Where to go in summer? It should be possible to get there without a plane and offer constant wind and warm temperatures. After a quick search on the internet, we quickly decided on one of the Greek islands - Crete.
A few weeks later, I packed the car and travelled over the Brenner Pass to Italy. From Ravenna we took the ferry to Patras, Greece, in just under 30 hours. When we arrived, we did what most windsurfers do: We stumbled straight into the first internet cafe to get the latest wind forecast. Two frappés later, we realised that the longed-for Meltemi summer wind would be a while in coming. Disappointed, we drove on towards Athens in the hope that the forecast would soon change for the better. After just a few minutes on the coastal road, we noticed a movement in the trees at the side of the road and so we stopped at the next opportunity. When we got out of the car, the large Rio-Antirio bridge, which connects the Greek mainland with the Peloponnese, immediately caught our eye. Just a few kilometres behind it, we saw some kites in the sky. Driven by the desire for our first session, we set off in search of a surfable spot nearby. Without a plan, we continued along the coastal road in the hope of stumbling across a windsurfing spot by chance. After a few failed attempts, an old VW bus loaded with surfboards suddenly appeared in front of us. "Let's get after him" was our first thought. Given his driving style, he must be on his way to surfing and so we tried not to lose touch with him. The bus braked abruptly, sped past a disused factory and turned into a small gravel path right by the water, which led directly to the beach.
We would never have guessed what awaited us here. A constant five Beaufort and a 500 metre long sandbank with a mirror-smooth playing field on the leeward side. We parked our car in the shade of the olive trees and frantically set about screwing the fin and foot straps onto the boards. We quickly set up the sails and set off. We didn't set foot on the shore again until the sun was setting. Once ashore, we were greeted by a couple of friendly locals who told us "the next days will be the same!" We ended the evening in a good mood at the little gyros stall by the roadside and were already looking forward to the next day.
The "next day" was followed by another day and before we knew it, our holiday was over without us even setting foot on our actual destination of Crete. The city spot of Patras was intended as a snack for the journey through, but the fact that there was no wind for weeks on the Greek islands and we were able to windsurf here on 19 out of 21 days was just too good for us.
General info Drepano
Journey:Located not far from the ferry harbour of Patras, you can reach this spot from there in around 30 minutes. Coming from Patras, leave the large Rio-Antirio bridge on your left and you will reach Drepano a little later. There, just before the small bridge, turn left into Akrotinou Street and you will come directly to the spot.
Wind & weather:Drepano is the perfect "snack stop" for anyone travelling to Greece by car via Patras and wanting to continue on from there to one of the other islands. After a long ferry journey, you can surf the tiredness out of your bones just 30 minutes from the harbour. Drepano is not one of the classic Meltemi spots, but works when the classic Meltemi from north-west to north is absent. Westerly and easterly winds are amplified here due to the geographical location and local thermals, which is why the wind picks up throughout the day and usually reaches 15-20 knots in the early afternoon. The usual wind forecasts do not take local effects into account. If Windfinder or Windguru predict ten knots, it is usually worth travelling. You can find current wind forecasts here Link .
Spot conditions:What makes this spot special is a several hundred metre long headland made of gravel, on the lee side of which there is perfect shallow water for practising tricks and manoeuvres. A westerly wind blows side-shore from the left, with easterly winds you can find identical conditions on the other side of the headland. Further out, there are moderate chops that also allow for the occasional jump. You just have to come to terms with a few kitesurfers.
Infrastructure:You can park for free in the shade of olive trees at the spot itself. Showers are also available, but you won't find a surf school or hire centre here - so you need to bring your own equipment. It can get crowded here at the weekend due to its proximity to Patras.
