Dragon Drascombe

Lugger Sailing in the Greek Ionian

Holidays

Discover Magical Greece

There is so much fascinating history and extraordinary geography to this wonderful country as well as the unique culture. If you want to extend your holiday, why not fly out a few days early and spend some time exploring?

Meteora, comes from the Greek verb meteorizo meaning ‘to suspend in the air’, which describes exactly what is seen at Meteora. These rock formations that project dramatically into the sky, resembling natural towers, once supported 24 monasteries. These monasteries, stunningly built atop steep sandstone peaks (the monks used rope ladders and nets to ascend and descend) are in themselves one of the most breathtaking sites in the world and were built by the monastic community that established themselves in the area around the 11th century A.D. Today, only 6 out of the 22 monasteries are inhabited and accept visitors.

According to geologists, the rocks were created millions of years ago by the Pineios River as it split the huge north-south Pindus range to the west from the Thessalian plain, and thus separated the Pindus from the eastern range that includes Mount Olympus and Mount Ossa. These grey pinnacles sit in the northwest corner of the huge plain, just north of the town of Kalambaka.

The Gorge of Vikos is not only the largest in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is also home to over 1000 different plant species and is the world’s deepest canyon in proportion to its width.

There are plenty of mountain tavernas and hostelries to stay at. Contact Phil for some recommendations.

Gareth & Lisa

A really enjoyable two weeks at Geni. The joy of having a boat (Clara) was exploring small sheltered bays which were not accessible by foot. We both loved swimming from the boat and the wonderful sensation of the sun on your face as you swam in beautiful turquoise water.  May is an excellent time to visit as the spring flowers are out and people’s lemons trees are laden with fruit.  A cycle trip up into the hills was an opportunity to see more of the interior and to get away off the beaten track.

Continue Reading Gareth & Lisa

Tony & Helen

We have just returned from the most wonderful holiday, sailing a beautiful Drascombe Lugger, called Paxi, in Lefkada. Our expectations of the sailing trip were far exceeded, and we will always remember it. But first, how did two Aussies end up sailing a Drascombe Lugger in Lefkada, Greece in June 2019? Well, it all started…

Continue Reading Tony & Helen

Family Activity Holidays

Our holidays are always a great favourite with families as there really is something for everyone. Swim in the pool or take a dip in the beautifully warm Ionian sea. Sail across to an island, or maybe just over the bay to the local bakery to sample their wonderful wares. And if you want to do more than just sail, then there is a raft of other possibilities within easy reach.

With 20 years of experience in the holiday industry, Horizon Watersports offers a great range of fun activities from kayaking, windsurfing to stand-up paddleboarding for all ages and abilities. We offer our guests the opportunity to book 10 hourly passes for the Watersports activities which can be used in a minimum of 2 hourly blocks. These can be used at your leisure throughout your holiday and are available for 1, 2 or 4 people.

Get Active Lefkas began initially with guided mountain biking but now also offer road bike rental. Both options are popular with our Lugger clients. For those wishing to hire road or mountain bikes we are now able to have them delivered to you at your accommodation in Geni. And if you don’t fancy the hill climb, why not try their Uplift service – get a lift to the highest point and freewheel all day. Find out more on our Cycle and Sail page.

Hilsden Family

Like many, we had been anticipating this holiday for over two years, and it lived up to all of our expectations. Sandra and her family at Geni Garden Apartments could not have been more helpful and friendly, and we cannot speak highly enough of the freshly baked goodies delivered to our terrace table each morning! Or being able to tumble into the pool after a day at sea! We had a splendid week of sailing to beautiful bays, swimming, snorkelling, lazing on beaches, picnics, tavernas and ice creams galore!

Continue Reading Hilsden Family

Caleb & family

As a keen sailor it was a perfect arrangement – having full use of a boat but not being tied to it. The apartment at Geni had all we needed, set in lovely gardens with a view of mountains in the distance, the pool in the foreground and Vilho bay (and our boat) in between. Our host, Sandra, and her family could not have been more accommodating. All in all it was a perfect holiday, with relaxation and adventure in equal measure in beautiful surroundings.

