Kefalos Freeride Heaven

My Greek summer 2018 was almost two months long. I've been on usual places (nothing special to report, but usual bliss :-) ), except for two weeks at the beginning of August when I decided to explore well-known windsurfing spot Kefalos on island Kos. It is a beautiful place, dedicated to windsurfers. If I have to describe it shortly, I would say it’s a freeride heaven.

Kefalos bay is on the south side of the island, some 15 minutes drive from the airport. The wind is mostly offshore. It’s some kind of combination of Meltemi and local thermal wind. From 14 days, I had 12 days of windsurfing. One of those missed days I spent on an excursion to Nysiros, a volcanic island near Kos. I did it because the forecast was quite bad wind wise. However, when I came back I was informed that the wind was perfect! Pity for me, but good for windsurfers: even when the forecast says no wind, you can nevertheless stay on the spot and windsurf!

For someone like me, used to strong winds of Karpathos, Kefalos is aquite gentle spot. I made a misjudgment in equipment and took with me 98lit slalom board and 7,0 slalom sail. The sail could be appropriate, but the board was most of the time too small. If I would go again, with a choice of one board and one sail, I would take 110-120 lit board and 7,8 sail. Just for comparison, I had some great sessions on 130 lit freerace board (Fanatic Blast) and 7,0 no cam freeride sail.


Windsurfing rental and storage

The whole bay is 2,5 km long, with sandy beach. Hotels, apartments, and taverns are right there, along the beach. There are few places where you can access the beach by the car (if you have your own equipment). For renting there are two centers. One is KEFALOS WINDSURFING CENTER. It is well equipped with Fanatic and Patrik boards, mostly freeride but all kind, actually. They are quite new, so you can choose whatever suits you best. Sails are abundant too, all Sailloft (German brand; don't confuse that with LoftSails - it is something quite different).

On the days without the wind, or in the morning, you can SUP or kayak. They have two hydrofoils, and one old tandem board, so you can try that too. Slalom equipment... well, there are some older boards (Fanatic, Patrik, and F2) and even older sails (again Sailloft), but I must say, if you can't bring your own, don't rent slalom - you will not be happy. Instead, relax and enjoy freeride.

The staff is very friendly, and the overall atmosphere is relaxed, so you can really enjoy the turquoise water and nice winds of Kefalos.

The second windsurfing center in Kefalos bay is Russian operated VETRATORIA with all RRD equipment (boards and sails). I like how they handle all-prevailing sand: there is a water shower in front of the Center. You wash the board and the sail, and all equipment is inside under the roof (that's unusual for a windsurfing center). The floor is clean and you have a feeling that you are in the windsurfing store, not the equipment storage for renting. Nicely done, Vetratoria.

Who is it for?

Almost everyone. It is not for you if you are high wind addicted fanatic. Otherwise, in Kefalos you can windsurf with all level of skills. Beginners have first 50 meters where the wind is light and you can make your first steps without too much trouble. Of course, rescue boat is in frequent use, but no worries: if the offshore wind takes you too far, they will come for you with the smile on their faces.

The same is valid for intermediates who can nicely practice planning, footstraps, and harness on the gentle breeze (13-17 kt) if they let themselves go for another 50 meters out. And then, even further offshore, you can find more constant and stronger wind, up to 20 kt. I was impressed with the space you have. In spite of high season (beginning of August), and quite a lot of people on the beach and actually windsurfing, I never had a feeling of being squeezed by others. Quite a contrary, the area in front of the harbor, where the wind is the strongest, is so big that mostly I had a feeling of being alone on the water.

And, if you want even more space, you can go even further out (some 300 meters or more from the shore). If you don't mind little chop and small waves you can have a blast for more than 5 km in one direction. All alone, if that's your thing.



Other pleasures of Kos

Oh, I must not forget: in the morning you can enjoy SUP yoga classes. Or, even better, you can enjoy watching SUP yoga classes. :-)

The beach is perfect for taking some sun, swimming in clear water, or reading a good book under a sun umbrella (you have to pay for it, but you don't have much choice because you will not find any shade on the beach).

Kitesurfing is forbidden in Kefalos bay, but there are plenty of north side beaches with Kite Centers. There, the wind is onshore and you can have some nice waves to enjoy.

