We took a day trip to Galaxidi for lunch and to see the town.  This is a tourist town with restaurants along the waterfront, nice shops and a small amount of berthing for visiting yachts.  Not a well protected place though with the northern winds entering the harbor along with a good chop.

What we did learn about this town was that it built over 500 sailing ships.  There is a nautical museum, well done, showing this great ship building history and the sailors that have left from here.  The largest ships were 1,100 tons and were known for their seaworthiness.

Galaxidi did not have much importance till the 1800’s.  It was under constant raids from hordes before that and did not progress while under Ottoman rule for centuries.  Not until Mesolognia shipbuilding was restricted did contracts come over to Galaxidi.  They began building ships larger and larger and the town grew to 5,000 residents in the second half of the 1800’s.

During this time the ship owner was also usually the captain.  As the advent of steam power came about Galaxidi’s captains could not adjust.  The thought of having to share the ownership of the vessel with an engine producer was not in the nature of the captains.  So very quickly the orders for sailing ships stopped coming in and the industry collapsed almost overnight in the 1880’s.  The town lost residents as they moved out to find work.  Not until a stubborn woman in the 1950’s set up a school for sewing and other efforts did the town stop further decline.  Additional funding from the new Government was sought and some progress was made.  By rebuilding the older buildings and creating attractions like the nautical museum did the town grow.  The building of the coastal road to Itea and other towns now has connected Galaxidi without having to take a boat.

A visit to this town is a requirement of any sailing buff and the museum can’t be missed.

The grocery.

Typical street.

Waterfront.  These boats are tucked behind the ferry dock to get some protection from the chop.

Local floating goose house and eatery.