We’ve now been in Paros for a week. We’ve been here waiting for good weather, then ferries for guests (both outgoing and incoming) and now we are here because leaving would be difficult and dangerous.
Meltemi is the Greek and Turkish name for the well known etesian wind blowing from north to northwest across the Aegean Sea. The meltemi flows from a high pressure ridge over the Balkans towards a heat trough over the Anatolian Plateau. During a strong meltemi event, the trough may extend relatively far to the west and beyond Rhodes and even Crete, forming calm wind pockets leeward of the Aegean islands.
However, the numerous Aegean Islands and mountain gaps are channeling the wind causing gusty, vigorous jet-effects and lee eddies as well as local katabatic winds.
The good news for me is that Paros has one of the best kitesurfing spots that I’ve run into anywhere. The gap between Paros and Antiparos islands forms a North/South channel through which the winds flow parallel to the shore. Punta Beach is the spot with two kitesurfing schools and a cafe set up on the beach.
The “season” is officially over, but there are still plenty of kiters here. Deb and I were happy to meet a couple from Austria over the past couple of days and we are not complaining about being stuck here at all.
However, our current guests (Emily and Bret) decided that they didn’t want to spend their entire vacation on one island. So, they took off on a ferry this morning to visit a couple of the other nearby islands. They return tomorrow night.
Morpheus Sailing 