Responsible Tourism

Ionian Sailing holiday

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Using the island of Lefkas as a base, Tahita and her crew look forward to accompanying you on an unforgettable sailing trip...

We can create your ideal trip encompassing turquoise waters, islands covered in lush green, ancient castles and a chance to visit the home of classical mythology.
The choice is yours and we're as flexible as the weather!

The itinerary that follows is just an example of what you can experience in Greece when you join Tahita and her crew.

• DAY 1: Meeting on our boat, based in Vassiliki, Lefkas. Briefing and arrangement of provisions. Departure for the isolated island of Kastos (population: 80 people). We stop for a swim on the way in the clear turquoise waters of Agiofili, one of the sandy coves of Vassiliki. We spend the night in the beautiful village of Kastos and sample the local fish delicacies.
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• DAY 2: Sail to the uninhabited island of Atokos where we will stop for a swim, a chance to snorkel and a barbeque. After that, we continue for the cosmopolitan port of Fiscardo in Cephalonia. There you can taste the incredible local delicacies and walk through the picturesque 19th century houses set amidst fragrant pine groves.
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• DAY 3: We sail to the island of Ithaka, once the home of Ulysses. We'll anchor at the spectacular beach of Gremni where you can swim at the foot of the dramatic cliffs and relax on the beautiful, fine white sand. Next stop, the fishing village of Kioni in Ithaka, well-known for its attractive huddle of white washed houses.
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• DAY 4: An early start for our sail to Oxia, a tiny island off the delta of the river Acheloos on the mainland. Here you will enjoy the stunning surroundings and utter isolation except for a few fishing boats. We will then sail by night to the main port of Ithaka.
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• DAY 5: Arrival at the main port of Ithaka at sunrise and spend the day exploring the Nymphes cave. You'll also have the choice of visiting a unique home-museum - run by a local school teacher in the town of Stavros - which houses a collection of items excavated on the site of Ulysses' palace.
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• DAY 6: Next we sail to the fishing island of Kalamos to spend a relaxing day snorkelling and swimming. We recommend a short trek to the top of the hill to watch the beautiful sunset, followed by a farewell dinner in the local tavern by the sea.
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• DAY 7: Sail back to our base, the little port of Vassiliki.
We're as flexible as the weather!
The above itineraries are just examples of what you can experience in Greece. Send us details of the islands you wish to visit, where you wish to finish you trip and let's work together to create the ideal journey for you.

Caring for the environment

A. Our crew
By having everyone involved in our organisation promoting and adhering to sustainable travel principles and encouraging our guests to embrace our sustainable travel principles:
By allowing space in our sailing boats for people to throw plastic bottles and other items which we take back to Athens for recycling
By using biodegradable cleaning products and avoiding at all times the dumping of chemicals or non-natural products into the sea
By ensuring that all guests are informed upon arrival that waste should never be thrown into the sea and recyclying of plastic bottles should be done in the designated place
By briefing our guests not to collect any corals or shells from the sea or beach. They are encouraged though to help us clean any garbage that they see inside the water or on the beach
By briefing our guests upon arrival on the necessity of cutting down on their use of water and electricity. There is a serious problem with water in the Greek islands and we recommend guests to use water and electricity only when and to the level that is necessary
By avoiding wasting paper in the office and using the internet as the main form of communication.

B. The boat
By trying to minimise the impact of our boat on the marine environment. Sailing ecologically is a very wide concept starting from the manufacturing of the materials to the use of the boat. We are constantly working on minimising the impact of our boats on the marine environment.
Having purchased a 2nd hand boat and kept maintenance in excellent condition. We aim to break with the conventional approach of charter industry which is often buying brand new boats and dumping them after 2 to 3 years
By budgeting in a way that by end of 2009, we will replace our conventional outboard with an electrical one
By using the motor as little as possible, mainly just to enter and leave the port and charge our batteries
By budgeting in a way that by February 2009 solar panels are placed on our boats to achieve electrical self sufficiency without the use of motor or generator
By raising money to buy hybrid engines so that we minimise the use of petrol
By avoiding, when mooring the boat, to throw the anchor on meadows of Poseidonia Oceanica which are essential for the ecosystem. We always use permanent moorings when provided
By having natural ventilation on our boats provided by wind scoops instead of air condition
By using a long lasting antifouling which is less harmful to the environment than conventional antifouling paints
By using biodegradable and with no phosphates products to clean the boat. We also use alternative boat cleaners such as vinegar and baking soda which are environmental friendly
By recycling the batteries of the boat and not just dumping after expiry
By keeping up to date with developments and new products that appear in the industry that minimise negative impact on the environment
By using a pink propylene glycol antifreeze product to cool the engine that is less toxic than the conventional ethylene glycol one (typically green)
By June 2008 plan to replace the traditional incandescent bulbs, which use a lot of energy with LED (light-emitting diodes) bulbs, whose energy consumption can be 15 times lower.
Supporting the local economy
By including in our itineraries and taking our guests to remote or underdeveloped islands [such as Kinaros (population: 2 people), Levitha, Iraklia and Anafi (population: under 100 people)] we aim to distribute economic benefits to those places that are hard to get to due to lack of frequent ferries or that are unreachable without a sailing boat or similar means.

By recommending the purchase of products from the local agricultural co-operatives which function in many islands
By advising our guests to taste the local cuisine in local taverns and get a taste of the local culture and avoid global restaurant chains
By recommending rooms & apartments that we have carefully selected that are run by local people, not generic hotel chains.

Supporting the local community

The traditional ways that islanders used to support themselves have become obsolete due to mass tourism and the tendency of the youth to move to large cities. Our approach aims to keep these old ways from fading out and for our guests to get introduced to the "real" island lifestyle.
By encouraging our guests to participate in the local way of life and not just be a distant observer. In our Wild Tales, people are welcome to give a helping hand to locals in their daily activities, for example, picking olives from trees or taking part in the preparation of local products.
By introducing people to the multi-cultural reality of the Greek islands. We explain the local body language and customs, we discuss historical and local stories.
Special projects
When our sailing boat is not chartered or being maintained, we offer the boat to scientists and organisations for their research and other environmental projects. We have already provided support to a team of biologists from the Athens University and a worker of the British Natural History Museum.
We are planning to run a series of events targeted towards the children of the remote islands of the Aegean Sea with the aim of educating and increasing awareness on environmental and conservation issues. The first one took place in the island of Iraklia in the Small Cyclades in October 2007.

 

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