Nidri

From CruisersWiki

The harbour of Nidri lies on the E coast of the island of Lefkas in the Ionian Sea of Greece, at the entrance to the large gulf known as Vlikho Bay. It is a popular and crowded summer resort and in July and August is heaving with scores of tripper boats, yachts, water ski boats and ferries churning up the waters and making navigation occasionally hazardous at the entrance to Vlikho Bay. The problem is compounded by the popularity of the anchorage at Tranquil Bay half a mile E of Nidri, the overspill from which causes yachts at busy periods to anchor right across the fairway almost to Nidri quay itself. Visiting yachts have the option of anchor mooring on the busy town quay facing the entrance to the bay or trying to negotiate a berth at one of the six pontoons extending from the W shore of the bay between Nidri and the town of Vlikho a mile to the S. Most of the pontoons are occupied by charter yachts on turnaround at the weekend and space is only likely to be available during the week. Shelter on the quay in Nidri is adequate in the prevailing N/NW winds but it becomes uncomfortable if they are very strong. The quay is completely open E and partly open S. During the summer, the water here is often grimy with oil and diesel spillages and smelly with sewage.

Charts

BA

203 Nisos Zakinthos to Nisos Paxoi

Imray-Tetra

G12 Nísos Levkas to Nísos Zákinthos

NIMA

54280 Corfu Channel to Nisis Proti

Greek

2 Ionio Pelagos

Weather

• See Ionian Sea Weather.
• Also see Ionian Sea Currents & Tides.

Passages

• Cruising the Greek Ionian Sea

Communication

Also see World Cruiser's Nets.

Navigation

See the main Vlikho Bay page for details of the approach. Nidri is immediately to starboard on entering the bay and the various pontoons are arrayed along the shores to the S of the town quay. Sections of the town quay are reserved for ferries and tripper boats (painted black and yellow), but yachts may anchor moor on most of the other sections.

Entrance

Lefkas Town is the nearest port of entry.

Berthing

There are two principal mooring options in Lefkas Town, the town quay and the private pontoons to the S.

Ports

Town Quay

The town quay extends for some 300 metres from the S end of Nidri beach to the ferry terminal. The quay is heavily used by tripper boats of all shapes and sizes as well as small and large ferries. However, there is usually room for some 20-30 yachts to anchor moor to the quay between the tripper boats in depths of 2.5 – 3.0 metres. The berths available are at the N end of the quay, next to the small beach, or at the S end, on the outside of the small craft harbour. You will be dropping anchor here in 7.0 – 8.0 metres and the holding is moderate in sand, mud and weed. Shelter here is adequate in the prevailing N/NW winds, but it quickly becomes uncomfortable if they are very strong. Needless to say, there is very little peace here with all the comings and goings of ferries, tripper boats and other leisure craft.

If mooring here, be sure to avoid the sections of quay painted in yellow/red or yellow/black, as these are used by tripper boats and are jealously guarded.

Private pontoons

There is a serried row of private pontoons extending for the best part of half a mile S from Nidri, most of them owned by charter companies but a couple by boatyards and other private concerns. At weekends, there will be little chance of a berth on the charter pontoons as they are busy with handovers, but at other times it may be possible to negotiate a berth. Several of the pontoons have laid moorings and some have water and electricity. Depths at most are 2.5 – 3.5 metres. Shelter at most is excellent, although there is a chop with strong northerlies.

The pontoons are busy with handover at weekends

Some pontoons welcome visiting yachts by arrangement

Marinas & Yacht Clubs

None.

Anchorages

See Tranquil Bay on Vlikho Bay page.

Amenities

Facilities
Water	On the town quay (Euros 2 coin in the slot) and some of the pontoons
Electricity	On some of the pontoons. None on town quay
Toilets	N/A (Not Available)
Showers	N/A
Laundry	N/A
Garbage	Bins near the town quay
Supplies
Fuel	Fuel by truck to the town quay
Bottled gas
Chandlers	Several good chandleries and hardware shops in the town
Services
Repairs	Most kinds of repairs and maintenance services available either in the town or in the boatyards nearby. Boatyards of Vliho Boatyard (Website) and Nidri Marine (Website)
Internet	From several tavernas and cafes on the waterfront
Mobile connectivity
Vehicle rentals	Several rental outlets in the town

Provisioning

• Large supermarket on main drag behind the yacht quay.
• Several smaller supermarkets and provisions shops.
• Good bakeries along the main drag.

Eating out

• Numerous tavernas and cafes along the main waterfront and in the town

Transportation

• Local buses to Lefkas Town
• Ferries to Meganisi

Tourism

Places to Visit

Nidri town is a chaotic strip of tavernas, cafes, souvenir shops and tourist boutiques and has little to commend it unless you like that sort of thing. The beach a few hundred metres to the N is attractive but over-developed and the waters can be choppy with the afternoon seabreeze. A good walk of 3 kms from Nidri past the village of Rahi takes you past the reservoir that supplies Nidri with its water and via a narrow gorge to a waterfall with refreshing pools where you can take a dip to cool off.

Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forums

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

Links

• Nidri at the Wikipedia
• Visit Greece website

References

See Ionian Sea.

Comments

We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.

Verified by

Date of member's last visit to Nidri and this page's details validated:

• July 1988 --Istioploos Travels with S/Y Thetis
• June 2013 --Athene of Lymington

This is a usable page of the cruising guide. However, please contribute if you can to help it grow further. Click on Comments to add your personal notes on this page or to discuss its contents. Alternatively, if you feel confident to edit the page, click on the edit tab at the top and enter your changes directly.

Contributors to this page
Names: Istioploos, Athene of Lymington