Mitika

The pilot guide is, perhaps, a little dismissive of Mitika calling it “dusty” and “workaday” although, to be fair, it also says it is all the better for the minimal tourism. With not having been here before we were a bit uncertain what to expect.

A short hop from the island of Kalamos and on the Greek mainland, the port is soon visible but the small entrance less so and the adjacent sunken harbour only spotted as you get very close. As Rod ‘The God’ Heikell says there is not a lot of room to manoeuvre once inside so we chose to circle in the bay while waiting for a space. We managed to get onto the very end of the breakwater near the entrance – not ideal but there were few spaces further in likely to become available and the forecast was good. It did mean that we were the first to be hit by the wakes of the mobos coming in far too fast and especially the small ferry who makes every boat in the harbour swing alarmingly.

All that said, we like Mitika. There’s a great communal feel on the quay, those who have obviously been here sometime being helpful, chatty and welcoming. Water is available and is a draw for all sorts of boats to fill up. While the small town functions for the the residents and doesn’t have the prettified appearance of the island resorts of, say, Fiscardo or Kioni that is not to say it isn’t attractive and waterside tavernas and bars are appealing. It’s very functionality means we were able to get hold of items we needed that had looked a forlorn hope.

Perhaps the real beauty of the place is revealed in the cool of the evening. As fishermen gather on the quay and the boats, large and small lay their nets, swallows swirl in a sky filled with the glorious colours of sunset. Beautiful.