6 Bays to Banish the Winter Blues
Winter ...
The days feel shorter, the routines louder, and the horizon a little closer than we’d like.
Consider this a little bite of blissful summer dreaming.
These are six bays and harbours we return to time and again. Not because they’re famous, but because they do something rather wonderful to your mood.
Shared from our own charts and memories, these are places that remind you winter is just a season, not forever.
Petros Island, Kyra Panagia
National Marine Park of Alonissos
Tucked deep within the Alonissos Marine Reserve, Petros Island feels like the edge of the map. Wild, raw and beautifully still, it’s a place where winter worries don’t follow.
There’s no quay, no taverna, no signal. Just gin-clear water, rocky shoreline, and the quiet soundtrack of cicadas and sea. Our lead crews often say this is where people truly switch off. Anchor, swim ashore, float back. Repeat until winter loosens its grip.
Monemvasia, Peloponnese Peninsula
Sailing into Monemvasia feels like slipping through time. From the boat, you’ll often spot turtles gliding through the harbour. By evening, you’re wandering cobbled streets inside a medieval walled town, the stone still warm from the day’s sun.
As dusk settles, conversations stretch and glasses of local Malvasia appear. It’s the sort of place where the calendar quietly disappears, and winter suddenly feels very far away.
Pere Pigadhi, Ithaca Island
Simple, sheltered, and utterly unhurried.
Pere Pigadhi sits beneath a craggy hillside on southern Ithaca, where the water is so clear you can watch light dance on the seabed metres below. There’s little here beyond a small chapel and a few olive trees, which is precisely the point.
You arrive for a swim and stay far longer than planned. Even Odysseus might have lingered.
One House Bay & Cliff Bay, Atoko Island
Atoko drifts quietly between Ithaca and Kastos, uninhabited and reachable only by boat. Most people will never see it. Those who do rarely forget it.
One House Bay offers glowing turquoise water and, occasionally, a morning swim alongside the island’s resident pigs. Around the corner, Cliff Bay provides deep water, towering cliffs, and perfect shelter for an afternoon of doing very little at all. Winter doesn’t stand much chance here.
Mathraki Beach, Behind Corfu
Just west of Corfu lies Mathraki, an island where modern life seems to have lost its way entirely. A single quay, a scattering of white houses, and a long sweep of shallow turquoise water.
Come ashore for a simple lunch at the taverna. Stay for the sunset. From the cockpit, it’s hard to believe busy Corfu is only a short sail away. Winter fades quietly into the background.
Mongonissi, Paxos Island
By day, Mongonissi is calm and glassy, perfect for swimming, paddleboarding, and gentle afternoons at anchor. By night, it transforms.
As the taverna lights come on and guitars appear, the quay becomes a dance floor. Barefoot, under the stars, with people who were strangers only days before. It’s joyful, unplanned, and exactly the sort of memory that carries you through winter long after you’re home.
If winter feels long, consider this your daydream fuel!
If winter has you dreaming of warmth, clarity, and a different rhythm, consider this your invitation.
Start charting.
Start dreaming.
And when you’re ready, we’ll be here to help you find your way back to places like these.
Click to contact the team.