Cruising the Northern Sporades:
Our sea urchin!
The Northern Sporades are - with the area of Thasos, Lemnos and Lesbos - the most northerly cruising grounds in the Aegean Sea. And although not easy to get too, it is quite crowded in August - the main season - because of its famous beaches which are praised to be the best in the whole Mediterranean Sea. Luckily for us sailors, these flocks or lobster coloured sun worshippers are confined to that single month and moreover are confined to the most popular beaches on Skiathos and Skopelos itself. If you were to sail to the next islands - Alonissos and the adjacent Peristera island - you would immediately find peace and quiet.
Yet, Skiathos and Skopelos are well worth a visit to these northern regions, even more so outside the main season. Skopelos is well known for its gourmet cooking so even when you have your own chef cook on board, either one of your own party on a bareboat sailing holiday, or a professional chef cook on your chartered luxurious crewed super yacht, it is still recommended to taste the local flavours of these islands. Note, that besides the usual crewed charters, there will not be many motorsailers / motor sailers since this is too far from their core sailing grounds near Bodrum, Turkey where they perform their speciality, the blue cruises!
The photo shows a stunning specimen of a sea urchin, which we caught
in Panormos bay on Skopelos, Northern Sporades, Greece. All its tentacles were frantically moving about, and no! we didn't had it for supper. You might also have a look at its mouth.