The old town Kos is worth visiting (some 45 minutes’ drive from Kefalos). It has some Turkish influence in the architecture and overall feeling. The tourists are all over the place, but I liked the fact that there is 13 kilometers of bicycle tracks in the very city of Kos. By the way, the island is very nice for bicycle riding. A lot of small roads to explore, with the just right level of difficulty (not too extreme, not too easy).

Of course, I have to mention my gastro-hedonistic exploration of every Greek island I've been so far. Taverns on Kos are good, but they don't offer something special. You can have a good, decent meal in each one of them. So, the good news is that you cannot make a mistake. However, they lack the originality of taverns I came across on Crete, Naxos, Lefkas or Karpathos. They are more like fast food restaurants, and that was especially disappointing on island Nysiros, where I just could not find nothing greekish in those taverns. Burgers, French fries, and such staff. A pity.

However, one restaurant made up for all shortcomings. The name is "Platanos", located in the center of old town Kos, right beside the old plane tree (Platanus), where Hippocrates gave his lectures thousands of years ago.

Platanos offers a celebration for most delicate taste. It is an original Greek restaurant, but with the just right touch of originality and modernity. The flavors are amazing; the fusion of tastes explosive! We were eating there a couple of times, just to make sure that Platanos is highly on the list of my favorite Greek island restaurants! I highly recommend it.

Will I come again?

Probably. Kefalos offers a nice mixture of the reliable summer wind, easy relaxed feeling, here and there some high wind slalom and speed windsurfing, together with a chance to explore Greek island with exotic taste in it. If you want an easy holiday where you can really enjoy windsurfing and at the same time to bring your family or non-windsurfing friends with you or those who wish to learn or improve, Kefalos is the right choice.

Vasiliki, Lefkada, Greece

Vasiliki was hanging on my "places to visit" list since I started windsurfing. It was about time to check it out and see if it stands up with its reputation as one of the best windsurfing spots in the world. After a week spend there with my son Borna, I can confirm: yes, it does!

We took a ferry from Trieste (Italy) to Igoumenitsa (Greece). I grow accustomed to longish ferry travels. They are time consuming (some 30 hours with this one), but if you like it slow, in the company of some good book, watching amazing onboard sunsets and enjoying long talks with your travel mate(s), that is the right thing to do. In comparison with get-me-there-asap philosophy (which is an unfortunate consequence of modern living) this is more alike oldish way of traveling, with much time to think and adjust to enjoyable moments ahead.

Lefkada is officially an island, but you cross over with one short undersea tunnel and a 20 meters long pontoon bridge. After that, you enter the islands capital city, with the same name - Lefkada. We didn't spend much time there. It looks like very crowded topical Greek city, with lots of car, and no place to walk undisturbed, so we just give it a glance and drove through it.

Our navigational system directed us on the main road to Vasiliki, following the eastern shore of the island. However, following our own gut feeling, we decided to visit some famous beaches on the western side, like Milos beach, and (that one we did latter), Eregmni beach. The western side road is going over the hills, up and down, with lot of turns. But, if you are patient, you are rewarded with some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. And those beaches... My, o my! No, we didn't windsurf there, but that blueness which dazzle your eyes when you look at it from above, and makes you wish you lost your self in it, when you jump in to swim or dive... that is something special, indeed. The western beaches of Lefkada are abundantly decorated with white foam created by moderate swells breaking over their sandy shores.


Windsurfing

Deliberately or not, the bay of Vasiliki was created for windsurfing. It is protected by the hills, the beach is mostly sandy and the see is shallow some 100 meters from the shore, making it ideal for learning all kind of windsurfing skills, from beginners to advanced. The wind there is created each afternoon by local thermal differences. It blows down the hill on the western side, and it is quite regular. You can count on it each day, even if the rest of the island doesn't get any pressure wind at all.

The direction, however, changes from day to day, and also during the day. The usual, light to moderate wind is crosshore, so you can sail crosswind parallel with the western shore. Sometimes, it blows a little bit more from the northwest, and it seems a lot stronger. But, you get a smaller area for windsurfing, and a more offshore feeling.

Choppy it is, always. And gusty it is, always. But, it is not really an issue - it never gets annoying or tiresome. During my stay I never have seen anyone left on the see without a wind. You can always find your way back, especially if you mind the timing and respect the after 19:00 silencing down.

