THE SCATTERED ISLANDS
SPORADES
The islands are situated around Delos, the cultural centre of the ancient Greek world. They are known as the ‘scattered islands’, which in Greek translates to Sporades.
The Sporades consist of the islands of the Northern Sporades, and stretch from the Gulf of Volos in the west and from Chalkidiki in the north, over the coast of Evia in the south. The Eastern Sporades include the islands of Limnos, Lesvos, Chios, Psara, Samos and Ikaria. The Eastern Sporades lie northeast of the Cyclades and the North Sporades.
The islands are situated around Delos, the cultural centre of the ancient Greek world. They are known as the ‘scattered islands’, which in Greek translates to Sporades.
The Northeastern Sporades has its own particular style of architecture. The white, blue and pink houses, with their slate roofs, can be seen for miles and are very characteristic for the region. In summer, water is scarce in this archipelago.
The Northern Sporades is a protected area that is perfect for sailing beginners and families. The region is great for gaining experience and allows yachting newcomers to acquaint themselves with sailing.
Only 40 nm north-west of Alonissos is the Chalkidiki peninsula. The peninsula with its characteristic ‘three fingers’ has long been a holiday paradise, and is made up of Cassandra, Sithonia and Agion Oros, together with Mount Athos in the northern Aegean.
On the east side, the peninsula is flat, whereas elsewhere it is rather mountainous. The whole peninsula is full of olive groves, hazelnut trees and pine forests. At the southernmost point of Agios Oros is the holy mountain of Athos, which rises 2000 metres above sea level.
The entire cruising area is well marked. When sailing through the protected area around Alonissos, Kyra Panagia and Skantzoura, Yioura and Psathoura, there are a number of nature conservation requirements that need to be adhered to.
Sailing and motor yachts are banned from Piperi and Psathoura. Hydrofoils enter and exit quickly from small ports, sometimes causing lots of swell. It is wise to keep your distance here.
The Sporades you can reach from our satellite base in Athens or, if you really have a lot of time, from our main base in Corfu.
Climate
Although much weaker here, the Sporades are still affected by the Meltemi in the summer. In June, it blows from the northeast, reaching its full strength in July and August (up to 4-6 Beaufort), and then subsiding in late September. Due to the funnel effect of the wind in the Trikeri Channel, it can be very rough in the afternoon. In the Bay of Volos, more winds come from the northwest with forces between 2-5 Beaufort in summer.
In spring and autumn the prevailing weaker winds tend to come from the north or south. During the Meltemi season, gusts of wind can come from the surrounding mountains. In the summer the temperature are comfortably high. In the spring, rain showers and thunderstorms may occur, accompanied by squalls, which usually last around two hours.
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