The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
‘I go where the gods and the sea take me’
Small ships visit the places most cruises can’t reach – and are ideal for those still wary of crowds. Jeannine Williamson embarks on a Greek odyssey
Captain Yiannis gazed across the glassy indigo water and until he spoke the silence was broken only by the gentle ripples being carved by the ship’s bow. “I go where the gods and the sea take me,” he mused lyrically as we headed towards the tiny dot in the distance of Agios Efstathios.
On big cruise ships, it is unimaginable even to see the captain (unless it is a fleeting introduction at a swanky cocktail soirée), let alone stand beside him having a philosophical chat. As we leant on the varnished wooden handrail, he was in no rush to leave and told me he had only visited the island a couple of times in a seafaring career spanning three decades. That is hardly surprising when there are more than 6,000 islands and islets scattered across the Aegean and Ionian seas – a figure that also relates to the number of passengers carried by some of the floating behemoths in the same region.
I walked back to the al-fresco bar, where I was greeted by name and asked if I wanted my “usual” – another reminder that Greek family-owned line Variety Cruises is the complete antithesis to the stereotypical images conjured up when many people hear the word “cruise”, or vow it is not their type of holiday. Even for seasoned sailors anxious about dipping postpandemic toes into the proverbial, small ships are the perfect reintroduction to life at sea for anyone wanting to avoid crowds.
Variety’s eight vessels, hosting no more than 71 passengers, drop their anchors at places other ships can’t reach, even when they are not the islands originally planned. We had signed up to visit some of the lesserknown Cycladic and Dodecanese islands in the southern Aegean, such as Levitha (inhabited by just one family) and Kalymnos (famous for its sponge divers), but Mother Nature had other ideas. We ended up calling at even more obscure destinations.
On the first night, off Athens, Captain Yiannis gathered us in Galileo’s wood-panelled lounge bar to announce that the “unexplored” Greece itinerary was going to be just that. Strong winds often gust through the Cyclades, which would have meant a very bumpy and queasy time on the 49-passenger 157ft Galileo, or sister motor yacht, the 144ft Callisto, which plies the same waters with just 34 guests when conditions allow. Instead, he said, our week was really going to live up to its name as we headed north to the sheltered Sporades instead.
A few audible mutterings of disappointment sunk without trace as the news segued seamlessly into a welcome party. Bartender Valeria served bottomless drinks.
Any fuzzy heads aside, there was a palpable air of excitement the next morning when we arrived in the tiny harbour at Skyros. We discovered that even if the weather scuppers the bestlaid plans, there is always a back-up strategy. While we were sleeping things off in the small but cosy cabins, crew members had worked into the small hours hastily arranging a guided excursion on Skyros. That said, there is no enforced hand-holding on this laidback cruise. The emphasis is on having an authentic experience, be it heading out on impromptu hikes or, as we did, getting pleasantly lost in a hire car.
The next morning heralded our arrival in Agios Efstathios, one of the most isolated Aegean islands.
Once used to house political exiles and devastated by an earthquake in 1968, it has a sombre past which was relayed to us in a museum inside the old school. The curator was so excited by our arrival, she urged us to sign the visitor book and swell the number of entries.
Afterwards we wandered past blue shuttered homes to a bar, the main watering hole for the population of just 250. Some of our thirsty shipmates beat us to it, and by the time we arrived, they had run out of that day’s supply of the island’s home-brewed beer. Instead, we took a table at the neighbouring taverna, owned by the same family, and settled for the omnipresent bottled Mythos served in refreshingly ice-cold glasses. On our way back to the ship, a fisherman mending his nets in the shade created a timeless cameo of island life. He caught us looking, and through a gap-toothed smile beckoned us over to get a closer look at his intricate work.
The small and nimble ship can moor at harbours usually only used by yachts and local fishing boats, and in several places we were the only overseas visitors. The cruise was mainly half-board, and ashore we ate at waterside cafés and restaurants, surrounded by chattering Greek families. Sometimes there were no menus and, in one, the waiter recommended freshly caught sardines, a huge plateful of which was duly placed on the checked tablecloth, served with lemons and just-out-of-the-oven bread to dip in olive oil – all for just €6 (£5).
Back on board, days morphed into a blissful and leisurely routine of “swim stops”, where we were whizzed to secluded coves and horseshoe-shaped beaches on a RIB (rigid inflatable boat), or went snorkelling, kayaking and paddleboarding from the ship.
One night two local musicians hopped aboard for a spirited recital of traditional Greek music. Fuelled by more of Valeria’s infamous cocktails and shots of ouzo, several passengers were emboldened to join the crew and dance on deck.
On our last night, as we returned to Athens, we went to the top deck and lay on padded loungers in the balmy breeze. A blanket of stars, untouched by light pollution, surrounded the ship. With the help of an app, we picked out the Great Bear and its smaller celestial sidekick, the Greek hero Hercules, and the equally mighty Ophiuchus – also known as the Serpent Bearer and said by some to be the 13th sign of the zodiac. It was magical.
Our laid-back Greek odyssey gave us an insight into life on isolated islands, far removed from the familiar tourist hotspots, which the majority of visitors never get to see – including some we didn’t expect to glimpse when we booked. If the Greek deities decide to blow you off course, you may find it is a blessing in disguise.
Variety Cruises (seafarercruises.com) offers a seven-night Hidden Greece: Unexplored Greek Islands round trip cruise on Callisto from £2,344pp, or a nine-night package with two nights in Athens from £2,894pp, departing July 1, 15 and Sept 16 2022. The price includes flights and transfers
The nimble ship can moor at harbours usually only used by yachts and fishing boats