Continue Reading Caleb & family

Family Inglis

“Yip, a grand and successful family holiday, Phil. It ticked all the boxes for us.” From our late evening arrival at Geni Garden, the Family Apartment was just outstanding. We sat on the balcony to catch our breath, a cold beer in hand which Phil had waiting in the fridge, looking over the bay still…

Continue Reading Family Inglis

Simon & Lucy Atkinson

We decided to get out of the mountains and into the sea to celebrate Simon’s birthday last month and were lucky enough to take a Drascombe Lugger for the day. Phil from Dragon Drascombe met us at the pontoon in Geni and gave us a thorough briefing on the boat before escorting us out of…

Continue Reading Simon & Lucy Atkinson

The Vaughan Family

We have just returned from a ten day stay at Geni Garden courtesy of Dragon Drascombe. We had a superb holiday, sailing ‘Ellie’ all around Nydri, Meganissi and the Greek mainland. Thanks to Phil, the entire trip went without any hiccups and he was on hand everyday to help with sailing tips and advice. All…

Continue Reading The Vaughan Family

Learn to Sail

We have a unique geographical position here in Vliho Bay. Some 3 km long and just south of Nidri, it has north and south prevailing winds, light in the morning with freshening winds later on and is a superb ‘large pond’ to learn to sail on. And the Lugger is the perfect boat to learn to sail in. It is in every sense a proper boat, having 3 sails, 2 masts, a centre board, a rudder, an auxiliary engine and lots of bits of string to pull! Not only that, but you’ll be learning in the warm waters of the Ionian and you have top quality accommodation to relax in afterwards.

Phil is a fully qualified instructor who worked with the Outward Bound Trust in Aberdovey earlier in his career, and will teach you how to handle the boat safely under sail and engine, and to develop the important teamwork skills needed to crew a small boat.

This really is the place to learn to sail… no wetsuits, foul weather kit, woollies to keep you warm or tides to really affect you! Best of all it’s hot, a predictable wind pattern and warm seas, so the order for a sailing day is swimmies, T-shirts and flip-flops or trainers. Each Lugger has a Bimini, swimming ladder and most importantly a picnic set cum cool bag, so as to keep beer and drinks cool. It really is just perfect.

We are also able to offer basic training in power boat handling using our ex-RNLI rib Warrior Spirit.

For this introductory sailing to be of value we would recommend a minimum of 4 days. The mornings are spent under tuition, then after a picnic or Taverna lunch, the afternoon can be spent on unaccompanied sailing, this with the safety boat in attendance.

The Lugger is fully equipped and is for a maximum of 4 adults or a family group of 6.

The cost for 4 days of sailing tuition will be £850, plus Lugger charter cost and of course we can also book accommodation if you wish. Look at the options elsewhere on this website and phone or email with your group requirements to get a total cost for the package.

John & Charlie

We also have a Drascombe Longboat in Corfu and Phil kindly helped us get reacquainted with sailing it using one of his Luggers. Invaluable experience, and I cannot commend Phil’s patience and teaching skills enough. Also the accommodation he arranged for us. He showed us some of the other places he uses for accommodation and…

Continue Reading John & Charlie

Rob & Nicky

We had a great week with the additional benefit of three days’ tuition from Phil. Geni Garden apartments are very convenient and comfortable and Franz and his wife and daughter look after everything including providing croissants and other bakery items for the next day’s breakfast.

The boats are all in excellent condition, thanks to all Phil’s hard work and dedication in setting them up. We hope to be back to sail further afield next year.

Continue Reading Rob & Nicky

Mid Summer Diary

Nidri, The Greek Ionian. It’s a sad day for Bengy today, he does not know it yet but the boat he uses for a day time shelter is being moved, I will have to make him another shelter out of a Lugger winter cover – with temperatures at around 33 he has to have shade…

Continue Reading Mid Summer Diary

Island Hopping Adventures

If you are looking for a sailing challenge, why not try ‘Island Hopping’ and make an expedition by sailing to different venues each day. There are so many islands to visit here, and so much to see. We can pre-book overnight Taverna or small hotel accommodation for you (depending on availability). Alternatively since Airbnb arrived in Greece, it is now easier than ever to book accommodation to suit your itinerary.

The Lugger is noted for its rugged sea keeping qualities; they handle well in a good breeze and with so many option in its rigging you can even sail with just a reefed foresail and Mizen. When the wind falls away and it’s time to get back to the pontoon just put down the 4-stroke outboard, an easy pull to get her into action and away she goes at 4-5 knots. With her shallow draft and light handling it is always possible to find a mooring even in the most crowded harbour. A perfect and very safe day sailor.

