Peloponnese road trip part 1 – Cape Drepano and Kyllini Beach

On Tuesday 12th July afternoon, our journey to the Peloponnese finally began. The forecast for the next few days did not promise very good winds, but a stop at Cape Drepano was a must.

Ferry

Crossing the Rio Antirio bridge to Patras is very expensive, so we chose the ferry. We crossed the canal by ferry in about half an hour and the price was only 11.50 euros for a camper van (6.5 eur for a passenger car).

The view from the water of the towering bridge is breathtaking and worth it.

Arrival at Cape Drepano and situation on the spot

The arrival at Cape Drepano was relatively uneventful, except for the last stretch of unpaved road along the sea. We first walked through it to be sure that we can get through before we dared to go straight to the lighthouse. If you have a wider car or a camper it could be impossible to get there.

There were approximately 10 cars at the spot, both campers and passenger cars. We parked in the front under the trees.

The water flowed only by the fence, right by the lighthouse, even the Greeks themselves told us that it was not drinkable. There were two showers and two faucets with a hose. Other faucets and water distribution along the beach did not work. The toilets on the beach are two porta potties. Free camping is prohibited according to the sign at the beginning of the beach, but in essence, if no one causes problems, it is tolerated.

Wind on Cape Drepano

Although the forecast was mixed, the west wind blew right on Tuesday evening, so we both went for a ride. On the opposite side of the Gulf of Corinth at the Nafpaktos spot, we did not see any kites. It wasn’t that crowded on the water and you could even ride on the flat.

To be sure, Veronika kited upwind on the other side with a view of the bridge and the factory. Unique panoramas that you won’t find anywhere else. She also tried to jump to the left side for the first time, which came in handy in the following days and on the following spots.

The wind was strong enough and steady until almost sunset.

The bad forecast continued on Wednesday and Thursday. The west wind did not appear. Fortunately, the east wind was strong enough and stable in the afternoon, so we both rode again and enjoyed the non-standard wind conditions on Drepano. Only few kiters were on the water.

Later, the weaker easterly wind came in handy and I hit the water for the second time with the foilboard.

At low tide, we were able to walk to the end of the peninsula. Even when there is no wind, the panoramas, and crystal clear water here are amazing.

Since the forecast was bad for the following days, we decided on Friday that we would finally go into the unknown. Discovering new spots. An old German kiter recommended Kyllini Beach in the northwest of the Peloponnese. He said he was there a few weeks earlier and it was nice. For us, in an ideal driving distance from Drepano, we could possibly catch the evening session.

Friday morning we packed up and left. The first unexpected stop was at the Cape Drepano Kite Shop (Slingshot distributor). While packing and loading the board, I found that my pads were completely disintegrated and unglued, and on one I lost the soft padding under the heel. They searched for pad inserts without success. In the shop, they tried to help me in every possible way, but they couldn’t find replacement linings anywhere in the warehouse. In the end, I replaced it with two layers cut from a soft mat and used neoprene glue.

Kyllini Beach

We had information that there is a nicer beach in Kyllini further south, where you can kitesurf. Right by the beach, there is a huge parking area, a big beach bar, and lots of tourists. You can kite on the beach, which is wide enough, sandy with a gradual entry into the water. It is not allowed to start or enter the zone with umbrellas and swimmers. Unfortunately, it is not possible to free camp in the parking lot, and it is said that the police often go there on a tip-off. There are several hotels, and a campsite nearby, and the central and southern part of the beach is full of tourists.

According to the recommendation, we drove about 3 kilometers to the northern part of the beach, where there is a cozy tavern and also a relatively large parking area right above the beach. The parking lot was full of camper vans and caravans. There was a shower on the beach and a working toilet at the tavern. The taverna was also above the level of the beach with a beautiful view of the sea and the island of Zakynthos.

Spot at Kyllini Beach

As for the beach and the water, the entire long beach is absolutely breathtaking. The entry into the water is gradual, the sand is incredibly fine. There is a beach without umbrellas about 100 meters from the tavern and the parking lot, and there is also enough space to launch kites. Unfortunately, the wind was against us again. It was blowing at a maximum of 4 m/s. Despite this, the waves were beautiful and big, so we enjoyed swimming and frolicking in the waves. Swimming here was simply one of the best we’ve been to.

If you walk along the beach, you will come across several dwellings of local Greeks, who have made wonderful summer “apartments” in the forest above the beach.

In the evening, you can watch beautiful sunsets from the parking lot and actually rest and relax here as much as you like. Parking here for a few days is not a problem, and there was even a night watchman at the Taverna.

Wind and water for kitesurfing at Kyllini Beach

Of course, the big problem here was the wind again. Even though the forecast showed that thermic wind should come and there was no indication that it would not come, we had a maximum of 4 m/s here. Apparently, the opposite islands and the location of the beach somehow weakened the thermals, so that only waves arrived directly at the beach, but not a stronger wind. However, I can very well imagine that if it’s really windy here, it’s an incredibly good wave spot. Even with a weak wind, one meter big and larger waves formed here. So if you like waves and you see a front in the forecast or stronger westerly wind, you can stop here.

Departure

We spent one night at Kyllini Beach and on Saturday evening we packed up and headed towards another magical place known to the whole world. To the nearby Ancient Olympia, to the site where the Olympic Games were created and then to a great new spot – Romanos Beach.

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Author: Karel

I simply love kitesurfing :-).