Ithaca of Homer's Odyssey

Baby Church (coming into Vathy, Ithaca)

Once we had reached the Peloponnese we were struck by how green and lush the land is and that proved to be true of the Ionian islands as well.  Comparatively,  the Dodecanese and Cyclades are barren and dry.  Those islands see little rainfall and by the end of summer they are bone dry.  The Dodecanese and Cyclades have no fresh water source and are totally dependent on rain which occasionally does not occur all year.  They capture rainwater in a collective reservoir and rely on that water until it runs out... then they have to have water shipped to them.  Unlike, Bermuda they do not have rain collections systems on their roofs nor do they have de-salination plants.  By summers end the islands just look parched.  But in the spring (if it rains) they are green like the Ionian islands.  

Vathy Harbor, Ithaca

Ithaca, the home of Homer's Odysseus in the Osyssey, has been inhabited since the 2nd millennium BC.  It is a beautiful island.  Green, lush and mountainous.  The sail over to the island from Zakynthos was a bit rough but smoothed as we neared Ithaca.  And suddenly there was a ton of traffic - mostly sailboats.  We reached the harbor early since we left at 0400!  It was a very nice large harbor with few boats at anchor.  After what we felt was a well deserved nap we went to town for a bit.  Most shops were closed as the tourist season is over but it was nice to have a look around. 

Ithaca

All around the island there are claims of proof that King Odysseus was there.  Scholars disagree as to whether or not Ithaca is even the actual island described in Homer's epic poem.  There are those who believe it may have been another island altogether based on the descriptions.  Regardless, its a beautiful laid back island that we enjoyed. 

Lots of sailboats

While Ithaca may not be on the land "tourist" track it certainly is an island that is visited by sailboat.  We saw more sailboats out sailing there than we had seen our whole time sailing in Greece.  It is a popular cruising ground.  With the Ionian islands being close to the mainland the sailing is in more sheltered water for those who do not enjoy rough seas.  We also prefer to have calmer seas but our route took us a bit further off shore.  From Ithaca it was a nice sail over to Lefkada, another very nice island albeit more touristy.