Those searching for flat waters and speed runs... well, you can find them in Vasiliki, but not everyday. You have to wait for a right direction (I would say, northwest is the best one). In that case, you have some 200 meters upwind, and more than a mile pure downwind! If you are lucky, and gusts are merciful, you can catch a great speed, no doubt. But, after that, prepare for a bumpy upwind sailing, directly through a lot of chop. (I was not lucky regarding gusts, and only two days out of seven, we got the right strength and direction - but +36 knots of speed was done with ease on 98 liters board and 7,0 sail).

For a regular windsurfer, though, Vasiliki is a real heaven. Mostly, you can see sails from 4,0 to 5,0. That means -  a lot of wind everyday. And that is all we need, isn't it? The be honest, the only thing I didn't like, goes with a place being so friendly and so uplifting as Vasiliki is: a lot of people. Sometimes, you have difficulty finding your way to clear space through a lot of windsurfing beginners near the shore. And there is simply no spot without a windsurfing sail, so you have to be always on guard for possible close encounters.

Along the shore there are many windsurfing centers; the most famous and with best choices of new boards and sails is, of course, Club Vass. Any freerider or freestyler will find there whatever s/he desires equipment wise. You can bring your own equipment and pay the storage, or, if you don't mind to rig it every day, you can easily park the car some 20 meters from the shore and spear some money. However, if you plan to windsurf every day, it could be somewhat tiresome activity, so better take the comfortable and more secure approach and join some of the Centers there. (Since it is never a good idea to teach windsurfing to your own kin, I left my son Borna in a good hands of the instructors of Quicksilver Windsurfing School.)

The food and the rest

Starting with the rest, Lefkada is typical Greek island with typical Greek activity. I can not say anything about the fun and the parties, but I am sure the ones who enjoy in such activity will find something for themselves. If nothing, each Friday night the Englishmen from the Club Vass will give you some kind of a surprise. You can enjoy in thematic costume party (pretending that you are cowboy or the Indian, old Greek or alien). Man, you can even "enjoy" the BBQ stuff without the costumes, if you are into it (as you can see on the photo).

But, we took more like daily approach to investigating the island. So, we found beautiful long beaches where you can be alone even if there is a lot of people on it. The special little something is a waterfall near the town of Nidri (20 minutes drive from Vasiliki). You can take the morning hike uphill (3,5 km), and arrive there when it gets hot - just for a nice, refreshing swim in the small lake beneath the waterfall. A rare opportunity given that it is a fresh water on the island.

Now, the food is usually excellent. There are taverns all around, and you can hardly make a mistake picking the one randomly, in Vasiliki or somewhere along the road. However, if you are a gourmand, as we are for sure, I have two recommendation for you. Both are placed in Nidri. The first tavern is called "The Barrel". Usually, I would not mention the prices, because, usually, it is understood that quality is expensive. But in this case, the prices are even lower than in the taverns around. But the taste of the food is much more refined.

The second recommendation is probably one of the best taverns, if not the best, on my Greek cuisine list. It is called "Ta Kalamia". Placed on the entrance of the main pedestrian area in Nidri, this tavern has a special "no menu" philosophy. That means, you can chose between four kind of dishes (vegetarian, see food, meat and mixed) and the cook - a genuine food artist by the name of Vanghel - will bring you his version of a perfect meal, made for you. Now, call it a rhapsody, call it a symphony, or a music made in heaven, but that is how his food taste like! If you ever come to Lefkada, Ta Kalamia, and Vanghel, the artist cook, is a must, at least for one night. But, I suppose, you will come for more, as we did. Love and food - that is written on the entrance to Ta Kalamia, and I have no doubt that you will find them both.


Conclusion

I have been there, and I will come again. :-)

FUERTEVENTURA – Sotavento session

 by: Zoran Košmrl

We heard a lot of wellknown Sotavento beach on the Canary island of Fuerteventura, the windsurfing and kiteboarding mekka for recreational and professional athlets. PWA Tour stops there every year too. So, three of us, fellow windsurfers,  decided to use the opportunitiy to experience our first windsurfing in the ocean.

