Mainland sailing in Greece was everything I imagined it to be. Waking up as the sun rises, sailing the most beautiful turquoise water I have ever seen, swimming in the salty shimmering sea, and watching the sun set each night is an experience I will have with me forever. Although I wasn’t able to visit the Greek destinations I imagined, I was still able to get a sample of what Greece can offer. I can’t wait to see more of the one place my heart holds a special space for. My favorite part was seeing the coast in the distance from the sailboat. The sights I saw along the way were stunning and magical.

On my first day of sailing, we left Plateria and spent the afternoon on the sparkling water until we reached our first destination: Mourtos. We docked at Torre a Mare, a beach paradise in Syvota Thesprotias Zeri Cove. Late afternoon we swam, played on the water slides, and relaxed on the boat’s deck under the hot sun. For dinner, we enjoyed a traditional Greek meal of marinated barbecued chicken, tatziki, and potatoes. My day ended by dancing the night away under the stars with my Topdeck friends high on a cliff overlooking Greece’s precious water. That night, my docked rocking sail boat gently lulled me to sleep like a baby, as I reminiscenced about my day of sailing Greece’s turquoise waters.

The next morning, after breakfast we headed out for another day of sailing. Everything went smoothly until our boat stopped working properly, at which time we needed to be pulled by our sailing guide George. The remainder of the day we took turns steering as he pulled our boat behind his. On the way to Corfu, we stopped at a beach for a swim. The isolated beach sat in the perfect spot, away from civilization and below and around gigantic rolling hills. People swam, sun bathed on the beach, and enjoyed water sports. Other boats docked at the beach to experience a destination in what felt like in the middle of nowhere. After playing in the warm water, we headed off for Corfu’s mainland. After sailing (or being pulled rather) for another couple hours we arrived at a small fishing village where we would dock for the evening. That night we enjoyed a feast of Greek specialties including chicken slovaki, bread, tatziki (the best I ever had), calamari, and Greek salad. After dinner we participated in learning traditional Greek dances until we couldn’t dance any longer. After we were exhausted, we stumbled back to the boat and quickly fell asleep.

Our last and final full day in Greece began with sailing the morning away after breakfast (well, in our case being dragged by another boat). Late morning, we stopped about 500 feet off the coast for a swim in the sea from the boat and lunch. The grey storm clouds hovering above and the chilly air didn’t stop people from jumping into the dark turquoise water. We hoped the rain falling from the clouds into the sea in the distance wouldn’t reach us. There were moments when the sun would break through the dark clouds and reach our cold skin. Regardless of the weather I was thankful to be right where I was.

Reluctantly, we sailed a few more hours back to Plateria where our sailing adventure would come to an end. Once docked in Plateria, I spent the afternoon and evening roaming around the town. Although my sailing adventure would end, I’d still have one more night in Greece, one more night to sleep on a sail boat under the stars, and one more night to enjoy the food and coastline.