All this needs to be accomplished before your yacht drifts out of position. Once resting against the 60 degree incline you drop your bow anchor on shore and have a crew member walk it up the beach, burying it in the sand. Once this is done you use both anchors (Front & Back) to hold you off the beach by a couple of feet.

Do all of this too quickly and it all goes wrong. A German elderly couple (Liveaboard’s) were able to do this at a walking pace, no rush, no alarmed voices and competently slow, just as it should be.

Neilson like many other flotillas uses this little harbour on the northern end of Valtos Beach as an overnight spot whilst traversing the islands of Corfu and Lefkas. It’s an ideal place to walk along it large beach and explore the Tavernas nearby. There are regular water taxis to Parga town (you can walk the length of Valtos Beach if you prefer). Yannis and his musical Zorba sounding caique (He has two lounge stereo speakers that competes with his engine for attention) is the officially adopted taxi service for most of the flotilla companies that visit Parga. I remember him and his Hawaiian shirts 20 years ago and nothing has changed there.

Parga authorities have neglected this isolated little corner of Valtos beach preventing the full use of the harbours little quay due to two sunken pleasure boats of about 30 feet in size. Despite this, yacht now choose to anchor bows to the beach using the harbour wall as protection from the elements.

This little corner of Parga attracts the flotilla and liveaboard sailor alike; it’s an ideal location for traversing the Island of Corfu and Lefkas. It’s also an ideal spot for impromptu beach parties and getting to know other sailing enthusiasts.

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Situated only 100 meters behind Valtos beach with its spectacular view of Parga’s Venetian castle. I found Valtos camping a very friendly place to be. Walking into the campsite reception I found the staff very helpful all to eager to hand out their cards and brochures of their campsite. Talking to staff in reception I found that the local bus times was an issue as it was always changing. This is mostly due to its scheduled being altered from time to time based on the availability of buses. Saying that I found getting to Parga was not difficult if you took your time asking the right questions at Igoumanitsa bus station (See Igoumenitsa new port facilities) The ferry, bus, campsite method of travelling around Greece has become more and more popular for those travellers seeking an extended cheap vacation.

There are three to four buses that leave Igoumanitsa (Greece main port serving Italy) for Lefkas every day. However it’s the slowest one that you need as this is the only one that travels to Lefkas via Parga. It takes about 1 hour to get to Parga by bus from Igoumanitsa.

Walking around the campsite I could see plenty of washing facilities and the toilet blocks were freshly painted with white it seamed even though it was in the height of the season. There are two main mini-markets with reasonable priced foods although a bit limited in choice there were plenty of the essentials Tide washing powder being €1.80 whilst Dolmades & Butter Bean were €1.45

The most attractive aspect of this campsite is its convenient location. Valtos camping ensures a beach style lifestyle. Everything is at hand you can live in your swimwear indefinitely during the day and explore Parga town at night.

Bus Station in Igoumanitsa Tel: (0030) 2665022309

Contact

Valtos Camping
Vangelis Dimou (Mobile) 0030 6974421697
Tel 0030 2684031287
Fax 0030 26840 31131
info@campingvaltos.gr
http://www.campingvaltos.gr

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Dressed for the evening we returned to our adopted beach bar ‘Café Milani’ lounging in its white armchairs with our Mythos beers we watch the sun set over Parga.

From our beach side vantage point we could see Parga’s Venetian Castle perched high overlooking the bay of Valtos and Parga town, it’s prominent location holds sway over everything in view. Below yachts lay anchored in Valtos bay with Caique taxi boats running day/evening trippers to Parga town.

Yannis Caique taxi boat festooned with flags from all flotillas that visit Parga circles the yachts anchored in a mirror sea. His ‘Zorba the Greek’ CD playing loudly from his boat drifts across the bay.