Factography

Fuerteventura is longest but with the area of 1660km2 the second largest of the Canary Islands.  It is closest to Africa (less than 90km away from Marocco) and separated from Lanzerote by the 10km-wide Strait of Bocaina. Volcanic mountains stretch along the western half of the island up to the 807m abowe the sea level (Pico de la Zarza). A lot of dry river beds suggest that there is limited precipitation (only 140mm/year) mainly between September and May. Humidity varies from 19% to 38% and sunshine reaches an annual average of 2800 hours. Fuerteventura is affected throughout the year, specially in summer, by anticyclones of the Azores (high-preassured air). These winds are loaded with humidity, salt and clouds due to long jurney above the ocean. The constant northeast winds – Alisios – speed up on account of the island's relief and reach average speed of 25km/h. So generally, west coast („barlovento“ – windward) has side-onshore wind with lot of breaking waves along rocky and sandy beaches (the longest and nicest is the Playa de Cofete).

The seas are very rough with lot of current and suitable for pro surfers and windsurfers. East coast („sotavento“ – leeward) has side-offshore wind with flat seas along the sandy beaches and ocasionally swell as a result of the ocean. The longest and most popular windsurfing and kiteboarding beach is Playa de Sotavento de Jandia in the south of Fuerteventura between Costa Calma and Morro Jable. It is nearly 6km long and in low tide about 500m wide. During high tide it fills up with up to 60cm deep sea that is separated by a narrow sandy dune from the atlantic ocean and is ideal for windsurfing and kiteboarding beginners.


Windsurfcenters

In 1984 Rene Egli established the biggest windsurfing center in the north of the Playa de Sotavento de Jandia and later the kiteboarding center near the Melia Gorriones hotel too http://www.rene-egli.com/ . The windsurfing center has a wide selection of first class NeilPryde and JP Australia equipment and rental is devided into three categories. Prebooking is 15% cheaper as the rental on the spot. Besides the center has storage for guest equipment, changing rooms, lockers, showers, relaxing area with free WIFI under palm trees, simple snacks and drinks for refreshment, professional photo service, massage area, ... It is well organised and comercialised, everything in favour of windsurfing from the beginner to the professional. Windsurfing area is wide so no crowd on the water is expected. With offshore wind the sea is flat to choppy after 100m of the coast. 

The restricted area is marked and ends with the start of the dark blue sea some 200m from the coast. The guys on jetski are fast and effective when rescue is needed. In case of being to far from the coast they are there in the moment and in the other moment the equipment and the windsurfer are safe in the shallow water. The whole area is supervised from the highest point on the beach from 9:00 to 19:00. The same goes for the kiteboarding. There is shuttle service from Costa Calma to windsurfing and kiteboarding center several times a day (distance is 5km). The surfshop in the nearby hotel Melia Gorriones is well equipped. Neverhteless, on my opinion, the prices are generally in both the surfshop and the center to european and a bit to high.
    

Club Mistral joined later with windsurfing centers in Costa Calma and in the southern part of the Sotavento beach called Risco del Paso. We did not visit the center in Costa Calma but that one in Risco del Paso was a discovery for me. It is less equiped and smaller but more user friendly, with more relaxed and cosy atmosphere. Everything is cheaper and less commercialised in comparison to Rene Egli's station. There are some slowenian instructors in well organised staff, and a friendly multilingual croatian girl on the reception desk. Windsurfing equipment offered is by Northsails (sails, masts, booms) and  Fanatic boards. http://www.club-mistral.com/en/destinations/home/29/genInfo.

There is no place for storage of guest equipment, no drinks and snacks (you should have a plenty of own drinking water and a lunch package with you), no shade for relaxing. But the conditions on the water are different from that in Egli's center. Due to direction of the coast there is no chop, just flat water with some swell coming from the ocean ocasionally forming jumping ramps or nice waveriding slopes. Direction of windsurfing is from 20 degrees to paralel to the beach in the shallow sea (standing area is to 20m from the coast depending from the tide. All the time there is a small laguna basin between the station and oceanside for beginners. During high tide the laguna with knee-deep sea is stretched across the whole beach up to the station over the period of few hours. The supervision is organised from the station and from the nearby mountain. Constant radio connection with rescue team on jetski asures fast and efficient operation.