You can find out more about what some of our clients have done in previous years and get a taste of what is available: Read Dave Craig’s diary of his 3 weeks island tour, or watch the Wilson family’s video further down this page. Call Phil to discuss your ideas and tap into his extensive local knowledge to plan your next adventure.

Neil, Jean & Ruth Wilson

Sailing in the Sun, once more, August – September 2018. One can perhaps get addicted to some things, if you keep trying them – this was our fifth holiday sailing one of Phil’s Luggers ‘in the sun’. Though our first Greek sailing experience goes back some few years to Lemnos when we had the shock…

Continue Reading Neil, Jean & Ruth Wilson

An Ionian Tour

“Are you really travelling around the world in that little boat?” As much as I hated to decrease our status as instant celebrities, I had to admit the truth: “No, we are travelling around the Ionian Sea for a few weeks.” The person who asked the question was the third party in fifteen minutes to…

Continue Reading An Ionian Tour

Relax in the Sun

The Lugger is ideally suited to couples or small groups who used to sail regularly in the UK but are now looking for something much more relaxing, perhaps sailing across the inlet to pick up bread for breakfast, having a leisurely morning and then heading across the water to a Taverna for lunch; for family groups who just want to potter around exploring inlets where they can beach the boat for lunch and a swim.

​Sailing south you will encounter numerous anchorages, coves and villages accessible as stop-offs for lunch and a swim or to explore the area on foot. The Lugger is delightfully easy to pull up on the beach and small enough to find a mooring in almost any location.

It really is up to you. Phil is always on hand to give expert advice on wind and sea conditions and places to visit. And in the unlikely event that you encounter any problems, a quick phone call is usually all it takes to sort it out. This level of personal service really makes the difference, as you can see from some of our testimonials.

Helen & Michael

This is Helen and Michael sailing on their final day. After heading back home I was delighted to receive a message from them. “We’re back watching concrete being poured!! Many Thanks for our lovely week which we really enjoyed. You have a great setup there and we appreciate all your hard work making it all run smoothly.”…

Continue Reading Helen & Michael

Rob & Nicky

We had a great week with the additional benefit of three days’ tuition from Phil. Geni Garden apartments are very convenient and comfortable and Franz and his wife and daughter look after everything including providing croissants and other bakery items for the next day’s breakfast.

The boats are all in excellent condition, thanks to all Phil’s hard work and dedication in setting them up. We hope to be back to sail further afield next year.

Continue Reading Rob & Nicky

Valerie, Steve, Suzanne & George

The Geni apartments and the lugger were ideal for us. It really ticked all of our boxes. Good accommodation, glorious views and good sailing with excellent weather. The islands, the beaches and the tavernas met all our expectations.

Thank you for all of your assistance and for making all of the arrangements. It all went perfectly. We look forward to repeating the experience next September.

Continue Reading Valerie, Steve, Suzanne & George

Elspeth

The four of us joined the fun at Dragon Drascombe this September and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We stayed at the Gialos Taverna where we were warmly welcomed. The views from our rooms were lovely with our Drascombe Lugger moored to the taverna’s pontoon, just waiting for us. The sailing in this area is sublime, whether being adventurous and island hopping or beaching the boat outside a taverna for lunch or in a lovely isolated cove. I hope that we can get back next season.

Continue Reading Elspeth

Elaine Johnston

We had such an enjoyable holiday – a really good celebration of our 30th wedding anniversary. We had lots of fun in the Drascombe Luggers, and having two of them worked out very well for the five of us. Lazy days in the lovely villa Eleanor, filled with swimming and reading and sailing in the afternoons – a perfect holiday. Thoroughly recommended!

Continue Reading Elaine Johnston

Hilsden Family

Like many, we had been anticipating this holiday for over two years, and it lived up to all of our expectations. Sandra and her family at Geni Garden Apartments could not have been more helpful and friendly, and we cannot speak highly enough of the freshly baked goodies delivered to our terrace table each morning! Or being able to tumble into the pool after a day at sea! We had a splendid week of sailing to beautiful bays, swimming, snorkelling, lazing on beaches, picnics, tavernas and ice creams galore!

Continue Reading Hilsden Family