We sailed back north in the Saronic Gulf, because soon we want to go through the Canal of Corinth, a famous passing for sailors, in between high walls of lime stone of the main land of Greece and Peleponnesos.
On our way there, we stopped at Methana and we really loved this pensinsula. So after our last stops, at Spetses and Porto Cheli which are more the glamourous with lots of maritime history as well, this stop at Methana is for nature lovers! Because a big part of Methana is vulcanic!
We sailed to the harbor of Vathi on the Westcoast of Methana. It’s a very small harbor, only 8 boats can stay there, but we were the only ones. Next to a lot of small fisher boats.
Vulcano
The main attraction on the island is the volcano. From Vathi, it’s about a 30-minute bike ride to the top of the volcano.
That ride alone is impressive, sometimes with views of the sea dotted with fish farms, and at other times you cycle through the warm inland between steep cliffs.
I parked my bike at the top of the volcano, but from there it’s still about a 30-minute climb to the crater. It’s quite steep, rugged, and with little fencing. The path winds past lava fields and has an almost extraterrestrial landscape; at sunset, the lava glows reddish-brown. The lava once erupted with such force from the crater that it formed small hills and even flowed into the sea. While walking here, you also have a stunning view over the Saronic Gulf.
As the sun was already starting to set, I cycled back down. At a certain point you’re back at sea level and pass a few nice restaurants, including this beautiful spot with three chairs facing the sunset. Back on the boat, we continued enjoying the sunset.
Thermal springs
Since ancient times, Methana has been known for its hot springs. In the town of Methana on the east coast, you can still find bathhouses, though some are a bit run down. There are also natural pools where you can bathe. We went there by bike and e-bike as well.
Bird’s-eye view over Vathi
Cycling back to Vathi, we talked about how beautifully this small harbor is situated. It’s something you really need to know as a sailor, because the west coast of this peninsula isn’t really on the logical sailing route to, for example, Poros or the Corinth Canal. We actually read about it on our Navily app.
So, we sent our drone up into the air to capture Vathi forever for our website 😉.
Fish restaurants
We were moored right on the quay, next to a few fish restaurants. The tables were set up outside on the quay, which tempted us to have dinner out. Literally just three steps from our boat 😉.
And after dinner, once again, the beautiful sunset. It’s hard to leave this sheltered harbor and the calm of the daily Greek rhythm in such a small place.
