Leros

Home sweet home. Leros is our base island, and also one of our top favourites in all the Dodecanese. Tell your friends you’re sailing from Leros and they will almost certainly say "Where?" Good!! That’s how we want to keep it!
The island is around 20 miles long, 5 miles wide - the perfect size for a day’s scooter exploration! It’s picture-postcard Greece: the stark blue and white houses, garnished with the brilliant pinks and purples of bougainvillea. The little bays and beaches, traditional fishingvillages: it’s everything one imagines that a Greek island should be. There is no "package tourism" ; visitors are still seen as guests, and the locals are still genuinely friendly and welcoming. Even better: as this has been our "home" for several years, we’re very much part of the local community, and the locals always give our SeaScape sailors an extra big welcome!

One person this applies to especially is our friend Tony, who owns the Ara Hotel on Leros. Not only is it a wonderful little spot, with exceptional views, great swimming pool, etc - Tony & his father Frank always look after our SeaScape sailors like family!

Lipsos

The island of the 42 blue-domed churches. Lipsos is a very Greek, untouristy little town; a photographer’s dream for it’s traditional blue and white houses and multitude of churches.
There’s a great little sandy beach just a couple of minutes from where we dock the boat: and if conditions are calm, there’s also a wonderful little bay around the corner where we can anchor out and watch the stars at night.

For those who have gotten addicted to the little 50cc scooters we’ve been playing with on Patmos and Leros: there’s another chance here to rent a bike and go explore isolated bays and beaches.

Marathi

There’s something about Marathi which seems to emanate total tranquility--a feeling which is absorbed almost through the skin, like the vitamin D of the Greek sunshine. We often seem to have trouble dragging people away from this little isolated paradise island. Just two families live here in true Greek style, there are of course, two tavernas!

A tiny, ruined church sits at the top of the hill; many an evening has been spent saluting the Sun God with a good bottle of wine or two, and taking the most spectacular sunset photos!

Patmos

This is the famous religious island, where the 10th century monastery (built by Crusader Knights) reigns over the island; where St John (as of Apostle fame) was inspired by visions to write the Book of Revelations. The village that lies at the foot of the monastery is everyone’s romantic image of what a Greek village should be; incredibly narrow, winding alleyways, cats sunning themselves on whitewashed streets, old ladies in black collecting fresh bread from the bakery in the morning.
Down in the main harbour of Skala, it is a totally different picture. This is the modern part of the island, built comparatively recently: a mere 200 years ago! Typically Mediterranean, it has the tavernas and bars lining the waterfront as usual; and some unusual crafts shops in the back streets. Despite it’s standing as the Aegean’s most holy island, that of course doesn’t stop the Greeks dancing and partying on till the wee small hours here!

Arki

Though Skala is a fun town, it can be noisy at night, so we do also have a little secret spot just around a couple of headlands; a quiet little beach from which we can still visit town, but return home to the boat where it’s peaceful and quiet. And still jump straight off the boat for an early morning swim too!

The island of 37 inhabitants - not counting the goats! Sailing into the little fishing village,it feels like a totally different planet to the buzzing metropolis of Samos, just 25 miles north.Some of the older folks here have scarcely left the island in decades, and everyone issomeone’s cousin.
The main "cool" spot on Arki is Manoli’s taverna. A little shaded courtyard, withspeakers arranged randomly in the trees - it’s a music and flower-filled oasis onthis rocky little island. The owner is most definitely "Mr Cool": Manoli has lived foryears in Athens and Germany, but chose to return to his home island for the quiet life.Happily for us, he also brought back with him a great love and collection of music: it's notunusual for a spontaneous evening of dancing to break out here!

A 15 min hike up the hill to an tiny old church gives a breath-taking view of the surroundingislands.

Kalymnos

Our little hidey-hole on the island of Kalymnos is Vathi: a well-hidden and very dramatic little spot.
It has a narrow fjord-like entrance, opening up into a tiny fishing village at the head of the bay. It boasts one main street and a collection of houses scattered into the valley; an unexpected patch of lush vegetation on an otherwise very dry and arid-looking island. Vathi is the only place on the entire island that is lucky enough to have it’s own spring water supply, and they use it carefully to cultivate citrus fruits, figs, grapes and anything else that can be persuaded to grow!

It’s also the home of "Poppy’s": a little taverna which has developed a well-deserved reputation amongst the yachties for the best swordfish steaks in the Aegean! What is not so widely known is that momma also makes the best homemade dolmades (stuffed vine-leaves) you will ever taste - and as the folks at Poppy’s are one of our "adopted families", she always makes them for us when she knows we are coming!

Kalymnos is also famous for it’s natural sponges, and there are a couple of little shops in the village where you can buy these and also the most beautiful and intricate hand-embroidery, traditionally done by the local nuns.

Agathonissi

A total population of around 150 people on this little fishing island— One of the most colourful being our buddy Giorgos, or "George." As unofficial harbourmaster of his island, George has also earned the title of Ouzo King — beware anyone who likes to drink this evil stuff!
George and family are always real happy to see our boats sailing in— any excuse for a party is a good excuse to most Greeks, and George more so than most! The happy news for George is that he got married last year, and so his partying is a tad more limited now. BUT the happy news for us is that a love of dancing seems to run in the family, and his his 18yr old nephew, Spiros, has enthusiastically leapt into George’s shoes. So dance classes are back on the menu at George’s taverna!

Samos

The bright lights and buzz of modern day Greek life: Samos is one of the biggest and most cosmopolitan island we visit. The little harbour of Pythagorion is the birthplace of - you guessed it - Pythagoras! - and there are still many reminders of his former presence here. It’s a lively, fun spot; the waterfront is lined with dozens of tavernas and bars; and the traditional Greek evening promenade is always great entertainment.
The active nightlife of Pythagorion is only one aspect of Samos however: the other major attraction of the island is once you get away from the main port and into the interior. We often rent jeeps and do a "mini-jeep safari" here: hike to a waterfall, then an invigorating swim-and-climb up the falls for the more adventurous amongst us! Then we might wind our way up steep, switchback roads into the mountains to see the famous Samos wineries; or explore the Valley of the Nightingales.

Samos is very close to the Turkish coast, and for those interested, there is an opportunity to do a daytrip to Turkey, to visit the busy bazaars of Kusadasi and the extensive 500BC ruins at Ephesus (the Acropolis doesn’t even hold a candle to this ancient city: it is truly impressive)!

Tiganakia

Nicknamed "Caribbean Cove" by the locals, this is a truly stunning little spot. Bright turquoise water, a tiny sandy cove that we swim / snorkel to: and usually, we have the whole place to ourselves! Great for the "clothing optional" fans amongst us!
Tiganakia makes a wonderful lunch n’ swim stop; one we have to do when the winds are low, however, as it’s not totally protected in strong winds. Then for the evening, we’re usually off to nearby Arki or Marathi for the night!