Don’t miss Mitika!
Georgina Moon recommends this unspoilt gem of a Greek harbour for Ionian cruisers
Facing the north coast of Kalamos, and 10 miles south of Paleros, the little agricultural town of Mitika seems relatively unknown to Ionian cruisers. It sits in an enviable position in the north Ionian, just a short sail from the other popular stopping places such as Nidri and Sivota on Lefkas, Little Vathi on Meganisi, and Kefalonia further south. Mitika is also very close to the island of Kastos.
An internet search revealed hardly any information about this charming place, apart from a couple of areas with the same name in other parts of Greece. From the sea, the attractive stretch of colourful houses bordering the L-shaped seafront at Mitika, with its dramatic mountain backdrop, can be seen from some distance away. Many charter yachts and flotillas must have sailed past it on their way to Kastos or Kalamos, but very few call in.
Mitika is quite unlike most other Ionian towns and harbours we have visited. We describe it as very ‘Greek’. Behind the picturesque waterfront, the rest of the town was rather scruffy in parts. There are no tourist shops here: the small hotels and apartments attract mostly local people, and the hustle and bustle of the more popular Ionian yacht harbours has been left behind.
But Mitika has a charm which is infectious. The attractive narrow main street heads north, lined with eating and drinking establishments. Many of the tavernas back on to the sea, making a wonderful place to stop for a drink or a bite to eat and admire the glorious sunset over Lefkas Island.
There are a few local shops including a bakery, a mini market and two pharmacies, and a larger supermarket further out of town. In the main street, we walked past one tiny open doorway which we thought was someone’s home, with a small table and chairs outside. When we looked more closely, it was actually a tiny shop run by a very old Greek woman – her front room had been turned into an emporium of delights where the open shelves were lined with coloured paper holding bottles and jars of all sorts, and on the floor were piles of fruit boxes and some ancient weighing scales.
One of our favourite tavernas in Mitika is the Pharos, situated right on the corner where the two sides of the waterfront meet, offering spectacular views towards Kalamos. The working lighthouse, after which the taverna is named, is an actual feature of the attractive outside seating area, although it is more of a light structure rather than a building.
The Pharos is owned and run by Yiannis and his family, who are most hospitable and provide delicious, home-cooked food. Yiannis came and sat at our table at the end of our meal, and he was interested to hear that we had sailed our yacht Fandancer from
the UK to Greece. He told us that he used to be a captain on very large tankers, working all over the world, but now he was content with his fishing boat, which we found out was the same length as our 11m (36ft) yacht. He recommended we visit the uninhabited island of Atoko and anchor in One House Bay for a swim.
Non-existent harbour
Rod Heikell’s Ionian pilot book and the Navionics iPad app both suggest that there are two harbours at Mitika, but in fact the smaller one to the south-west does not exist! There are the remains of (or maybe the beginnings of) some underwater blocks forming the shape of a harbour, but they are just under the water and dangerous to approach. Several orange lights indicate their presence at night, but this area is unusable. The existing, slightly larger harbour is well used by local small boats, but there is a reasonable space for 6-10 yachts to go stern-to on the south-west wall, with a depth of up to 3m (10ft). Do not obstruct the yellow striped markings on the quay, which is the area reserved for the commercial barges and foot passenger ferries which go to the nearby islands.
If the harbour is full, you can anchor off the west side of the village in light winds. When talking to locals, we got the impression that it would be more difficult to secure a berth on the little quay in high summer, when many local dayboats tend to visit.
We enjoyed our two-day stay in Mitika – we must have sailed past it about a dozen times in previous years on our way to and from other harbours and anchorages, but we had missed a little gem. The following day, when we left Mitika, we took the opportunity to swim in One House Bay as recommended by Yiannis. The crystal-clear water, pebbly foreshore and high cliffs behind made a very picturesque and peaceful lunch stop.