Pyxis - Messolonghi - Kalamaki, Zakynthos

Messolonghi - Kalamaki, Zakynthos

Pyxis

Karen & Richard

Mon 26 Sep 2011 22:58

Monday 26^th September – Messolonghi – Kalamaki, Zakynthos

38:21.685N 21:25.019E

This morning saw us starting on an alternative journey home; usually we go via Athens to Heathrow but this time we elected for a new adventure with a route via Zakynthos to East Midlands…

We were up early and breakfasted. We breathed a sigh of relief as Richard gently zipped the old cockpit enclosure closed without any of the seams giving way. Dave and Chris kindly gave us a lift to the bus station where we then waited patiently for the bus to Patras which was running quite late (unusual as the buses in Greece are generally very punctual).

Fortunately we just about managed to make it to Patras in time to make our next connection. From Patras we either needed the bus to Kilini (so that we could catch the 12.30 ferry from there to Zakynthos) or the express bus right through to Zakynthos town bus station (it goes on the ferry itself so no need to unload luggage) – we opted to find the express bus J

However, as we soon discovered, the buses in Patras do not share the same bus station: the bus from Messolonghi terminates at a different bus station to the one where you catch the bus to Kilini, and the bus station where you catch the bus to Kilini is different from the one where you catch the express bus through to Zakynthos, and there is a long walk between them L

We were told that the bus we needed was 300m down the road from where the bus from Messolonghi had dropped us off. So, with bags in tow we hauled ourselves to the next bus station in the increasingly warm morning sun, only to discover that this was not the right one and we needed to go another block for the bus to Kilini and another six blocks for the bus to Zakynthos. Unsurprisingly, with heavy luggage and only limited time to catch the bus, we opted for a cab at this point…

Luckily when we arrived at the correct bus station we were able to get seats on the express bus for the 12.30 sailing and so we were able to say goodbye to our heavy bags for the rest of the journey.

At Kilini the bus stopped for us to alight beside the ferry and walk on board before reversing onto the ferry itself. We went up onto the top deck to look around the harbour - we have considered visiting Kilini on Pyxis a few times and had heard it had changed since the pilot book was written so were interested to see around. Sure enough the fishing harbour has been extended out and there is now room for yachts inside, stern-to the quay. Amongst the boats there we spotted a yacht we knew, Ricart III, but sadly we were too far away to call them.

We had a pleasant passage across to Zakynthos. Up at Patras, the wind had been blowing strongly through the bridge but down here there was hardly any and the sea was slight. For us it was quite insightful watching the ferry gradually alter course around a yacht sailing very slowly across its bow.

When the bus dropped us off at the bus station in Zakynthos town we caught a local bus which dropped us off directly outside our hotel, midway between Laganas and Kalamaki. The bus went via Laganas, noted for its loud nightlife with multiple bars and clubs, but it was quite quiet in the middle of the afternoon.

We were pleased to find our hotel was also very quiet and we spent what was left of the afternoon by the pool – in fact we only saw one other guest visit the pool whilst we were there.

In the evening we walked through the trees and dunes down to the beach and looked out across the bay, Kólpos Lagana. This bay is part of the Zákinthos National Marine Park which restricts mooring and navigation to protect the nesting area for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). We started walking down the beach towards Kalamaki and along the beach were signs marking hatched turtle nests with instructions to stay away.

The last time we visited Zakynthos was on Pyxis and we anchored at Órmos Kirí, the other side of the bay which is the only area you can anchor around here between May and October. Interestingly, although yachts cannot moor or navigate near the beach, holiday makers are allowed to stomp up and down.

As darkness fell we beat a retreat back to the road and continued into town, pleased we had brought a torch with us. Kalamaki is a touristy place although thankfully not too busy at the moment, I guess because it is now out of season. We had a pleasant meal at one of the tavernas, opting for the one which didn’t have someone outside hassling us in (though it did still have pictures of the food on the menu outside). After dinner we walked back along the road to the hotel.