Trip 

Everything started and was going as planned. Ivan, Mario and me, we left Varazdin at 4 a.m. and after a short break and vehicle change in Satledt, where Jura joined us, we arrived to Munich airport at 11 a.m. just on time to check-in before the crowd started at noon. Some Slowenian guys joined us with windsurfing luggage too. Later they happened to be in the same apartment house with us.

The afternoon flight aboard the confortable Condor Airbus took 4h30m and finally we landed on the sunny Fuerteventura island. We picked up the windsurfing packages and luggage and checked-in for the car rental. The new Citroen Berlingo (the car had 18km) was the right choice.

The only pain in the ass was in stead of the two, just one sliding door in the back, but we used to it soon. We have put all the luggage into and onto the car and our jurney along the desert island to the south started. The moon relief without any flora except in the cities, around hotels and on the golf grounds, was accompaning us all the way to Costa Calma. The wind coming from northeast helped us to come to Costa Calma in less than an hour. The apartment house was not difficult to find because it was the last one on the road to windsurfing center. The boys had to check-in for the equipment rental in the Rene Egli's office but it was closed so we had to leave it for the first thing next morning. Whole Costa Calma is 90% tourist oriented. Apartments and houses to rent are on every corner and big hotel complexes on every second corner.

After a big breakfast next morning and Egli's office check-in Jura and Mario went to the windsurfing center to get the board and sail. In the meantime I rigged my 5,8 NP Atlas on the FSW102 and started my first ocean session. The wind was pretty stable and offshore but there was apsolutely no crowd on the water in spite of some 30 windsurfers moving up and down. The aclimatisation period was pretty short for us. Only 1hour difference made a trouble for a start but we got used to it soon. As we injoyed windsurfing Ivan got infected with kiteboarding virus and started kiteboarding lessons in Club Mistral.

First two days we had to put on the right place all the details with the Polish owner and get used to the microscopic dust coming into and scatering all over the place. A Czech boy helped us to get familiar with the apartment, city, shops, restaurants...

First six days we had 25-30knots of wind during a sunny day with air temperature 23-28oC and ocean temperature of 21oC. I spent three days in front of Rene Egli's center. The choppy conditions in strong wind I changed than with a flat contitions in front of Club Mistral and enjoyed it much more. The turquise sea poured over white sandy beach in a row of 80cm high swell.

The waves coming from the oceanside would appear just few meters before the beach forming sometimes steep ramp for a nice jump over it into the flat sea before the next wave that might even not happen. It was pure soulwindsurfing experiance. During a short break I would lie on the beach between the board that was protecting my back from the sand blown with the wind and rig in front protecting me from the sun. I would just lie down and admire the moves of other windsurfers passing by. The swell would pour the sea over the sail covering it more and more with white sand. After few sets of waves the sail would be covered with 5cm of sand and one would have real trouble to get it out.

The everydays warmup due of carrying the rig for 150m over the beach to the oceanside was soon exchanged with windsurfing through shallow laguna sea during high tide to the sandbank and than crossing on foot few meters to the oceanside. It is amazing how fast filled up the beach depression with sea throught two corridors in the sandbank where the current was strong like some river. Soon the whole „beach“ was full of windsurfers and kiteboarders but noway we can speak of a crowd on the water. I personally still prefered the oceanside.
    
We made some exploration of surroundings by car. We made an excursion to La Pared on the west coast to see the oceanwaves. Unfortunately we did not go to the magnificent Cofete beach in the southwest. We visited Morro Jable, a big tourist city in the south that is 20min by car from Costa Calma. Southernmost city of Puerto de la Cruz was to far for us to go along the dirty road.
   
Last five days the wind dropped to 15-18 knots. As I had no sail for it with me I decided to go for kiteboarding lessons. Unfortunatelly, a high fever in next days stopped me from improving my kiteboarding. In spite of that it was a worthwhile trip and I would repeat it next year but go to Corralejo in the north.


Expenses
Condor has cheapest flight tickets variing from 170€ to 290€ depending of the pickedup dates. Windsurfing luggage is restricted to maximum 30kg of luggage 250cm long and costs 60€ for both ways. In my case it was a bag with freestyle wave 102 board, two masts, three sails, two extensions, one boom and harness. But in case you have more luggage that is not paid with the ticket do not forget to call or e-mail for the reservation before the flight, otherwise it is besides additional 60€ extra 50€ one way.  All is bookable online.

