At Portokali, we chose to house our base with boats we manage ourselves, on the island of Aegina. And for good reason. ๐
The benefits in brief:
So Aegina has many advantages as a departure port for a sailing vacation. On this page we will elaborate on those advantages.
In this picture you see the pier where we have all the Portokali boats cozily moored together. Furthermore, on this page you can see some atmospheric images of the pier, our little office and Aegina itself.
Aegina is an islet located just south of Athens, in the middle of the Saronic Gulf. Because it is in the middle of the cruising area, you can get to places that are less easily reached with a departure from Athens.
That’s because you actually have 2 extra sailing days to explore beautiful destinations. After all, you don’t have to “cross over” to Athens on the way there and back.
So on your travel day, it is a little extra hour of travel by ferry from Athens to Aegina, but the extra destinations are well worth it if you ask us!
Click here for the full version of the map around Aegina!
One-week sailing vacations, for example, make it much easier to call at ports such as Hydra, Ermioni or the uninhabited island of Dhokos. And with two-week sailing vacations, you can even make it all the way to Monemvasia and Kythira, at the southern tip of the Peloponnese. Beautiful destinations, still largely undiscovered by the masses!
The port of Aegina is a real city port, with the port being the center of the town of Aegina. You arrive by ferry at the beginning of the boulevard and at the end of this boulevard are our yachts, recognizable by the orange flags. Less than 5 minutes walk, past all the cozy terraces and stores along the waterfront.
In the harbor of Aegina you will find all types of boats mixed together: there are dozens of small fishing boats of locals, private sailing yachts of people who live on them and sail around the world, sometimes a stray super yacht and so the fleet with the Portokali flags. As a result, there is always commotion in the harbor, but it still feels very convivial and authentic.
In this cozy village you can also really go for everything. Whether you want to buy a snorkel quickly, are looking for fishing gear, a linen blouse, large hammam towel or nice souvenirs … You will always succeed!
By the way, did you know that Aegina is the island of pistachio nuts? The whole island is dotted with pistachio trees and it really is a local specialty. They also make liqueur, soap, balsamic, pasta & many more delicious things with it. In any case, we’ll make sure there’s a bag of pistachio already on board when you arrive on your boat!
Because Aegina is a relatively small island, you have more of a sea climate here than a land climate. That is, temperatures are always somewhat less extreme than on the mainland, due to the sea’s dampening effect and slower temperature changes than the land.
Complicated story short: in the hot summer weeks it will be just a few degrees cooler on Aegina than in Athens and vice versa in the winter. Then it will be nice and warm on Aegina just a bit longer!
Hence, we start the first flotillas here as early as March & only finish the season with the Portokali Cup in mid-November ! (See photo attached to the following text ๐ )
At Portokali, we make sure our guests get the vacation feeling from minute one, by taking as many worries out of their hands as possible.
A few examples? We make sure that all beds are neatly made upon arrival (and no, that is unfortunately not very common in the charter world). But also that there is a basic stuff on board: pepper, salt, (tasty!) olive oil, spices, toilet paper, shampoo, a sponge and of course a cold bottle of wine to immediately toast the start of your vacation!
We also think it is important that the boat you rent is well equipped. That’s why all Portokali boats on Aegina have air conditioning, there is ample and nice crockery on board, and there is a Nespresso machine + milk frother on every boat.
They may be small details, yet they do a lot for a relaxed start to your sailing adventure.
As soon as you arrive on Aegina, you step into the Portokali world. Through the boats with our recognizable orange flags, the fine office where you can store your luggage, but especially through the Portokali team that is there for you.
Curious about the team? Meet them here in advance!
See you on Aegina!
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