A Lazy Last Day on Chalki – Kania Beach
My time here has gone so quickly. I have a ticket for the Prevelis leaving at 18.20 this evening. During my stay I haven’t seen my host but I make a point of trying to find her this morning. She doesn’t speak English but I manage to communicate a question about checking out later in the day. It is no problem which is fantastic news.
After breakfast I’m going to go down to the port and catch the bus to Kania Beach. From the terrace of my studio I can see a very swish yacht has anchored up just outside of the port. Oh how the other half live!
Kania beach is a small organised beach in a sheltered bay with exquisite shallow turquoise waters. It is a perfect place to spend a few hours.
I also take a walk around the coast to where the fish farms are located as I’d been told that this is where dolphin’s are usually spotted. I stared and I stared – but nope – no dolphin’s today. I think I’m trying to hard to find them. It is 15 years since I last saw dolphin’s in Greeks waters but they continue to evade me.
I catch the 2pm bus back to the port and have one final exploration around the village before return back to the studio. Plenty more door and window images added to my collection.
I feel sad to be leaving Chalki. The stay has been too short and I feel that I haven’t had the chance to dig a little deeper into this beautiful island. I think also I’m a little travel weary after being on the road since the end of August.
Reluctantly I leave the Atlantis Apartments and weave my way down the twisting streets to the port. Just a few of us wait at the port. It is now early October and the season is drawing to an end. I sit and wait for the Prevelis to reveal herself.
I take a little time to reflect on my impressions of Chalki island.
I had read a few negative things about Chalki before going but I always prefer to make up my own mind. What one person likes in an island another person may hate.
The highlight of the trip for me was definitely the trip to Alimnia island with the Nikos Express – a very different type of island trip and one that has a very special story to tell.
The three beaches that I visited – Kania, Ftenagia and Pondemos were exceptionally beautiful – especially tiny Kania beach. If you want to see stunning turquoise waters then this is the place.
I was aware that the island had been partially colonised by Brits and I don’t intentionally gravitate towards islands that is popular with my fellow countrymen. However, Greeks I know had told me that this was a very special island and so I intended to try and discover this for myself. I’d mentioned in a previous post that Chalki feels as though it has been ’boutiquified’. In every taverna, every beach, everywhere, practically the only people you could hear were Brits. I overheard someone in a taverna saying that they have been coming for over 28 years!
This didn’t detract from the experience – daily life did go on in and around the port but I had heard Chalki described as a stage show – and maybe that is the description that I’m looking for. Having said that – I can wholly understand why this island is popular. It probably has one of the most beautiful outward looking aspects that I have ever seen anywhere. The view over the little islets towards Rhodes is absolutely spectacular at sunrise.
It truly is a beautiful island. However, during my three days I guess I didn’t have the time to find anything more substantial than its beauty – I think it deserves another visit to explore further.
Just as the sky begins to show slivers of pink, the Prevelis reveals herself on the horizon. Boarding is very fast for the handful of us heading back to Rhodes. The Prevelis has been good company over the last few months and I feel like a member of her family.
The view of Chalki and her islets as we set sail against the sunset is stunning – it just took my breath away.
Farewell Chalki