Nearest tourist place is Costa Calma so we looked for the accomodation online too (http://de.rentalia.com  www.houstrip.de   www.tripadviser.com  www.booking.com ...) We found a nice place to stay with the underground garage for the car in Costa Calma for 60€/day for 4 Persons. The accomodation for 2persons is possible from 30€/day. In case you are lucky you can have studio for 100€/week from Žan Ribnikar who works in Club Mistral as instructor from May to October (www.bushmans.si ).

There is a cosy setlement of apartment houses in the Risco del Paso region over the Club Mistral with terraces looking to the beach for 100€/day (www.villa-christina.eu ). Costa Calma is 70km far from the airport and because we had own windsurfing equipment we booked car rental for the whole stay. We took Citroen Berlingo and it suited perfectly to the need we had. The equipment could be inside the car but to be more confotrable we put the board derectly onto the roof fixed with straps through the cabin. The car with full insurance took us 230€ and we spent for 11 days and 500km 36€ for fuel.
 

Two persons could pass with Renault Clio for 110€ + fuel. Transfer to Munich and back took us 100€ and 60€ for parking on the airport. All the food for 11 days we bought from day to day in SPAR in Costa Calma and cocked in the apartment spending approx 40€/person.  The prices of everyday food are approximatelly the same as here, excluding fish and beer that is much cheaper. But the taverns and restaurants are not so expensive too. In case you need any medical treatment it is rather expensive all the invoices for cash payments are refundable if you have travel insurance. I have got it refunded in 10 days after coming home.


Hints

• Check tidal forecasts for planning the trip if you want to use laguna for windsurfing or kiteboarding.
• Don't hurry to buy the flight tickets online. Check out the price every day because it usually drops down as the date of departure nears.
• Check your windsurfing luggage not to make it to more than 30kg. Make a reservation for that luggage because on check-in it gets expensive. If you buy it with the flight ticket it is 60€ both ways. If you buy it on check-in it is 60€ one way plus 50€ space reservation.
• Check the conditions of accomodation reservation with the owner. On the spot it is usually to late to discuss all the features of the apartment, final cleaning expenses, wifi connection, SAT TV, sheets and towels changing, pets in the house...
• Don't rent car from the online rental company because it usually does not have own counter for check-in. It uses third party on the spot that does not aprove the insurance you have paid online, and charges extra 200-500€ deposit for the case.
• Be prepared to cash the medical help. Private clinics usually avoid credit cards and trevel insurance policies in spite of the statement that they accept all that. All the invoices for the medical help and drugs are refundable if you have travel insurance.
• Don't drink tapped water. It can cause digestal problems. We bought big containers of potable water even for cooking and brushing teeth.
• Check the prices in shops. The differences can be to 30%. We had good experiance with SPAR in Costa Calma.

Another day on Karpathos

There is no need for too many words... See the gallery on Soulwindsurf Facebook Page, and find out how it looks (16 photos) in the kingdom of the wind!

The taste of Naxos

My God, I love to explore Greek islands! They are all so magical, each in its own way. This year I visited Naxos, the largest island in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean. The area of Naxos is 428 km2, the island is round, with mountains in the middle, rocky and somewhat unaccessible eastern side, and much more likable western shore with long sandy beaches.

The connection with the mainland is good. You can reach the island by ferry in 4 to 5 hours. Of, course, there is an airport there, in case you like to travel faster. Accommodation is good and prices are reasonable - you can find a studio for 35 Euros per night. The people are nice and you will for sure have a warm welcome wherever you go.

And the food... Ok, about the food - later. :-)

First things first - the wind. Sadly, I was not lucky with the wind. Only 2 days out of 6, it was possible to windsurf with 7,8 and 114 lit board. Barely. However, I got the taste of how it is there when the wind is stronger.

It seems to me that the eastern side of the island gets more wind than the western side. That is unfortunate, because, eastern side is rather wild. If you could find a way to windsurf there, when meltemi (Greek summer wind) is strong, you would probably face the waves up to 3 meters.

Windsurfing spots are where the tourists are - on the western side. The first one is few kilometers south of Naxos Chora, the biggest, and actually the only city on the island (the rest are more like villages). It is a lagoon, 1 km long and some 500 m wide. Shallow, mostly 1,2 -1,5 m deep. The long reef is separating the lagoon from the sea, pacifying the waves and making it very friendly to beginners,  but also to those who like more flat conditions. However, it can be crowded there - I would prefer more space.