Valtos beach has very white sand or should I say cream white as opposed to chalk white, either way its fine sand is perfect for a day on the beach. Valtos beach is organised to cater for Itallian preferences. Its clean water and beach facilities are there to attract large family groups.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, anchor lights illuminate the top of  yachts. Birds (Swifts) dart in-between the yachts and skim the water chasing dragonflies as they hover above the mirror sea, there acrobatics similar to the dambusters leaves us mesmerised for ages. Only to be transfixed by the reflections in the water as they ripple through every colour of the sunset until we’re sitting in near darkness.

‘Café Milani’ lounge bar plays good music, no house, garage or techno grunge, instead The Eagles “Hotel California” and Cat Stevens seams to hold sway and a steady “Are your ready for love…” lyrics seams to have some significance as I’d been told. I’d been chilling for too long.

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Sailing between the islands of Greece is an experience in itself. Out at sea we’re quite alone; the vast openness challenges our senses. Gliding in rhythmic motion with our surroundings in this biggest of big blue I’m transfixed watching Christina drying her hair, as she seeks far horizons. Sailing together for the first time, our harmony with each other and our surroundings makes us feel we’re seasoned travellers. Our past lives of only weeks before are forgotten, it’s so easy to be a world away from reality in a yacht on a living ocean.

Cristina a marine biologist is spending most of her time at the bow watching our yacht cleave through the water as the rays of sun descend into the deep and pass below our hull.

We’re on Dolphin watch, as Cristina calls it,  waiting for our friends to visit again; we’d been regularly checked on this passage yet the dolphins never stayed for long.

The skyline ‘in this heat haze’ has merged with the sea, only 5 miles from shore we’re too far out to see any landfall. Only our compass and charts indicate our position, it’s times like this that can challenge the senses of many a sailor. ‘Yet for us the vast openness of this ‘big blue’ is a welcome change from the Islands.

We’re happy together, yet we’ve barley spoken during the last hours each of us chilling on our yacht as the wind drives us east to Parga.

The night before we’d sailed through a phosphorescent sea. Plankton disturbed by our wake flashed in alarm, bioluminescence being the result, a shimmering tale of light stretched from our stern as we glided through the night…

Our arrival in Parga was at nightfall; only the afterglow of the sun helped is anchor to the Beach. Our Stern line anchored out in the water prevents us going aground as our bow anchor is dragged up the beach securing us to the land during the night. Sitting in our cockpit an orange moon rises above Parga’s Venician Castle, the next destination of discovery on our tour of the Ionion Islands.

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Situated off a side alleyway in Parga town, festooned with tourist trinkets of every type imaginable. Blue Bar is a welcoming watering hole that seems to attract the Scandinavian and expat community here in Parga. Overlooking Parga town quay its prominent location affords an idyllic view of the town’s picturesque harbour below.

Judging by the travel agency stickers plastered on its sign outside. ‘Blue Bar’ seams to have established itself as The place to be in the evenings for social gatherings long into the night. Around 7.30pm (Blue Bar opens at 6pm) the evening breeze envelops us on their extended terrace amongst the rooftops of Parga.

Established in 1987 if signs are read right. Blue Bar has an art deco feel that’s quite engaging. The table legs are singular miniature Greek columns topped with transparent green safety glass.

Our DJ looks no more than 19 years, ginger haired a cross between Chris Evans & Jenson Button and fluent in Greek. However he does know his way around his music alcove and the music U2 and Alicia Keys covers all tastes in modern music.

On first appearances ‘Blue Bar’ with its art deco IKEA feel could be owned by a Swedish Expatriate judging but the Swedish Flag behind the bar. This couldn’t be further from the truth ‘Blue Bar’ is very much a Greek ‘nationally proud’ owned bar (Greek flag is also mostly Blue) that has a taste for the modern and a flare for colour.

Whoever the owners are, this bar does tend to attract a fair number of young affluent expatriate locals.

Blue Bar…
Tel 0030 26840 32067 / 0030 26840 31119
email: entasis87@yahoo.gr