There is some good fishing to be had around this part of the island.
ITHAKI, according to Homer is the island home of Odysseus. Archaeologists can dispute whether or not this is so, but Homer still provides the best description of the island. On the summit of a hill called Pelikata are the ruins of a Bronze Age settlement which is generally accepted to be the palace of Odysseus. The island has numerous coves and anchorages with water that is so clear, that it is difficult to believe you're not going to touch bottom.
SAMI is an alternative to Ag. Eufimia for visiting the semi-underground Lake Melissani and the Cave of Drogarati. The town itself is mostly new, though now mellowing with the patina of a few years aging.