This lagoon is however ideal for learning anything related to windsurfing: from first steps to jibes or freestyle moves. There are two Centers in the lagoon - smaller with JP boards and North Sails, and much bigger RRD/NeilPryde center. If you rent your equipment, you will find what you need in the freeride-freestyle-wave category.

If your taste is like mine and you want more space, go some 10 km south of Chora to the place called Mikro Vigla. It is probably one of the most beautiful bays I have seen in a while. I didn't see any windsurfing center there, but I may be mistaken - it is a big place and I didn't have a chance to walk all around the shore. When wind picks up, you can expect choppy conditions and small waves there.

All in all, Naxos is a place to visit if you like moderate wind conditions, chop and small waves. And, it is ideal for beginners. It is not a place you will come only to windsurf, but more to enjoy all kinds of summer pleasures in one package, including windsurfing.

And this brings me again to the food... :-)

My infatuation with Greek cuisine is probably known to my readers. When I travel, I travel also to discover some new tastes. Or the variations of the old ones. Two restaurants on Naxos made to the list of my top 5 favorites! That is a success, and a surprise!

Since it is a windsurfing web site, I will be short in my recommendations: visit Labyrinth Wine Restaurant in the Old Town Naxos. Better make a reservation - it is packed every evening, and for a good reason! The prices are little higher, but you will not regret whatever you spend there!

And the second one is Rotonda Restaurant, some 20 kilometers inside the island, on the way to Apirathis. Beside the amazing view, you will be amazed with the rhapsody of tastes!

Well, what can I say - Naxos is a place to enjoy!

West Crete windsurf spots

Beside the unique beauty, Crete offers a lot of places for windsurfing. After exploring east and south, I checked the west coast of Crete. With the little help from all-knowing Google, it was not hard to get basic information about where the wind could be found. I was surprised, but Chania area is quite windless during summer. Fortunately, from there some nice windsurfing spots could be reached in less than an hour drive.

Paleochora

Beautiful village on the south-west coast. Good road takes you from Chania right in the middle of it, crowded with tourists. There is a note on the internet that once Paleochora was better windsurfing spot, with some Centers there, but winds started to be irregular and people left. When I came, the wind was from northeast direction and quite gusty. Still, on the east side of Paleochora, in front of the harbor, it was quite strong, with amazingly choppy water.

On the west side, there is a long sandy beach, with flat condition but not so strong. I suppose it could be good for beginners, but I didn't see anyone windsurfing there.

Falasarna

Half an hour from Chania, to the west, there is an amazing long sandy beach in Falasarna. A lot of tourist, though, enjoying the crystal clear waters and white sand. Wind from north direction, good for bigger sails, but again nobody windsurfing. Well, it was anyway less windy day, but I could imagine this place is ideal when there is more wind. During tourists season it could be difficult to get in the water, but once in, there is enough space for long rides all around.

Breathtaking view on Falasarna beach is worth stopping by the road and enjoy for a while.

Elafonsi

The most difficult place to reach. It doesn't matter if you go around, down from Falasarna, following the steep west coast, or you take the road to Paleochora and than turn right in some small village (there are visible signposts around, it is unlikely that you will be lost), you are bound to get dizzy from the serpent like narrow road which follows the mountains slopes.

But, in the end, when you finally get there, it is all paid for! Elafonsi is a real pearl! This is an unique beach made from few connected natural basins. Inside them, the water is shallow, light blue, almost white on some places. And full of people, of course. So, you can forget windsurfing inside them during high season. There was some beginners, though, learning to windsurf in perfect condition for them.

On the left side of the basins, there is enough space for windsurfing, all the was east to the nearby much bigger bay. When I was there, the wind was northeast direction, which is, as I understand, not often so. More usual wind is northwest, it seems. But, anyhow, you get the flat water and a lot of space for fooling around. It could be good for speeding, too, when the wind is stronger.

All summed up, west coast of Crete is very windsurf friendly, especially if you are not too demanding about perfect conditions and everyday wind. If you add to that amazing Cretan cuisine, unbeatable scenes of mountains, gorges and the see, you get charming combination you don't want to miss!